United States: The United States has been dealing with the problem of sexually transmitted diseases for a long time. However, in 2022, the number of cases has touched records and reached up to the highest levels since 1950.
The stats have been shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday. As per the report, the total number of syphilis cases reported in 2022 was 207,255 in the United States; during the same year, the cases saw an upsurge of 16.9 percent – the cases increased from 53.2 per 100,000 in 2021 to 62.2 per 100,000 in 2022.
Congenital syphilis – a major concern!
The report has revealed that the largest spike has been reported in the cases related to congenital syphilis – when the infection is passed from an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy. The cases have increased by 30.6 percent, with more than 3,700 cases in 2022, according to the reports by the Associated Press.
Acting director of the division of STD prevention at the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention – Dr Laura Bachmann mentioned, “We have long known that these infections are common, but we have not faced such severe effects of syphilis in decades.”
She further added, “It has emerged as a unique public health challenge.”
Roots syphilis cases!
Health experts have underlined that syphilis can be treated with the help of antibiotics and vaccines, but if it is left untreated, then it can cause damage to the brain as well as the nervous system. In severe cases, the infection could lead to dementia, tinnitus, blindness, and even death.
The infection started to decline after penicillin was used to treat the infection. The cases started to decrease in the 1950s; however, the cases started to increase again in the year 2012. In addition to this, the most infectious forms of syphilis hit a low in 2000 and 2001, and the cases started to increase by 9.3 percent in 2021 and 2022, according to AP.
What are the common symptoms of syphilis?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shared the symptoms of both the stages – Primary stage and Secondary stage, which are as follows:
Primary stage: An infected person might experience one or more sores on the organs from where the infection has entered, such as the mouth, anus, and sex organs.
Secondary stage: The rash or sore can then be seen on hands and feet, along with fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, muscle aches, weight loss, and fatigue.
What else did the report reveal?
The reports covered the details of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including gonorrhea and Chlamydia. The CDC mentioned that the rate of infection of both STDs witnessed a decrease and held steady.
Chlamydia: It is the most common STD. The cases associated with Chlamydia remained steady in 2022 – the rate was 495 cases per 100,000 in 2022 from 495.5 per 100,000 in 2021. The CDC outlined that the number of cases increased by 1.8 percent in men, but it also declined by 1.8 percent in women.
Gonorrhea: The cases associated with the disease witnessed a decline for the first time since 2009. The report briefed that a decline of 9.2 percent, with 648,000 cases, was reported in 2022, with the largest decline among women at 14.5 percent.
Who is more likely to get infected with STDs?
According to the reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young men are most likely to get infected by sexually transmitted diseases. The stats revealed that around half, approximately 49.8 percent, of the cases were among adolescents and adults aged 15 to 24 years.
Along with this, the majority of cases were also found among gay and bisexual men.
While addressing the same, a Professor at Brown University and chief medical officer of Open Door Health, a health center for gay, lesbian, and transgender patients in Providence, Rhode Island – Dr Philip Chan, stated while interaction with AP, “I think it’s unknowingly being spread in the cisgender heterosexual population because we really aren’t testing for it. We really aren’t looking for it in that population.”