Syphilis Is (Still) Here: How Must Sexually Transmitted Disease Public Health Programs Adapt?

• Published in: Sexually transmitted diseases Vol. 45; no. 9S Suppl 1; pp. S63 - S64
• Main Authors: Philip, Susan S, Bernstein, Kyle T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Copyright American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association 01-09-2018; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
• Subjects: Bacterial Vaccines - immunology; Body fluids; Complications; Congenital syphilis; Female; Health Planning; Homosexuality; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Male; Medical tests; Pregnancy; Prevention; Preventive Health Services; Public Health; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - prevention & control; STD; Syphilis; Syphilis - prevention & control; Treponema pallidum - immunology; United States; Visual impairment; United States
• ISSN: 0148-5717; 1537-4521
• DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000000779

Current public health strategies for syphilis prevention are no longer working for certain populations, including some men who have sex with men (MSM) and pregnant women, and new approaches are urgently needed. This concerns following the increasing complications of this disease in the US such as permanent vision loss after ocular syphilis, and increases in congenital syphilis cases. Furthermore, the funding environment continues to be a challenge and resources to address syphilis at the state and local levels are sparse. Here, Philip and Bernstein discuss how must a sexually transmitted health programs be adapted to prevent the sexually transmitted disease (STD).