News You Can Use: What to Know About Mississippi's Syphilis Surge

"It is a nationwide epidemic," said Kayla Stover, professor and vice chair of pharmacy practice. "In Mississippi, we've seen an 80% increase in overall cases and a 1,000% increase in congenital syphilis, which is when the disease is passed from mother to baby."

Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is spread by an infected person to another person during sexual activity. It is a preventable, treatable and curable disease.

The causes of such a spike in syphilis cases have not been determined but may include lack of education concerning safe sex practices, teens engaging in sexual activity at younger ages, lack of prenatal care and a possible lack of detecting symptoms.

Sometimes, detection can be difficult.

"The first stage of syphilis starts with a lesion in a person's mouth or genital area that starts a couple of weeks after exposure," Stover said. "It is often painless, can disappear and, therefore, can go unnoticed.

"If untreated, a rash may appear on a person's extremities – particularly the palms of the hands and soles of the feet – 8 to 12 weeks after exposure. If still untreated, it may simply go away or lay dormant with possibility of reappearing, causing long-term damage."

Blindness, heart damage, nervous system damage, mental health disorders and brain damage may occur if a person with syphilis does not seek care.

A pregnant woman with untreated syphilis can even harm her baby. The baby may be born prematurely and suffer from blindness, developmental delays, skeletal deformities or even death.

However, syphilis can easily be detected, treated and cured by taking charge of your health.

People can be tested at their local health department or primary care provider. If a health care provider identifies a case of syphilis, it is reported to the Mississippi Department of Health. Home tests can also be purchased over the counter at local pharmacies.

Treatment is as simple as a round of penicillin.

"We want people to go and get tested because that's how we identify and prevent No. 1 transmission to the woman and then transmission No. 2 from the woman to the baby," Stover said.

"This is a very common disease in this world, and nothing should be shameful or stigmatizing."

To promote the best health for you and others, Stover recommends:

• Know your body
• Use protection during sex, such as condoms
• Get tested yearly or whenever you have a change in status, such as a new partner, particularly risky behaviors, multiple partners, etc.
• Encourage your partners to get tested
• Don't be afraid to ask questions of your pharmacist or other health care provider.

"Everybody should get tested because we're taking control of our health and we're making sure we stay healthy and that our partners are safe," Stover said.

Top: Syphilis can be difficult to detect and sometimes goes undiagnosed, but doctors can treat it quickly with a round of penicillin. Cases are surging in many parts of the country, including Mississippi, but everyone can take steps to protect themselves from the disease, a UM pharmacy professor advises. Graphic by Jordan Thweatt/University Marketing and Communications