WLADIMIR BULGAR/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images
<p><a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/?s=houston&;post_type%5B%5D=post&;post_type%5B%5D=list_posts&;_gl=1*1ezsa1k*_up*MQ..*_ga*NjExMzQxOTMuMTY4OTYxNDU2Mw..*_ga_V2HX8YP3XL*MTY4OTYxNDU2Mi4xLjAuMTY4OTYxNDU2Mi4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Houston&#8217;s</strong></a> Health Department is warning women in the city and the surrounding areas after reporting a 128 percent spike in syphilis cases among females since 2019.</p>
<p>Health officials also reported a ninefold increase in congenital cases, according to a <a href="https://www.houstonhealth.org/news/news-releases/houston-health-department-reports-syphilis-outbreak-begins-rapid-community-outreach-response" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>press release</strong></a> on Thursday (Jul. 13). Congenital syphilis is when the disease is passed from a pregnant mother to her child in the womb, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/15/health/houston-syphilis-outbreak/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CNN</strong></a> reports.</p>
<h5 style="text-align: center;" data-uid="fts-ar-16">RELATED: <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/cdc-std-epidemic-in-u-s-is-out-of-control-with-syphilis-hiv-on-the-rise-and-1-6m-cases-of-chlamydia-reported-last-year-alone/?_gl=1*drlc4u*_up*MQ..*_ga*NjExMzQxOTMuMTY4OTYxNDU2Mw..*_ga_V2HX8YP3XL*MTY4OTYxNDU2Mi4xLjEuMTY4OTYxNDU5Ny4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDC: STD Epidemic In U.S. Is &#8216;Out Of Control,&#8217; With Syphilis, HIV On The Rise And 1.6M Cases Of Chlamydia Reported Last Year Alone</a></h5>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Health Department Waiving All Fees For STD Testing In Light Of Spike In Syphilis Cases Among Women</h3>
<p>If left untreated, congenital syphilis can cause stillbirth or a newborn&#8217;s death soon after birth.</p>
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_9AB7F0FE-C959-31A3-FE72-5A99E667712A@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">There were 674 cases of syphilis among women in 2022, compared to just 295 cases in 2019. And there were 151 cases of congenital syphilis in 2021, compared to just 16 cases in 2016, per the health department.</p>
<p>In response, the health department is waiving all fees for sexually transmitted infection testing at its health centers, per the release. Those testing centers can be found <strong><a href="https://www.houstonhealth.org/services/clinical/health-centers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></strong>.</p>
<div data-ad-pos="inread" data-ad-size="1x1"><strong>Marlene McNeese Ward,</strong> deputy assistant director in the Houston Health Department’s Bureau of HIV/STI and Viral Hepatitis Prevention, implored women, especially pregnant ones, to get tested early and often.</div>
<blockquote>
<div data-ad-pos="inread" data-ad-size="1x1">“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 Ward in the press release. “A pregnant woman needs to get tested for syphilis three times during her pregnancy.”</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="ad gpt" data-ad-pos="inread" data-ad-size="1x1">Doctors recommend pregnant women get tested at their first prenatal visit, during the third trimester, and even at delivery, according to Thursday&#8217;s press release.</div>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuvmRvtOLPf/?utm_source=ig_embed&#038;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div>
 <iframe class="custom-ig-embed" data-src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuvmRvtOLPf/embed/captioned" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="640px" scrolling="no" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"></iframe>
 </div></blockquote>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">What Is Syphilis? What Are The Symptoms, Cures, And Who Is At Risk?</h3>
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_B3B141A9-2612-AF67-FEEE-5AA09C1A1536@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">Syphilis is a bacterial infection that&#8217;s typically spread via sexual contact. It causes painless sores, increasing the risk of HIV infection.</p>
<p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_B3B141A9-2612-AF67-FEEE-5AA09C1A1536@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">Secondary symptoms include &#8220;fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue,&#8221; the press release reads.</p>
<p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_B3B141A9-2612-AF67-FEEE-5AA09C1A1536@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8994035/#:~:text=We%20found%20that%20nationally%2C%20syphilis,and%2025%20to%2029%20years." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Institute of Health</strong></a> found that nationwide, syphilis diagnosis rates were 6.42 and 2.20 times higher among Black and Hispanic heterosexually active women, compared to white heterosexually active women.</p>
