Syphilis is one of the most rampant sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in America. Spread through sex with a partner who already has the disease, syphilis presents itself in sores, headaches, and eventually mental confusion. However, syphilis can also spread to newborns from positive parents. For babies, the effects are much more dire: damaged organs, bones, vision, and even stillbirth are all possible effects. According to the data released last Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 3,700 babies were born with syphilis in 2022 -- resulting in 231 stillbirths. For comparison, ten years ago, only 355 babies were born with syphilis. Tragically, each case is considered a "never event" - tragic outcomes that should never happen - because of how preventable the disease is. A single treatment of penicillin, an antibiotic that has been in use for over 80 years now, is almost always sufficient to prevent infected mothers from passing the STD. Unfortunately, a lack of testing, budget cuts, and even available medical care have contributed massively to this rise.
According to the CDC, as of 2021, more than 70% of people in the U.S live in counties with a high rate of syphilis - 4.6 cases per 100,000 people - yet many pregnant women do not get tested with their OBGYN, at most seeing their local E.R. which are not equipped with the tools to test and treat patients over repeated visits adequately. This issue is especially prevalent in states that have banned abortion, interestingly enough, with places like Mississippi requiring women to drive hours on end to seek adequate medical care -- something which may not be possible when these same citizens are struggling to get by. Furthermore, budget cuts have neutered the ability of more willing states to adequately respond to the growing crisis. In May, Congress agreed to retract approximately $27 billion in unspent block grant funding allocated for Covid-19. While I actually agree with many aspects of this decision, the deal also cut two years of funding dedicated towards state health departments hiring disease intervention specialists. States, such as Louisiana, used this funding to employ 28 of these specialists to dedicate themselves to syphilis-related programs. However, the loss of funding cut half of the available money towards these programs.
Syphilis in newborns is extremely deadly and sometimes fatal. However, it is also highly preventable. To ensure such a tragic loss of life never happens again, I believe more efforts should be made to increase the availability of both syphilis tests and treatments. While budget plans have already been tied to larger overarching budgets (the Covid-19 one for example), I believe that a categorical grant specifically tied to syphilis prevention in newborns will go a long way to stopping this ever-increasing, yet highly preventable, epidemic.
https://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/s1107-newborn-syphilis.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/07/health/syphilis-babies.html
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/07/health/dire-increase-in-syphilis-infections-in-babies/index.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/newborn-syphilis-cases-reached-dire-levels-cdc-says-rcna123856
10 comments:
I think another major issue resulting in the rise of Syphilis is the stigma/lack of knowledge about sex and STDs in America. For example, many people are not aware that Syphilis can spread through oral sex. Because of this, people opt out of using a condom for oral sex, resulting in the transmission of Syphilis and other STDs. Even the healthcare professionals who are supposed to be testing people for STDs such as Syphilis make incorrect assumptions about their patient's sexual history. Many healthcare providers, for example, assume that none of their patients engage in extramarital affairs and therefore forego testing. This results in Syphilis and other STDs not being detected and treated, possibly resulting in pregnant women giving birth to infants with Syphilis. I think there needs to be an expansion of sex education in America to ensure that both citizens and healthcare providers have the knowledge required to prevent the spread of STDs.
https://time.com/6217556/syphilis-symptoms-treatment-cases/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/explaining-the-staggering-rise-of-syphilis-in-newborn-babies
I agree with Konstantinos that there should be an expansion of sex education in America. The education we receive in middle school is very basic and not in depth, teachers are sometimes unwilling to teach their students about sex because it can be uncomfortable for them. I believe that the expansion in sex education should be in high school, where students are more mature and learning about STDs can be more helpful. A poll done by Planned Parenthood concluded that 96% of parents supported having sex education being taught in high school although the topics they supported did not include STDs but instead STIs which is still a very important factor to be informed about. Although most states provide a guidance on how and when sex education should be taught in school, those decisions are often left to individual school districts to decide. Leaving it to individual school districts can create a gap between different students in different districts because they would not be getting the same information.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/for-educators/whats-state-sex-education-us
To build off of Kostas's point that the lack of knowledge and awareness of STIs has been contributing to their spread, I believe that the current climate of the media has been a major factor as to why there could be a greater lack of knowledge in the first place. Although the vast majority of Americans support the teaching of sex education in schools, as shown in the Planned Parenthood poll Dayrin has brought up in which 96% of parents support sex education in high school, the media often focuses on the ideologies and actions of the small fraction in opposition. As a result, the public tends to have an inaccurate view of the scope of public opinion towards topics such as the teaching of sex education in school, and this issue can lead those who control school curricula to prolong the absence of sex education, believing there is more public pushback than there really is.
