syphilis

Rates are so bad in Native American communities that public health experts have asked the federal government to declare an emergency. Inadequate prenatal care may be partly to blame.

The drug is the go-to treatment for syphilis and the only one recommended for pregnant people. But a shortage of the injectable drug has prompted some public health agencies to ration it.

Cases increased by nearly 80% to more than 207,000 between 2018 and 2022, according to the CDC. Rates increased among all age groups, including newborns, and in all regions of the country.

Unless mothers are treated during pregnancy, newborns can sicken, die or face lifelong disabilities. The CDC is urging public health providers to connect more people to testing and medication.

Oklahoma ranks in the top five states for babies born with syphilis, but that could change soon, after the governor signed a bill that will require more frequent screenings for pregnant patients.

Oklahoma has seen its rate of congenital syphilis soar. Now, lawmakers are considering a bill that could get those babies help before they’re born.

Oklahoma ranked in the top five for sexually transmitted syphilis, newborns born with syphilis and gonorrhea.

The country nearly eradicated this treatable sexually transmitted disease twice, only to see it come roaring back. The failure shows the weakness of a cash-strapped public health system.

Syphilis cases in California have contributed to soaring national caseloads of sexually transmitted diseases. Experts point to the advent of dating apps, decreased condom use and an increase in meth.

For years, syphilis seemed to disappear from the United States and from Oklahoma. But its return and ensuing surge have created a tragic pattern: a rise…