State health officials are sounding the alarm on what they’re calling a syphilis crisis.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says since 2012, syphilis rates have increased an average of 11% each year.
DMC infectious disease specialist Dr. Gretchen Newman, an expert on syphilis, says screening is incredibly important.
“Most people with syphilis don’t have any signs that they have syphilis and don’t know that they have syphilis,” Newman said. “That’s why getting screened is so critical, and I’ll emphasize that screening and treatment — syphilis is 100% treatable. It’s a 100% treatable infection.”
The state says men accounted for 79% of syphilis diagnoses in 2022. However, the rate of cases among women has tripled over the last five years.
