New data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that South Dakota has the highest rate of syphilis in the United States.
The average rate of syphilis in the United States is 62.5 people with syphilis per every 100,000 residents. However, the rate per state varies by a lot, with Vermont having the lowest rate per 100,000 people, at 3.2, and South Dakota having the highest, at 229 people with syphilis per every 100,000 state residents.
Other states with high rates of syphilis include New Mexico, at 135.6, and Mississippi, at 115.7 people with syphilis per every 100,000 residents.
The CDC marked a 1 percent rise in national syphilis rates between 2022 and 2023. South Dakota saw a 7 percent rise in syphilis rates in the same period.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can be passed through unprotected sex or contracted congenitally, meaning it can be passed from mother to child via pregnancy. In some cases, congenital syphilis can lead to a stillbirth.
South Dakota's high rate of syphilis—the only rate above 200 people infected per every 100,000 in the country—is due in part to a significant rise in congenital syphilis within the South Dakota Native American population, according to a 2024 study from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"For [Native American] communities, rurality, limited resources, systemic racism, historical trauma, and lack of trust in medical institutions likely contribute to inadequate prenatal care," the study, The Epidemic of Congenital Syphilis in the Indigenous and Rural Populations of South Dakota, said.
Per the South Dakota Department of Health, congenital syphilis rates in the state have risen by 1,250 percent over the past five years.
Newsweek reached out to the South Dakota DOH via email for comment.
Syphilis is curable with antibiotics if caught on time. Dr. Laura Bachmann, Chief Medical Officer of the CDC's Division of STD Prevention, spoke to Newsweek about signs to look out for.
Bachmann advised: "Symptoms can be easy to miss or mistake for something else. While syphilis can cause sores and a rash, not everyone will get these symptoms. Sometimes, syphilis can only be picked up on a blood test. It is important to see a physician if you have a sore or a rash, and it is extremely important to keep up with the recommended STI testing, even if you don't have any symptoms."
Bachmann told Newsweek there are three crucial steps that should be taken to prevent congenital syphilis.
"The first step is prevention," said Bachmann, who advised that proper condom use and being tested regularly for STIs will reduce the chances of passing on congenital syphilis.
Bachmann said the second step is for pregnant people to get regularly tested for STIs and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) throughout their pregnancy.
"All pregnant women should be tested for syphilis at their first prenatal visit. And many pregnant women should be tested again during the third trimester and at delivery if they are at increased risk for syphilis," she said.
"The third and most important step to prevent congenital syphilis is treatment," advised Bachmann. "If a pregnant person tests positive for syphilis, they will need antibiotics right away."
She said that their partner would need to get treatment as well and added that a person who is cured by antibiotics still runs the risk of contracting syphilis again if they are not regularly tested for STIs.
There are many places to get tested for STIs, such as a doctor's office, hospital, clinic, or Planned Parenthood.
"Anyone can get a sexually transmitted infection," Bachmann said. "Some groups and areas are more severely affected due to a variety of reasons, including issues that make getting healthcare more difficult...If you are sexually active, have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider and ask them if you should get tested for syphilis or other STIs."
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