14-05-2025
OHA: ‘Alarming' rise in syphilis during pregnancy contribute to infant health issues
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Officials with the Oregon Health Authority said they're 'deeply concerned' with a shocking rise in the number of syphilis cases during pregnancy, leading to serious health complications for infants.
Congenital syphilis is a form of sexually transmitted infection that is passed down from the pregnant mother to the baby, according to the . According to OHA, the number of such cases in the state went from just two in 2014 to 45 in 2024, 'a staggering 2,150% increase,' officials said.
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This comes as sexually transmitted infections have been stabilizing in the state in recent years, overall. In addition, overall rates of syphilis infections in Oregon have decreased along with national trends. Despite this, rates of syphilis during pregnancy have increased at an 'alarming' pace, officials said. As a result, more infants are being affected by this preventable disease.
'Congenital syphilis cases remain concentrated in urban areas, but we're seeing a growing number of syphilis cases during pregnancy in rural and frontier counties,' said Pete Singson, M.D., OHA's HIV, STD and TB medical director. 'Half of the 2024 congenital syphilis cases were outside the Portland metro area.'
Officials said some of Oregon's most marginalized communities have also been disproportionately affected, including pregnant people in Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latino populations. However, the disparity is not inherent to the ethnicity of these groups but rather due to systemic racism, poverty, houselessness and stigma, Singson said.
OHA is now recommending that doctors conduct universal screenings for syphilis for pregnant people, in accordance with guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
'With coordinated action, increased awareness and commitment to equitable care, we can end this crisis and protect future generations of Oregonians,' Singson said.
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Congenital syphilis can bring considerable risk for newborns, with the potential to affect nearly every organ and cause death in severe cases. For the mothers, untreated syphilis during pregnancy can cause miscarriages, growth abnormalities, premature birth and even fetal death.
OHA said one of their primary is to increase awareness and education for preventable diseases, even for doctors. Due to syphilis' historic low prevalence, some healthcare providers are inexperienced with diagnosing syphilis, making it that much more challenging to combat the epidemic.
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