STI we nearly eradicated in the ‘90s has surged in recent years — and it’s raising heart attack risk

Nypost · May 12, 2026 · 457 words · By Rachel Sacks

Medical Research Findings Public Health Crisis

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What to know about Medical Research Findings

STI we nearly eradicated in the ‘90s has surged in recent years — and it’s raising heart attack risk A sexually transmitted infection (STI) that almost disappeared is back — with a vengeance.

Claims checked 12

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

STI we nearly eradicated in the ‘90s has surged in recent years — and it’s raising heart attack risk A sexually transmitted infection (STI) that almost disappeared is back — with a vengeance.

Why it matters

The medieval STI can silently but significantly increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and dangerous swelling of the aorta, the body’s largest blood vessel, a large new study found.

Common ground

Once nearly eradicated in the 1990s thanks to safer sexual practices, cases of syphilis are on the rise due to decreased condom use, less screening and pandemic-related disruptions in healthcare access.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Medical Research Findings story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that the risk of a bleeding stroke... was 92% higher, while strokes caused by a blocked blood vessel were 53% more likely?
How does this story connect Medical Research Findings with Public Health Crisis over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/12/health/sti-nearly-eradicated-has-surged-and-its-ra…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 60% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

verified Verified By Reference 4

help Insufficient Evidence 2

schedule Pending 2

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Claim 1: “the risk of a bleeding stroke... was 92% higher, while strokes caused by a blocked blood vessel were 53% more likely”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results specifically cite the figures: 92% higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke and 53% higher risk of ischemic stroke.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male (informally referred to as the Tuskegee Experiment or Tuskegee Syphilis Study) was a study conducted between 1932 and 1972 by the United Stat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Syphilis_Study

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The first recorded outbreak of syphilis in Europe occurred in 1494/1495 in Naples, Italy, during a French invasion. Because it was spread geographically by French troops returning from that campaign, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_syphilis

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The signs and symptoms depend on the stage it presents: primary, secondary, latent or te…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “syphilis... can spread through contact with infectious sores during vaginal, anal or oral sex”

CORROBORATED

Multiple health-related web sources confirm transmission occurs through direct contact with infectious sores during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

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web search NEUTRAL — How is Syphilis Transmitted? Syphilis spreads primarily through direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. These sores can occur on or around the penis, vagina, anus, rectu…
https://urbanmedical.com.hk/en/disease-info/syphilis

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web search NEUTRAL — Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Treponema pallidum bacteria. Syphilis is transmitted by direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal or oral sex.
https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/diseases/syphilis.html

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web search NEUTRAL — Syphilis is transmitted sexually, through direct contact with a syphilis sore, rash, or mucous membrane during unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sex. Sores, or chancres, occur on the lips and mouth, …
https://www.stdcheck.com/blog/everything-about-syphilis-and-…

verified

Claim 3: “heart attacks occurring in nearly 7% of patients and strokes affecting more than 10%”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence mentions a Tulane University study linking syphilis to heart attacks and strokes, but does not provide the specific percentages (7% and 10%) mentioned in the claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — IN, In or in may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The inch (symbol: in or ″) is a unit of length in the British Imperial and the United States customary systems of measurement. It is equal to ⁠1/36⁠ yard or ⁠1/12⁠ of a foot. Derived from the Roman un…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United S…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killed_in_action

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 4: “late-stage syphilis patients... The risk of death was nearly six times higher, and aortic swelling was more than five times higher”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this specific claim regarding late-stage syphilis risk multipliers.

verified

Claim 5: “The bacterium Treponema pallidum causes syphilis”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple medical sources (Mayo Clinic) explicitly state that syphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.

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web search NEUTRAL — Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum is a spiral-shaped, Gram-negative, highly mobile bacterium.[11][22] Two other human diseases are caused by related Treponema pallidum subspecies, yaws (subspecie…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Syphilis is a systemic disease caused by spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum. Incubation period: 9 to 90 days from exposure to primary syphilis.
https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/sitecore/content/Corporate/H…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Vivien Williams: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Dr. Stacey Rizza, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic, says syphilis affects men …
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/syphilis/symp…

+ 1 more evidence source

verified

Claim 6: “The researchers of the new study looked at health records of 1,469 adults diagnosed with syphilis between 2011 and 2025 and patients without the STI”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic search results for 'Study.com' and 'Subaru', with no mention of the specific medical study involving 1,469 adults.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Subaru Impreza WRX STI is a high performance model of the Subaru Impreza compact car line, manufactured by Japanese automaker Subaru. In 1988, Subaru created Subaru Tecnica International (STi) as …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Impreza_WRX_STI

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The FTSE Straits Times Index (abbreviation: STI) is a capitalisation-weighted stock market index that is regarded as the benchmark index for the stock market in Singapore. It tracks the performance of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straits_Times_Index

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Subaru Impreza (Japanese: スバル・インプレッサ, Hepburn: Subaru Inpuressa) is a compact car that has been manufactured by the Japanese automaker Subaru since 1992. It was introduced as a replacement for the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Impreza

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 7: “the findings, published in JAMA Network Open”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 8: “Once nearly eradicated in the 1990s thanks to safer sexual practices, cases of syphilis are on the rise”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent news sources (The Guardian, WFLA) confirm that syphilis was nearly eradicated in the US in the 1990s and has since seen a resurgence.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “Those infected also had roughly twice the risk of aortic swelling and had a 28% higher risk of reduced blood flow to the limbs”

CORROBORATED

Web sources confirm the roughly double risk of aortic swelling/aneurysm and the link to peripheral artery disease (reduced blood flow to limbs).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Buoy's symptom checker was built to empower its users in better understanding their medical symptoms. No more endless Googling. No more guessing.
https://www.buoyhealth.com/symptom-checker/

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web search NEUTRAL — Syphilis patients had roughly double the risk of developing aortic swelling or tearing compared to matched controls. Their risk of a bleeding stroke was 92% higher.
https://studyfinds.com/syphilis-surging-in-america-heart-pro…

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web search NEUTRAL — The study also found a much higher risk of death. This study is the first in the U.S. to find a link between syphilis and peripheral artery disease, a condition where blood flow away from the heart is…
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-syphilis-cases-links-…

help

Claim 10: “Risk of stroke tripled, while heart attacks had more than a twofold increase, and even heart failure and irregular heart rhythms were twice as common”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this specific claim regarding the tripling of stroke risk in late-stage patients.

schedule

Claim 11: “patients with early-stage syphilis showed no statistically significant increases in heart or blood vessel issues”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 12: “The infection progresses through four stages — primary, secondary, latent and tertiary — if it’s not treated with antibiotics”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and medical background sources confirm the four stages of untreated syphilis: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Syphilis can present in one of four different stages: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary, and may also occur congenitally.[15] There may be no symptoms.[16] It was referred to as "the great imit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The stages of syphilis are called “primary,” “secondary,” “latent,” and “tertiary (late).”If you’re not treated for secondary syphilis, the disease may progress to the latent (hidden) phase. Not every…
https://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/understanding-syphil…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — If untreated, it progresses through four stages: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary.About one third of untreated latent syphilis patients go on to develop tertiary syphilis, whereas the rest rem…
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/229461-overview

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.