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Did syphilis in the US increase 80% in four years and cause 231 stillbirths in 2022?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

Syphilis cases in the U.S. increased 80% from 2018 to 2022 and caused 231 stillbirths in 2022, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Jan. 30, 2024.

The cases are the highest since the 1950s, the CDC said.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that is spread through vaginal, anal or oral sex. Untreated, it can seriously damage the heart and brain, and can cause blindness, deafness and paralysis. 

Cases increased from 115,000 in 2018 to more than 207,000 in 2022.  

The highest rate was 84.3 per 100,000 people in South Dakota; the lowest was 0.5 in Vermont; Wisconsin ranked 29th at 12.6. 

The 231 stillbirths was in addition to 51 infant deaths.

The syphilis increase may be related to diverting funds from public health clinics to COVID-19 treatment, according to a study published in July 2022 in the Annals of Medicine and Surgery journal.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control 2022 U.S. Syphilis Cases Reach Highest Numbers Since the 1950s
Centers for Disease Control Syphilis in Babies Reflects Health System Failures
Centers for Disease Control STD Facts
Centers for Disease Control 2022 STI Surveillance Report
Annals of Medicine and Surgery Rise of syphilis surge amidst COVID-19 pandemic in the USA: A neglected concern
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.