CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The number of syphilis cases and babies born with syphilis is rising and the impact can be devastating.
“Sexual health is just as important as the rest of your physical health," Public Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington, said.
Health officials say there are several factors behind the rise, including a lack of STD testing and a shift in the way people have sex.
“The entire landscape of sexual contact has changed," Dr. Washington said. "Folks are reporting having more partners, anonymous partners.”
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services just issued a public health alert after there were five stillbirths or neonatal deaths in babies with congenital syphilis born between Jan. 1, 2023, and Sept. 1, 2023. The agency later updating that number from five to seven in December.
From 2012 to 2022, there was a 547% increase in reported syphilis cases in North Carolina among women with an associated increase in congenital syphilis infections, from one case in 2012 to 57 cases in 2022.
Erika Samoff with the NCDHHS said these cases are disheartening because they could have been prevented.
“Women can get tested during pregnancy and treated," Erika Samoff, HIV/STD/Hepatitis Surveillance Manager at NCDHHS, said. "They will be fine and their baby will be fine."
Health officials say some women are just not aware they have the disease because sometimes symptoms are not present, that's why it's critical to have the right access to prenatal care.
“We want to make sure mom and baby are healthy and thriving," Kimberly Cifuentes, a health educator at Novant Health, said.
Anytime a person finds out they are pregnant through Novant Health's emergency department or an urgent care, Cifuentes connects them to maternal health care resources.
She said some expectant mothers do face barriers, like language or finances, and that's why providing the right education is important.
“There are other solutions that patients might not be aware of," Cifuentes added.
Other resources include a wide spectrum of food, financial assistance programs, transportation to and from appointments, interpreter services, housing, and even mental health and legal services.
It's all part of Novant Health’s three-tiered strategy to improve infant and maternal health outcomes.
State health officials say that pregnant women can also receive care through Medicaid.
Mecklenburg County Health Department provides free STD testing and also offers at-home tests.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.