CLEVELAND — Syphilis cases are on the rise across Northeast Ohio, and health officials are urging the public to take precautions by using protection and getting tested regularly.
It’s not a topic people often bring up at the dinner table, and many aren’t likely to openly admit they have an STD—especially syphilis. But the reality is that many people are getting infected, and some still don’t know they have it.
“There's a lot of stigma I think with especially sexually transmitted infections, in general, people don't want to talk about it,” said Alisha Cassady, an epidemiologist with Cuyahoga County Board of Health.
Whether or not it's discussed, syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection, has been around for quite a while. Health officials across the state say they are seeing cases rise and believe it could be due to a variety of factors.
“Maybe people are having more partners and meeting up with people more often. A lot of our cases are occurring among like 18 to 29-year-olds,” said Vinh Trinh, an Epidemiologist at Cleveland Department of Public Health.
“It basically comes down to there's more syphilis in the community, so it's easier to catch and it's easier to get through sexual contact,” said Frank Catrone, a disease intervention specialist supervisor for the Canton Health Department.
In Cuyahoga County, cases have doubled from 402 in 2017 to 889 in 2022. Stark County, which has seen the largest increase, had 34 cases in 2019, and as of Oct. 31, 2024, already has 137.
“It's basically affecting every demographic group, every age group, every gender, and it's, it's just, it's spread throughout the entire community,” said Catrone.
Symptoms of syphilis vary depending on the progression of the infection. There are several stages: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary. Symptoms may include ulcers, rashes, and flu-like symptoms such as fever and swollen lymph nodes. The longer the infection goes untreated, the more serious the effects can be.
“It can cause heart issues. It can cause issues with your vision or your hearing, and then even like brain function as well,” said Cassady.
Data shows that 80% of syphilis cases in Cuyahoga County are found in men, while 20% are in women. There is also an increase in cases of congenital syphilis, where untreated pregnant mothers are passing the infection on to their newborns.
“That's a big problem, because syphilis in infants, they don't have immune responses that are strong enough to right? So, they can lead to stillbirths. It can lead to death shortly after birth. It can lead to other severe complications on the infant,” said Trinh.
Syphilis can be treated with antibiotics once diagnosed. Health officials emphasize that the best ways to prevent the spread of syphilis are using condoms and getting tested regularly.
“There's no need to be ashamed. Sexual health is part of all health. So it's important to take care of your body, from top of your head to the bottom your toes,” said Catrone.
