Amid alarming rising rates in syphilis nationally, professors with the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy are partnering with the Mississippi State Department of Health to help slow the spread of the disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. saw an 80% increase in syphilis from 2018 to 2022. Mississippi, with 30.1 cases of syphilis per 100,000 people, ranked among the worst states in transmitting the infectious disease.
“It is a nationwide epidemic,” said Kayla Stover, professor and vice chair of pharmacy practice. “In Mississippi, we’ve seen an 80% increase in overall cases and a 1,000% increase in congenital syphilis, which is when the disease is passed from mother to baby.”
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is spread from an infected person to another person during sexual activity. It is a preventable, treatable, and curable disease. The causes of such a spike in syphilis cases have not been determined, but may include lack of education concerning safe sex practices, teens engaging in sexual activity at younger ages, lack of prenatal care, and a possible lack of detection of symptoms.
“The first stage of syphilis starts with a lesion in a person’s mouth or genital area that starts a couple of weeks after exposure. It is often painless, can disappear, and, therefore, can go unnoticed,” Stover said.
“If untreated, a rash may appear on a person’s extremities – particularly the palms of the hands and soles of the feet – 8 to 12 weeks after exposure. If still untreated, it may simply go away or lie dormant with the possibility of reappearing, causing long-term damage.”
Officials report that blindness, heart damage, nervous system damage, mental health disorders, and brain damage could be the result of not seeking care after contracting syphilis. A pregnant woman with untreated syphilis can even harm her baby. The infant could be born prematurely and suffer from blindness, developmental delays, skeletal deformities, or even death.
The best way for one to detect whether or not he or she has syphilis is to get tested at a local health department or primary care provider. If a health care provider identifies a case of syphilis, it is reported to the Mississippi Department of Health. Home tests can also be purchased over the counter at local pharmacies. Treatment is as simple as a round of penicillin.
Stover recommends the following to maintain healthy habits:
- Know your body
- Use protection during sex, such as condoms
- Get tested yearly or whenever you have a change in status, such as a new partner, particularly risky behaviors, multiple partners, etc.
- Encourage your partners to get tested
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your pharmacist or other health care provider.
“Everybody should get tested because we’re taking control of our health and we’re making sure we stay healthy and that our partners are safe,” Stover said.
