The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday said that rates of newborn syphilis are rapidly increasing amid the accelerating epidemic of sexually transmitted infections.
Syphilis is a bacterial STI that has been on the rise in recent years. Syphilis rates increased by nearly 32% from 2020 to 2021, with more than 2.5 million reported cases of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The congenital syphilis epidemic is an unacceptable American crisis," said Jonathan Mermin, the director of CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention."All pregnant mothers — regardless of who they are or where they live — deserve access to care that protects them and their babies from preventable disease."
Although congenital syphilis rates are increasing across all racial categories, babies born to racial minorities are eight times more likely to have been born with the condition. This corresponds to persistently higher rates of syphilis among minority communities.CDC guidance on the issue emphasized encouraging any healthcare provider that a pregnant or reproductive-age patient might see to encourage syphilis testing and treatment.