Abstract
There has been an alarming resurgence of early syphilis since 2000, especially in the southeast region, which has one of the highest rates of primary and secondary syphilis in the United States of America (USA). Although the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) is the second most populous area in Georgia with a large presence of health care facilities, its counties have one of the lowest overall rankings in health outcomes. This study examined the syphilis rates and trends in the CSRA. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention’s AtlasPlus was used. Cases of primary and secondary syphilis diagnosed during 2010–2015 were analyzed to describe reported syphilis among CSRA residents. In the CSRA, between 2010 and 2015, the incidence rate of primary and secondary syphilis increased from 5.9 to 9.4 cases per 100,000 population. The lowest rate of syphilis was observed in 2011 (2.7 cases per 100,000) and the highest rate in 2015. In 2015, the highest syphilis rates were observed among males (15.9 per 100,000), non-Hispanic blacks (16.9 per 100,000), and persons between the ages 20–24 years (34.5 per 100,000). The relevance of preventive measures has been widely communicated, yet it is clear that risk-taking sexual behavior is on the rise. Greater effort is warranted to reduce risky behaviors that promote the transmission of syphilis, including areas outside of major metropolitan areas.
Highlights
In the last ten years, there has been a worldwide resurgence of early syphilis
Studies have shown that syphilis increases transmissions and acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and if left untreated is associated with significant long term complications negatively impacting the clinical course for those infected with HIV [2,3]
The study sample included cases of primary and secondary syphilis reported between 2010 and in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA), which is a region spanning across the border of Georgia (GA) and South Carolina (SC)
Summary
In the last ten years, there has been a worldwide resurgence of early syphilis. To further compound this problem, concomitant infections with other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, human papilloma virus (HPV), and other infections have been reported [1].Such infections have potential for spread into the general population through mixed sexual networks and are most common among persons under age 30 [1]. In the last ten years, there has been a worldwide resurgence of early syphilis. To further compound this problem, concomitant infections with other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, human papilloma virus (HPV), and other infections have been reported [1]. Such infections have potential for spread into the general population through mixed sexual networks and are most common among persons under age 30 [1]. Clinical management becomes complicated yielding higher medical costs for patients when infected with syphilis.
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