• Abortion

Los Angeles, US, Jan 30 (EFE). –

Syphilis cases in the United States reached their highest levels since the 1950s, with a sharp increase in those detected among newborns, according to data released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data analyzed showed that the incidence of syphilis between 2018, when 113,739 cases were recorded, and 2022, when 203,500 were registered, increased by 80 percent.

The increase is even more “alarming” when analyzing the incidence of congenital syphilis, in which the infection is transmitted from the mother to the fetus, which increased by 937% in the last decade, the CDC report warned.

In 2022, there were 3,755 cases of congenital syphilis, resulting in 282 deaths from a disease that can usually be prevented with early detection and treatment.

New Mexico had the highest rate of congenital syphilis (355.3 cases per 100,000 live births), while five states (Texas, California, Arizona, Florida, and Louisiana) accounted for 57% of all reported cases in the country.

Racial and ethnic minorities continue to be disproportionately affected.

Native Americans experienced the highest rate of congenital syphilis, with one case of congenital syphilis for every 155 births in 2022.

African Americans experienced about 30% of congenital syphilis cases in 2022.

“As disparities persist among some groups, it is clear that our nation must continue efforts to address long-standing social inequities that often lead to health disparities,” the report states.

Overall, 2,505,027 cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) will be reported in the US in 2022, with cases of chlamydia (1,649,716) topping the list. EFE

amv/mcd