I fully agree that ideally, the best way to deal with this “syphilis epidemic” is by increasing the individual’s accessibility to syphilis healthcare, especially when only a single shot (!) of penicillin could prevent the spread of the STD. However, I think it’s more important to look at this situation from a realistic point of view. One of the jobs of our government is to decide what takes the highest prominence on the policy agenda—theoretically, these should be the issues that help and support the most people the most. You mentioned that 3,700 infants were born with syphilis last year, which is 3,700 more than it needs to be, but how many hundreds of thousands of babies born each year are born with other, curable, preventable diseases? Or even with diagnoses that are much more fatal? You compare syphilis to Covid-19, but how many millions of people have died from Covid already? Thus, looking at it politics-wise, it is understandable that the government (both at the federal and state level) doesn't have syphilis treatment as high-priority on their to-do list. I don’t mean to take a purely utilitarian perspective on this issue, and I don’t mean to discount the lives of the people that are severely affected by syphilis, but I also want to be genuine about what our government values. In reality, our leaders only have so much they can deal with, and it’s a tragedy that something so preventable gets pushed down on our national agenda.
I agree with Maya's point about the government's prioritization of issues with the policy agenda. Although this syphilis epidemic does affect a number of people and is easily preventable, there are few to no single-issue voters for syphilis prevention. On the other hand, expanding/scaling down healthcare at large is a key issue for almost every voter, meaning that this one specific issue is rarely considered outside of those terms.
The alarming rise in syphilis cases among newborns is deeply troubling. The fact that over 3,700 babies were born with syphilis in 2022, leading to 231 stillbirths, reflects a failure in our healthcare system. I find it disheartening that preventable tragedies continue to occur. The disparities in testing accessibility, particularly for pregnant women, are concerning, especially in states with restrictive abortion laws. Budget cuts impacting disease intervention programs, as seen in Louisiana, exacerbate the issue. Prioritizing accessible testing and treatments is crucial to ensure the well-being of both mothers and infants, and it's an area where targeted investments can make a significant difference in preventing needless suffering. I am curious as to why more people don’t get tested. While there may be a stigma around sexually transmitted diseases, I would prioritize my personal and child’s safety over being judged.
While I understand Maya's point about the overall severity of the syphilis epidemics relative to other diseases, I don't believe that excuses the inaction of America to address this problem. I purposely do not use "the governments" for I feel there are others who could act to address the issue, such as healthcare providers. I also believe there is a stigma surrounding STDs and because of this, many refuse to even test out of fear of being ostracized. By simply taking steps to be more open minded about STDs (which yes I know is easier said than done), I believe that in itself will minimize the long term impacts of having syphilis. So even if we can't address the issue at its root, society can at least minimize its impact on both adult individuals and their children as outlined in the post.
I agree with everyone else that this rising “syphilis epidemic” could have resulted from the stigma around talking about STD's along with not being fully educated on them. There are many ways to prevent STD's such as using protection or being sure to be tested often. It is heartbreaking to hear that these infants will be affected and it just shows how not knowing these things can bring greater harm. I also do agree that the government may be focusing more on what seems like more severe issues in healthcare, yet that is hard for me to say as I wouldn't want anyones life to be harmed, especially as these babies are innocent. As a society, we can do our part by educating our friends and family on the simple ways to prevent it and hope fore future change.
I agree with everyone else that this rising “syphilis epidemic” could have resulted from the stigma around talking about STD's along with not being fully educated on them. There are many ways to prevent STD's such as using protection or being sure to be tested often. It is heartbreaking to hear that these infants will be affected and it just shows how not knowing these things can bring greater harm. I also do agree that the government may be focusing more on what seems like more severe issues in healthcare, yet that is hard for me to say as I wouldn't want anyones life to be harmed, especially as these babies are innocent. As a society, we can do our part by educating our friends and family on the simple ways to prevent it and hope fore future change.
I agree 100% that much stronger efforts need to be taken in order to prevent this disease in newborn children. The fact that testing and treatment are not very outwardly and obviously available is terrifying and needs to be changed. This is a little off-topic, but it kind of goes to show for me that a large part of the entire pro-life agenda is restricting women's rights.I find it interesting how so many conservative pro-life advocates will focus all their attention on abortion (or, restricting/banning it), yet I hear nothing about things like these. I have never even heard of syphilis, but I've heard countless arguments about how important the lives of newborn children are, and how abortion is murder. It reminds me of how I felt when pro-life advocates were pushing their agenda but not at all talking about what they would do for the foster care system or the adoption system. They seem to claim that they care so deeply for these unborn children, but when it comes to issues like these, silence. That being said, strong efforts must be made on the entire political spectrum. This isn't just a political matter but a matter of newborns lives. The fact that this disease is easily treatable by one dosage of penicillin but is not big enough news for mothers to be aware that they should be tested in the first place and that their children are dying is heartbreaking.
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