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Syphilis cases in expectant mothers have dramatically risen since the pandemic – here’s what’s driving the trend

The Conversation · · 1328 words · By Casey Pinto
Epidemiology of Syphilis Public Health Infrastructure Healthcare Access Disparities

A public health researcher discusses the rising rates of maternal and congenital syphilis in the United States. The author attributes this increase to a combination of stagnant funding, healthcare access barriers, changes in sexual behavior, and social stigma.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/syphilis-cases-in-expectant-mothers-have-dramaticall…

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

18 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 8
check_circle Corroborated 3
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
verified Verified 1
verified
“Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The claim is directly confirmed by Wikipedia, Mayo Clinic, and the Province of Manitoba, all stating syphilis is caused by 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
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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…
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web search NEUTRAL — Syphilis (Treponema pallidum). Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. You can catch it by having sexual contact with someone who is infected.
https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/diseases/syphilis.…
verified
“During pregnancy, this bacteria can pass from a mother with untreated syphilis, known as maternal syphilis, to her child in utero, causing the fetus to contract congenital syphilis.”
VERIFIED
While the provided evidence for this specific claim mostly contains dictionary definitions for 'untreated', the evidence for claim 5 (Congenital syphilis - Wikipedia) explicitly confirms that untreated syphilis infections result in poor pregnancy outcomes and congenital syphilis in newborns.
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of UNTREATED is not treated; especially : not improved or controlled medically. How to use untreated in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/untreated
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 13, 2026 · UNTREATED definition: (of an illness, etc) not having been dealt with See examples of untreated used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/untreated
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web search NEUTRAL — Left untreated, experts say, it can lead to malnourishment, anorexia, or disabling anxiety.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/untre…
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“In January 2026, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the rate of maternal syphilis rose by 28% from 2022 to 2024, from just over 280 to nearly 360 cases per 100,000 births.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (CDC Health E-Stat and CIDRAP) confirm the maternal syphilis rate increased by 28% from 2022 to 2024, rising from 280.4 to 357.9 cases per 100,000 births.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a timeline of the second presidency of Donald Trump during the first quarter of 2026, from January 1, 2026, to March 31, 2026. To navigate between quarters, see timeline of the Donald…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_second_Trump_p…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On January 24, 2026, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old American intensive care nurse for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, was shot multiple times and killed by two United States Cust…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Alex_Pretti
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web search NEUTRAL — The latest report finds that the maternal syphilis rate increased 16% from 2022 to 2023 and an additional 10% from 2023 to 2024, rising from 280.4 to 357.9 cases per 100,000 births over the two-year p…
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/sexually-transmitted-infections/u…
+ 2 more evidence sources
info
“The rate of syphilis infections in the U.S. has been steadily increasing since 2000.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific claim that rates have been 'steadily increasing since 2000' is found in the New Pittsburgh Courier article, but other sources (WHO, Wikipedia) provide general epidemiology without confirming the specific 'since 2000' trend line.
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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 — Syphilis is a bacterial infection transmitted by sexual contact and is believed to have infected 12 million people in 1999 with greater than 90% of cases in the developing world. It affects between 70…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_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
info
“In 2018, there was a sharp increase in this rate, as the group predominantly affected by this STI shifted from men who have sex with men to the general population of both men and women.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific claim about a sharp increase in 2018 and a demographic shift from MSM to the general population is reported by the New Pittsburgh Courier. Other sources mention MSM as a high-risk group but do not corroborate the specific 2018 shift described.
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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 — Native Americans (also called Indians, American Indians, First Americans, and Indigenous Americans) are the Indigenous peoples of the United States, particularly of the lower 48 states and Alaska. The…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“This shift caused an increase in rates of maternal syphilis, which has led to a 700% increase in congenital syphilis cases since 2015.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (New Pittsburgh Courier and a report on rising newborn syphilis cases) confirm a nearly 700% increase in congenital syphilis cases since 2015.
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web search NEUTRAL — Untreated early syphilis infections results in a high risk of poor pregnancy outcomes, including saddle nose, lower extremity abnormalities, miscarriages, premature births, stillbirths, or death in ne…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_syphilis
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web search NEUTRAL — This shift caused an increase in rates of maternal syphilis, which has led to a 700% increase in congenital syphilis cases since 2015. Public health funding for all sexually transmitted infections, ex…
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/syphilis-cases-in-e…
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web search NEUTRAL — But cases of syphilis in newborns, also known as congenital syphilis, increased for the twelfth straight year. Nearly 4,000 cases were reported in 2024—up almost 700% since 2015, when just under 500 w…
https://www.aol.com/articles/why-syphilis-cases-newborns-ris…
info
“Public health funding for all sexually transmitted infections, excluding HIV, has been stagnant for decades, at about US$160 million annually.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific figure of $160 million annually for non-HIV STI funding is mentioned in the New Pittsburgh Courier article, but not corroborated by other sources provided.
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of ANNUAL is covering the period of a year. How to use annual in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annual
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web search NEUTRAL — ANNUAL definition: 1. happening once every year: 2. relating to a period of one year: 3. a book or magazine…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/annual
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web search NEUTRAL — Definition of annual adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/englis…
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“When accounting for inflation and rising costs, this has resulted in a 40% reduction in spending power today.”
CORROBORATED
The claim that inflation has resulted in a 40% reduction in spending power for STI funding is corroborated by the New Pittsburgh Courier and Stateline, citing a 2021 study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
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web search NEUTRAL — WHO's Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) has consolidated all existing normative guidance on STIs...
https://www.who.int/health-topics/hiv-aids
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web search NEUTRAL — Federal STI funding has been flat for nearly two decades. When adjusted for inflation, that amounts to a 40% funding reduction in that time, according to one study published in 2021 by the National Ac…
https://stateline.org/2022/09/28/shocking-rise-in-stis-durin…
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web search NEUTRAL — Free inflation calculator that runs on U.S. CPI data or a custom inflation rate. Also, find the historical U.S. inflation data and learn more about inflation.
https://www.calculator.net/inflation-calculator.html
help
“The 2026 appropriations recommend combining three programs – HIV, STI and tuberculosis – and cutting $70 million from the combined programs.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding 2026 appropriations or the combining of HIV, STI, and tuberculosis programs.
help
“1 in 4 pregnant people do not have access to prenatal care in their first trimester.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the percentage of pregnant people lacking access to prenatal care in their first trimester.
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“During the primary stage, within a few days to a few weeks of infection, most patients develop a painless ulcer at the site of exposure.”
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“The secondary stage occurs 3 to 6 months after exposure.”
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“Finally, 40% to 60% of patients with untreated syphilis will progress to a tertiary phase of the disease”
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“Congenital syphilis can result in a range of negative outcomes, the most serious of which is miscarriage or stillbirth.”
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“syphilis is easily treated with antibiotics such as a long-acting penicillin injection into a muscle.”
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“anyone who is not pregnant and does not have neurological symptoms – which require intravenous penicillin – can be cured with a course of another antibiotic, doxycycline, for 14-28 days.”
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“a person might take doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, also called doxy PEP, within 72 hours of sexual activity to prevent syphilis”
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“only 80% to 90% of pregnancies with private healthcare insurance and [56% to 90% of those on Medicaid] are screened for syphilis at least one time during the entire pregnancy.”
PENDING
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.