A bipartisan group of senators, including Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, introduced legislation to address a syphilis epidemic that’s hit tribes especially hard.
The proposed bill addresses congenital syphilis, which is passed to infants during pregnancy. The act would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to give guidance to states on how to screen for and treat the potentially fatal disease.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that has risen sharply nationwide since 2017. The epidemic is especially acute in Native American communities. Health experts say the stigma surrounding the infection can discourage people from seeking treatment, though syphilis is curable with antibiotics.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports nearly 4,000 infants were born with syphilis last year in the U.S. That’s a 3% rise in annual cases, down from 30% in 2022, suggesting the epidemic is slowing.
