Syphilis Epidemic in the United States Reaches 70-Year High, Experts Say

The United States is facing a real syphilis epidemic. The situation is so complicated that some hospitals have begun testing all patients for it, the Financial Times writes, citing experts.

Syphilis rates in the United States are at their highest levels since 1950. “Congenital” syphilis in newborns, which causes miscarriages, stillbirths and lifelong health problems, was ten times more common in 2022 than in 2012, the Financial Times cites data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We’re going backwards when it comes to infectious diseases in the United States, and a lot of that is due to structural racism,” said Dr. Marcelo Venegas. Syphilis disproportionately affects people of color who either lack health insurance or live in areas where health care is unavailable, experts say.

Changing sexual behavior has played a major role in the spread of syphilis, says Dr. Khalil Ghanem, an expert on the disease. Previously, AIDS scared people away from promiscuous relationships. With the advent of drugs to combat HIV, sexual behavior again became more liberated.