Public Advisory: Mendocino County Had All-Time High of Syphilis Cases in 2023
Press release from Mendocino County Public Health:
We were alarmed by forty (40) new cases of syphilis in 2022. In 2023 Mendocino County had an all-time high with 53 reported cases. We have also had two (2) cases involving the brain, called neurosyphilis, and one case of syphilis from an infected mother to her newborn.
Syphilis that gets into the brain is as serious as it sounds. It can cause blindness, loss of coordination, memory loss, or seizures, which can happen late or early in the disease.
People become infected with syphilis by direct sexual contact with someone who has an open, painless sore on the genitals and/or rash on the body, hands, and feet. If you have an open sore or rash, you should see a health care provider and get evaluated.
If you think you have been exposed to syphilis, please see a healthcare provider for more information about treatment options such as Doxycycline PEP (post exposure prophylaxis), a preventative treatment. PEP must start within 72 hours after exposure. This is not yet in CDC and CDPH protocols but can be used off-label for prevention. For information about syphilis, see www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/pages/Syphilis.aspx.
HIV
In the past two years, there have been four (4) new cases of HIV in Mendocino County. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. People who have unprotected sex or share drug equipment with a person who has HIV can get it. HIV requires a lifetime of treatment.
There are ways to protect yourself. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) protects against HIV infection and is effective if used properly. PrEP might be a good choice for you if your partner lives with HIV, your partner’s status is unknown, you or your partner uses injection drugs, or you’ve had a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the past six months. PrEP does not help in the protection against other STDs. For information about PrEP, please visit pleasePrEPme.org. or Free PrEP and PEP – Color Health.
If you had sexual contact or shared injection drugs with a partner whose history is unknown, you may be eligible for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). PEP is a way to prevent HIV if you think you’ve been exposed. PEP must start within 72 hours after exposure. Note: People taking PrEP do not need to take PEP.
For more information, please talk to a healthcare provider about PrEP and PEP. Please discuss how you can best stay free of all sexually transmitted diseases.
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Yuck
Yep.
Congenital syphilis is especially tragic, the child is born with distinctive birth defects.
Penicillin Penny.
Joe Biden did that.
More likely ‘raw dog’ Trump….
The U.S. hasn’t seen syphilis numbers this high since 1950. Other STD rates are down or flat.
Syphilis continues to have a disproportionate impact on gay and bisexual men, but it is expanding among heterosexual men and women, too, the CDC reported.
By The Associated Press
The U.S. syphilis epidemic isn’t abating, with the rate of infectious cases rising 9% in 2022, according to a new federal government report on sexually transmitted diseases in adults.
But there’s some unexpected good news: The rate of new gonorrhea cases fell for the first time in a decade.
It’s not clear why syphilis rose 9% while gonorrhea dropped 9%, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, adding that it’s too soon to know whether a new downward trend is emerging for the latter.
They are most focused on syphilis, which is less common than gonorrhea or chlamydia but considered more dangerous. Total cases surpassed 207,000 in 2022, the highest count in the United States since 1950, according to data released Tuesday.
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/us-hasnt-seen-syphilis-numbers-high-1950-std-rates-are-flat-rcna136432
………………………………..
Really? They can’t figure out why it’s rising.
It’s funny that they never mention condoms in this press release. Who’s running Mendo Public Health?