A sexually transmitted infection (STI) that was once thought to be a thing of the past is now a public health priority for North American doctors. Syphilis cases skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Download the CTV News App for breaking news alerts and video on all the top stories Between 2020 and 2022, new cases of syphilis increased by 30 per cent in people ages 15 to 49 in the Americas, the WHO report indicated.
The infections recorded in North and South America in 2022 made up 42 per cent of all new cases worldwide with a rate of 6.5 cases per 1,000 people. "There are multiple factors that have probably gotten together and caused this surge," said Monica Alonso, the unit chief for STIs at the Pan American Health Organization.
Health professionals point to factors such as a lack of awareness, low testing rates, barriers to health care, stigma and an increase in substance use. Julian Wotherspoon, the executive director of Planned Parenthood in Regina, said one of the biggest challenges is getting STI test numbers back to pre-pandemic levels after COVID-19 prevented many patients from seeking care. "It's not like we don't know how to identify or treat syphilis.
It's that we're having trouble controlling those numbers," Wotherspoon said. Saskatchewan posts the highest rate of syphilis cases among the Canadian provinces at 186.6 cases per 100,000, according to data from the Government of Canada.
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