<p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_B3B141A9-2612-AF67-FEEE-5AA09C1A1536@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">The highest rates and largest disparities were among women aged 18 to 24 and 25 to 29, the agency reports.</p>
<p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_B3B141A9-2612-AF67-FEEE-5AA09C1A1536@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">The infection is &#8220;easily&#8221; treatable with antibiotics if caught early enough, according to the Houston Health Department.</p>
<p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_B3B141A9-2612-AF67-FEEE-5AA09C1A1536@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">However, it tends to go undetected due to the symptoms being misinterpreted. Therefore, it often goes undetected by those infected, the press release states.</p>
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_29CE9C94-AE87-33E7-9C65-5AB3095C8833@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">Without treatment, syphilis can lie dormant in the body for years, sometimes even decades.</p>
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_29CE9C94-AE87-33E7-9C65-5AB3095C8833@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">Over time, the infection can cause blindness, deafness, and even death if left untreated.</p>
<p><amp-twitter data-tweetid="1680759325998870529" layout="responsive" width="600" height="480"></amp-twitter></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_29CE9C94-AE87-33E7-9C65-5AB3095C8833@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">Syphilis, Chlamydia, And Gonorrhea Infections Spike Nationwide, Per CDC</h3>
<p>Last year, <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/cdc-std-epidemic-in-u-s-is-out-of-control-with-syphilis-hiv-on-the-rise-and-1-6m-cases-of-chlamydia-reported-last-year-alone/?_gl=1*drlc4u*_up*MQ..*_ga*NjExMzQxOTMuMTY4OTYxNDU2Mw..*_ga_V2HX8YP3XL*MTY4OTYxNDU2Mi4xLjEuMTY4OTYxNDU5Ny4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Shade Room</strong></a> reported a 26 percent spike in new syphilis infections nationwide in 2021. That made for the highest levels since 1991 and the most total cases since 1948.</p>
<p>In 2021 alone, there were 1.6 million cases of chlamydia reported, almost 700,000 cases of gonorrhea, over 171,000 cases of syphilis, and 2,677 cases of syphilis among newborns, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The spike in cases came despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, congenital syphilis has continued to spike across the country. The highest concentration is found in the South and Southwest United States, a CDC official told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/01/health/congenital-syphilis-alarming-rise/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CNN</strong></a> earlier this year.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s been a nationwide increase of 700 percent in infected newborns throughout the last decade. And the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic did little to mitigate the spread of STIs, according to the CDC.</p>
<p>Health experts blame a shortage of qualified doctors and a lack of funding for public sexual health initiatives for the ongoing spread of syphilis, CNN reports.</p>
<p>Information on testing sites is available by calling the department’s HIV/STD information hotline at <a href="tel:+1-832-393-5010">832-393-5010</a>.</p>
 <div class="wpra-reactions-wrap wpra-plugin-container" style="justify-content: center;;"> <div class="wpra-reactions-container" data-ver="1.3.10" data-post_id="130023" data-show_count="true" data-enable_share="onclick" data-behavior="regular" data-animation="true" data-share_url="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/houston-health-dept-spike-syphilis-women/" data-secure="6042cd2d6f"> <div class="wpra-call-to-action" style="color: #000000;font-size: 25px;font-weight: 600;">What Do You Think Roomies?</div> <div class="wpra-reactions wpra-static-emojis size-medium" style="border-color: #ffffff;border-width: 0px;border-radius: 50px;border-style: solid;background: #ffffff;">					<div class="emoji-8 wpra-reaction wpra-pad-fix" data-count="" data-emoji_id="8"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-10 wpra-reaction wpra-pad-fix" data-count="" data-emoji_id="10"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-4 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="4"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-5 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="5"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-2 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="2"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-7 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="7"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-12 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="12"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div> </div> <div class="wpra-share-wrap wpra-share-buttons-bordered" style="">				 </div> <!-- end of share buttons -->			 </div> <!-- end of reactions container --> </div> <!-- end of reactions wrap -->		
