Syphilis cases rise to their highest levels since the 1950s, CDC says

The number of syphilis cases in the U.S. are on the rise. According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases increased by nearly 80 percent to more than 207,000 between 2018 and 2022.

Rates increased among all age groups, including newborns, and in all regions of the country. In 2022, 3,755 cases of babies born with syphilis in the U.S. were reported, which reflects an alarming 937 percent increase in the past decade, the CDC said.

The report continued that racial and ethnic minorities are most disproportionately affected due to "long standing social inequities that often lead to health inequalities."

Experts point to various reasons for the increase, including increases in substance abuse tied to risky sexual behavior, decrease in condom use, ongoing social and economic conditions and reduction in sexually transmitted infections (STI) services at the state and local level.