The decades-long syphilis epidemic in the U.S. continues to worsen, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the maternal syphilis rate spiked 28% between 2022 and 2024.
In an update on Tuesday, the CDC said that in 2023, the U.S. recorded its highest number of congenital syphilis cases since 1992. In 2024, the rate of maternal syphilis cases per 100,000 births was more than four times greater than in 2016.
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According to the CDC, a mother with syphilis can pass the infection on to her baby while pregnant. Congenital syphilis, the CDC says, can cause adverse pregnancy outcomes including fetal and neonatal death, low birthweight, preterm birth, and brain and nerve disorders.
The CDC attributes about 90% of cases to a lack of timely testing and adequate treatment.
Looking at the numbers
Between 2016 and 2022, the rate of maternal syphilis rose from 87 cases per 100,000 births to 280. The rate rose 16% in 2023, to 324.6 per 100,000 births, then went up another 10% in 2024 to 357.9 cases per 100,000 births.
Nearly every ethnicity saw a rise in syphilis rate during that time period, with maternal syphilis among white women rising by more than 30 cases over two years. There were about 200 more cases among Black women from 2022 to 2024, and a jump of about 700 among American Indian and Alaska Natives.
Testing for maternal syphilis
One of the primary dangers of maternal syphilis is mothers can have it without knowing. According to the New York State Department of Health, women should get tested for the infection three times throughout pregnancy.
The first occurs at a mother’s first prenatal health care visit; the second at the beginning of the third trimester, at about 28 weeks; and the third at delivery.
If a mother is diagnosed, the disease can be treated with antibiotics during pregnancy, preventing it from spreading to her fetus.
