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Untreated syphilis can cause serious health problems PHOTO: Turnto
Medical experts have issued a warning about dramatic increases in a sexually transmitted disease, “particularly worrying”, especially as the number of people getting tested has fallen in recent years. The number of syphilis cases has tripled in the last decade Australiathe health authorities of this country announced this week.
“Any increase in cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is bad news,” said epidemiologist Dr Skye McGregor. “But the rise in STIs amid declining testing and a persistent upward trend over the past decade is particularly concerning,” according to 9News.
Syphilis cases have tripled in the past decade and gonorrhea is also on the rise nationally, according to a report by Australia’s health authorities. The dramatic increases are “particularly worrying”, health experts have warned, as the number of people being tested for STIs has fallen in recent years.
The report by researchers at UNSW’s Kirby Institute found that syphilis cases have tripled in the past decade and chlamydia diagnoses have also risen steadily, with cases increasing by 12% since 2013.
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The number of tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea among both men and women declined between 2019 and 2022, likely due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, McGregor said. In 2022 there were 93,777 chlamydia diagnoses, 32,877 gonorrhea diagnoses and 6,036 infectious syphilis diagnoses, according to the report.
The number of syphilis cases has tripled in the last 10 years, and although most cases remain in men, the number of women diagnosed with syphilis has increased sixfold over the same period.
McGregor said the increase in cases among women was worrying. If untreated during pregnancy, a syphilis infection can lead to miscarriage or congenital syphilis, when the infection is passed on to unborn children.
“Congenital syphilis is an extremely serious condition for infants that can have a significant impact on health throughout life, and in the worst cases can be fatal,” she said.
There have been 69 cases of congenital syphilis in the last seven years, 18 of which resulted in the death of the infant. Diagnoses of congenital syphilis are 14 times higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children compared to non-Indigenous children, the report found.
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According to the report, the majority of chlamydia cases in Australia are undiagnosed and untreated. Chlamydia was the most commonly reported STI in Australia in 2022, with more than two in three diagnoses occurring in 15-29 year olds.
“Researchers have estimated that one in 27 young Australian women will have chlamydia at some point in 2022, with less than half being diagnosed. That equates to over 91,000 young women,” McGregor said. Gonorrhea also increased in 2022, and diagnoses in major cities were nearly three times higher in 2022 than 10 years ago. Most diagnoses, about 71%, were detected in men.
Australians are reminded to consider the need to have regular sexual health checks, practice safe sex and get tested for syphilis and treated as soon as possible if they have symptoms.
Syphilis is a curable infection that spreads from one person to another through sexual activity. The initial symptoms of syphilis may be mild and include painless sores or bumps on the genitals or mouth; a rash on the face, hands or feet; fever, headache, muscle aches and blurred vision, according to the Tasmanian Government.
Without treatment, syphilis can cause long-term complications such as nerve, brain and heart problems, as well as blindness and mental health problems.
2023-12-22 23:31:08
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