by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer

In the wake of a new report on STDs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) called for increased funding to combat what it called an 'STD epidemic.'

The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published November 13 showed that cases of congenital syphilis (CS) increased 38% between 2012 and 2014. With 11.6 cases per 100,000 live births, congenital syphilis is now at its highest rate since 2001.

The new findings contrast sharply with the decrease noted between 2008 and 2012, when cases went from 10.5 cases per 100,000 down to 8.4.

'Congenital syphilis' means that the disease is present at birth, and it results when the mother of the child has syphilis. Congenital syphilis can result in a number of birth defects, developmental problems, and subsequent secondary diseases.

According to the CDC, 'a substantial percentage of CS cases are attributable to a lack of prenatal care; even among those receiving some prenatal care, the detection and treatment of maternal syphilis often occurs too late to prevent CS.

'Health departments, in partnership with prenatal care providers and other local organizations, should work together to address barriers to obtaining early and adequate prenatal care for the majority of vulnerable pregnant women. Women who are uninsured or underinsured and women with substance use issues have been found to be at increased risk for receiving inadequate or no prenatal care, placing them at increased risk for CS.'

The CDC recommends that all pregnant women be screened for syphilis at their first prenatal visit and that at-risk women living in high-morbidity geographic areas should also be screened at the beginning of their third trimester and again at delivery.

AHF, which provides free testing for STDs, including syphilis, called for more federal money for outreach and treatment.

'The federal government [and] state and local health departments should see these numbers as more evidence of the need to address the STD epidemic nationwide,' said AHF President Michael Weinstein.

'Cutting back on funding while the need for outreach and easy access to treatment and medical care only continues to grow is a recipe for disaster. Our elected leaders should be doing everything they can to encourage sexually active people to undergo regular screening for STDs at each stage of their lives.'

AHF is the nation's largest community-based HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, with more than 400,000 clients in 36 countries.

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