Sexually Transmitted Diseases  >  Surveillance & Statistics  >  Indian Health Surveillance Report, STDs 2004

< Previous

Table of Contents

Next >

Primary and Secondary Syphilis (P & S)

Syphilis, in its primary and secondary stages, is a highly infectious, but easily curable, sexually transmitted disease (STD) which, if untreated, can lead to serious long-term complications, including stroke, heart disease, and death. Syphilis can be transmitted from untreated mothers to their fetuses, potentially leading to stillbirths and congenital deformities. In addition, syphilis has been shown to facilitate the transmission of HIV two- to five-fold. For these reasons, syphilis prevention and control is a public health priority.

The rate of primary and secondary syphilis (P&S) decreased during the 1990s and reached an all-time low in 2000 (2.1 cases per 100,000 population). The low rate of infectious syphilis and the concentration of the majority of syphilis cases in a small number of geographic areas in the U.S. led to the development of the CDC’s National Plan to Eliminate Syphilis in October 1999.¹⁷ Since 2000, P&S rates in the U.S. have increased, with increases primarily occurring among men who have sex with men.¹⁸

In 2004, 7,980 P&S cases were reported in the U.S. This case count corresponds to a rate of 2.7 cases per 100,000 population, an 8% increase from 2003 (2.5 cases per 100,000 population).

Key Points and Trends

• In 2004, among all race/ethnicities, AI/AN (tied with Hispanics) had the second highest P&S rate (3.2 cases per 100,000 population), which was 2 times higher than the rate for whites (1.6 cases per 100,000 population). African-Americans had the highest P&S rate (9.0 cases per 100,000 population).
• In 2004, 77 of 7,980 P&S infections (1.0%) reported to CDC from the 50 states and DC occurred among AI/AN. The AI/AN P&S rate increased by 14.3% during 2003-2004 (2003 rate: 2.8 cases per 100,000 population).
• In 2004, the male-to-female P&S rate ratio among AI/AN was 1.2, indicating a similar number of cases being diagnosed among men and women. In contrast, for the total U.S., the male-to-female P&S rate ratio has risen steadily since 1996 (when it was 1.2), suggesting an increase in syphilis among MSM during this time; the male-to-female rate ratio increased from 5.2 to 5.9 during 2003-2004.
• In 2004, among AI/AN, age-specific P&S syphilis rates were highest among women aged 30-34 years (7.5 cases per 100,000 population) and among men aged 35-39 years (13.9 cases per 100,000 population). For the total U.S., the highest age-specific P&S rates were reported among women aged 20-24 years (3.0 cases per 100,000 population) and among men aged 35-39 years (12.4 cases per 100,000 population).

< Previous

Table of Contents

Next >