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Syphilis cases declining, but epidemic continues in Native American communities

A billboard on the Navajo Nation urging people to test for syphilis.
Wendy Howell
/
Courtesy of Navajo-Hopi Observer/Wendy Howell
A billboard on the Navajo Nation urging people to test for syphilis.

Native American communities are experiencing an epidemic in syphilis cases. Healthcare providers on the Navajo Nation and elsewhere are working to reduce stigma and talk more openly about the sexually transmitted disease.

Cases among American Indians and Alaska Natives started to rise nationwide in 2017 and increased more than 500% by 2022.

The Navajo Epidemiology Center reported a more than 2,000% increase from 2015 to 2022.

Health experts point to the COVID pandemic as a major factor. Isolation, worsening mental health, and a rise in substance use may have all contributed to riskier sexual behavior.

Indian Health Service Chief Medical Officer Dr. Loretta Christensen says stigma also prevents people from seeking care, "and so we want to get that message out a lot: that it’s okay to talk about it.... it’s not something that you should hide or avoid treatment."

The Indian Health Service has expanded testing and treatment, especially in community pop-ups outside of hospitals. Syphilis cases peaked in 2023 and began to decline this year.

Syphilis can present with sores, rashes, and flu-like symptoms but can also have no symptoms at all, which increases its rate of spread. It’s curable with antibiotics. Untreated, it can be passed to others even when symptoms aren’t apparent. It can also be passed to unborn children.

Learn more about the epidemic from the Navajo Nation and the Indian Health Service websites.

Melissa joined KNAU's team in 2015 to report on science, health, and the environment. Her work has appeared nationally on NPR and been featured on Science Friday. She grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where she fell in love with the ecology and geology of the Sonoran desert.