AHF: Increase in Congenital Syphilis Underscores Need For STD Funding

LOS ANGELES (November 16, 2015) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released statistics in its latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showing congenital syphilis (CS) cases increased 38% nationwide from 2012 to 2014, a sharp reversal in national rates that steadily declined during the previous four-year period. The report states that the rate of reported CS decreased from 10.5 to 8.4 cases per 100,000 live births during 2008–2012, and then increased to 11.6 cases per 100,000 live births in 2014, the highest CS rate reported since 2001.

"The federal government, state and local health departments should see these numbers as more evidence of the need to address the STD epidemic nationwide," said AHF President Michael Weinstein.  "Cutting back on funding while the need for outreach and easy access to treatment and medical care only continues to grow is a recipe for disaster.  Our elected leaders should be doing everything they can to encourage sexually active people to undergo regular screening for STDs at each stage of their lives."

According to the CDC's November 13th report, "a substantial percentage of CS cases are attributable to a lack of prenatal care; even among those receiving some prenatal care, the detection and treatment of maternal syphilis often occurs too late to prevent CS. Health departments, in partnership with prenatal care providers and other local organizations, should work together to address barriers to obtaining early and adequate prenatal care for the majority of vulnerable pregnant women. Women who are uninsured or underinsured and women with substance use issues have been found to be at increased risk for receiving inadequate or no prenatal care, placing them at increased risk for CS."

The CDC recommends that all pregnant women be screened for syphilis at their first prenatal visit and that at-risk women living in high-morbidity geographic areas should also be screened at the beginning of their third trimester and again at delivery.

AHF's Wellness Centers provide free testing for sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV. To find the nearest location for STD screening and treatment, visit www.freestdcheck.org

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 488,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare