The Houston Health Department has reported a syphilis outbreak, with an increase of 128% among women in the city, and a ninefold increase in congenital cases in Houston and the surrounding Harris County area since 2019. Danae Johnson’s granddaughter, Venus. Courtesy Danae Johnson Rates of congenital syphilis are skyrocketing in the US. Here’s why Health officials announced the outbreak in a Thursday news release. According to the department, new infections rose by 57% from 2019 to 2022. There were 2,905 new infections in 2022, compared to 1,845 new infections in 2019. There were 674 cases among women in 2022, a steep increase from 295 cases in 2019, according to the release. And there were 151 cases of congenital syphilis in 2021, the latest year for which statistics are available, compared to just 16 cases in 2016. Congenital syphilis happens when a pregnant person passes the bacterial infection to their baby in the womb. Untreated congenital syphilis can lead to stillbirth or damage the baby’s organs or bones. “It is crucial for pregnant women to seek prenatal care and syphilis testing to protect themselves from an infection that could result in the deaths of their babies,” said Marlene McNeese Ward, deputy assistant director in the Houston Health department’s Bureau of HIV/STI and Viral Hepatitis Prevention, in the news release. “A pregnant woman needs to get tested for syphilis three times during her pregnancy.” Pregnant women should be tested for syphilis at their initial prenatal visit, during the third trimester, and at delivery, according to the release. The health department is waiving all clinical fees for sexually transmitted infections at its health centers, according to the release. A new medical terms glossary is part of a broader, ongoing effort to make conception and pregnancy language more humane. Shutterstock/Shutterstock 36% of US counties are ‘maternity care deserts,’ raising risks for women and babies, new report finds Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday announced a new initiative to combat the opioid epidemic, including a plan to expand access The Department of The Department Services (HMS), in collaboration-with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced a new initiative to combat the opioid epidemic, including a plan to expand access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD). The initiative will focus on ensuring that patients have access to MAT, a combination of medication and behavioral therapy, and that providers have the tools they need to provide this care. The initiative will also include a new toolkit to help providers identify and treat patients who are
Syphilis has increased 128% among women in Houston since 2019 – Houston Chronicle – Houston Chronicle: Covering the Latest News
