Syphilis Cases Hit 70-Year High During Pandemic

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Facts

  • According to a report released Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sexually transmitted infections rose in 2021, after a slight drop during the first year of the COVID pandemic.1
  • There were more than 2.5M cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in 2021, the highest number in 70 years. The CDC study found that cases of syphilis have surged 32% in 2021 over 2020, and have increased by 74% over the past five years.2
  • The report also found that cases of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a baby is born with the infection after the mother transmitted it during pregnancy, rose by 32% in 2021, resulting in 220 stillbirths and infant deaths.3
  • Experts have attributed the rise in cases to reduced screenings during the shift to help combat COVID.1
  • Dr. Leandro Mena, director of the CDC's division of sexually transmitted disease prevention said in a statement: 'The U.S. STI [Sexually Transmitted Infection] epidemic shows no signs of slowing...For the first time in decades, we're seeing promising new STI interventions on the horizon, but these alone will not solve this epidemic.'3

Sources: 1NBC, 2Axios and 3Abc news.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Abc news. These latest CDC numbers underscore the need for more widespread and easily accessible testing and treatment options for STIs. STIs happen to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, religion, politics, or lifestyle. With proper and timely screening, syphilis can be a treatable and curable infection.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Probe ministries. Sexually transmitted diseases have reached unprecedented and epidemic proportions. It is not unreasonable to say that at the rate things are going, anyone who has sex outside of marriage is at risk of catching an STI. So-called 'safe sex' education is a detriment to the health of American youth.