04/03/2023

Why Syphilis is Surging Among U.S. Infants

The reasons are all preventable

A decade ago, the United States stood on the brink of eliminating the scourge of babies born with syphilis. Now, cases are surging, a phenomenon that is underscoring deep inequities in the nation's healthcare system and reviving concerns about a disease easily controlled with routine antibiotics.

The spike, driven in part by the nation's drug and homelessness crisis, is especially apparent across the Sun Belt, according to public health experts and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The rate of syphilis is five times higher for babies born to Black mothers than to White mothers, reflecting racial disparities in access to maternal healthcare.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.