HOUSTON — There's an outbreak of syphilis in the Houston area. According to the Houston Health Department, Houston and Harris County have seen a 128% increase in cases among women and a nine-fold rise in congenital syphilis.
Statistics from the department show an increase in the infection by 57% from 2019 to 2022. There were 2,905 new cases in 2022, an increase from 1,845 in 2019.
Cases among women totaled 674 in 2022, up from 295 in 2019. Congenital syphilis soared from 16 cases in 2016 to 151 cases in 2021, according to statistics.
Congenital syphilis is defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a disease that occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to her baby during pregnancy.
The Houston Health Department warns of the danger the disease could have on expecting mothers and their newborns.
“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 department’s Bureau of HIV/STI and Viral Hepatitis Prevention. “A pregnant woman needs to get tested for syphilis three times during her pregnancy.”
To combat the rising amount of cases of the outbreak, the department is offering free STI testing at its health centers.
The department recommends syphilis testing to:
Pregnant women at their initial prenatal visit, third trimester and delivery (required by state law)
People who have had unprotected sex
Men with anonymous sex partners
People with multiple sex partners
People recently diagnosed with any other sexually transmitted disease such as gonorrhea, Chlamydia or HIV