Syphilis rates in one Utah county have skyrocketed by 800 percent in just four years, and are expected to continue rising.
State health officials warned that the sexually transmitted disease is increasing in Salt Lake County, Utah, at an “alarming” rate, particularly in women of childbearing age.
This increases the risk of congenital syphilis in newborns, which has increased nearly 10-fold in states like Mississippi.
The condition increases a baby’s chance of suffering from bone damage, anemia, jaundice, nerve damage and meningitis.
SYPHILIS: The map above shows the percentage change in syphilis cases between 2017 and 2021. The disease is skyrocketing in the U.S. after reaching such low levels in 2001 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention They suggested it could be eradicated.
Nearly half of Salt Lake County’s population is Mormon. The community strongly discourages the use of contraceptives such as condoms, which have been shown to prevent syphilis.
The increase is consistent with national data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has found that STDs such as syphilis and gonorrhea are increasing year over year.
The increase could be due to a lack of access to contraceptives that reduce the risk of STDs, such as condoms, which are not recommended among the state’s largely religious population.
About 60 percent of Utah residents are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church. Just under half of Salt Lake County residents identify as Mormon.
According to state health data, syphilis cases in women increased 800 percent between 2018 and 2022, multiplying from three cases to 27. Experts expect that number to double this year.
Of the cases, 89 percent occurred in women between 15 and 44 years old.
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is usually contracted by having sexual intercourse with an infected person.
It spreads through close contact with an infected sore, which usually occurs during vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
Infected pregnant women can transmit the STI to their unborn babies, which can lead to miscarriages or stillbirth.
Symptoms of syphilis may not always be obvious at first and may eventually go away.
Syphilis can also be transmitted by sharing needles with an infected person.
Symptoms are not always obvious and may eventually disappear. These include small or painless sores on the genitals, red, blotchy rashes on the palms or soles of the feet, skin growths around the woman’s vulva or anus, white patches in the mouth, fatigue, headaches, fever and swelling of the lymph nodes.
Patients experience sores between two and 12 weeks after exposure. These disappear, but between one and six months later, a rash appears that covers the entire body.
Patients who do not receive treatment for their disease may also face tertiary syphilis, a serious disease in which vital organs, including the heart and brain, are severely damaged.
If left untreated, syphilis can spread to the brain or other parts of the body and cause disability or death.
The disease is diagnosed by a blood test and can be treated with an antibiotic given by injection.
Treatment usually involves an injection of antibiotics into the buttocks or a course of tablets.
People can reduce their risk by using condoms during sex, a dental dam (plastic square) while having oral sex, and avoiding sharing sex toys.
Most cases in women of childbearing age increase the likelihood of congenital syphilis, which occurs when an infected mother transmits the STI to her baby during pregnancy.
CDC figures found that 3,761 babies were born in the US with the condition in 2022, up from 335 in 2012.
