Syphilis, once considered an eliminable STI, is spiking in Iowa
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Syphilis is on the rise in Iowa, along with several other sexually transmitted infections, according to 2021 case counts from the Iowa Department of Public Health.
- But one of the most alarming numbers is 2021's spike in congenital syphilis, which is passed to a fetus during pregnancy.
Driving the news: Iowa recorded 11 cases of congenital syphilis in 2021.
- In comparison, there have only been 10 total cases of congenital syphilis in the last 15 years.
Why it matters: It's a sign that health resources and education aren't reaching some of the populations that need them the most, said George Walton of IDPH.
- Especially for the 11 pregnant women affected, regular prenatal screenings should have detected syphilis before it passed on to their babies.
- About 40% of infants born from a mom with untreated syphilis are stillborn or quickly die from the infection, the CDC reports.
Context: Syphilis is a common sexually transmitted infection that can be easily cured with antibiotics, but can become serious if left untreated.
- In 1999, the transmission rates of it were so low that the CDC believed the U.S. could entirely eliminate infections in the country.
Yes, but: There wasn't enough funding to expand federal programming to eliminate it. Infections gradually increased, starting with gay men, NPR reports.
- In more recent years, cases have spread to a wider range of people, including women and members of Latino and Hispanic communities.
Zoom in: Because so many agencies and medical professionals think syphilis is gone, there's decreased testing and prevention in Iowa, Walton said.
- Last year, however, the White House announced it was granting $1.13 billion for disease intervention specialists. IDPH plans on using the state's portion of the funds to hire and train more staff to help raise STI awareness.
What they're saying: Experts say the biggest thing people can do right now is not feel shame about STD and STI testing and reduce the stigma surrounding it.
- "STI's can affect anybody," Walton said. "It doesn't matter if you've had one sexual parter or a dozen."
Get tested: Low-cost STD and STI testing is available at the Polk County Health Department.