Syphilis rates are rising among Minnesota’s babies, and it’s entirely preventable

Rates of syphilis are skyrocketing among Minnesotans who are pregnant maternal syphilis and their babies congenital syphilis There were zero cases of congenital syphilis in the state in and But in cases were broadcasted the highest number in years The bulk new syphilis infections occur in the Twin Cities metro area but rates are rapidly rising in rural areas For example the Arrowhead region including Duluth and surrounding Carlton Lake and St Louis counties is in the midst of a syphilis outbreak Syphilis during pregnancy can cause severe medical problems stillbirth miscarriage or even infant death and this suffering is needless For centuries we ve had the instrument to prevent syphilis condoms And since the s we ve had the apparatus to treat it penicillin It s not that we lack the scientific breakthroughs needed to solve the syphilis trouble It s that we are not getting the right healthcare services to the right people at the right time This should change Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth Remedy is straightforward A sufferer with maternal syphilis may need one to three injections of penicillin seven to nine days apart depending on how severe the infection is This curriculum of medication prevents nearly all cases of congenital syphilis Rural and urban Minnesotans aren t alone in suffering tragic consequences of a preventable treatable condition In urban areas of the U S maternal syphilis rates tripled from to while rates in rural areas of the country quintupled during that time Rural areas in mostly rural states have been hit hardest by rising rates of maternal syphilis including Montana South Dakota New Mexico Mississippi and Alaska Rural areas may be hit especially hard because of declining access to healthcare care during pregnancy Lack of testing and healing of syphilis during pregnancy contributes to nearly nine in cases of congenital syphilis If there is no local prenatal care or if people have financial or other obstacles to care they may not get tested for syphilis or treated if they have it during pregnancy Things are getting worse for rural residents in particular Over half of rural hospitals no longer provide maternity care and the nearest prenatal care may be farther away at a time when the costs of everyday life including gas and transportation are increasing It is essential for Minnesotans who are pregnant to get tested for syphilis Unlike bulk states there is no legal requirement for syphilis screening during pregnancy in Minnesota The Minnesota Department of Fitness recommends that maternity care clinicians test all pregnant patients three times during pregnancy at the first prenatal visit early in the third trimester and at delivery but without a requirement testing may not consistently be happening It is also key for people with maternal syphilis to receive the penicillin shots they need to treat the infection and prevent passing it to their babies This sounds straightforward but in rural and urban communities lacking local affordable maternity care it is anything but simple Maternal and congenital syphilis cases are rising across the country and right here in Minnesota but it doesn t have to be this way Medicine has long had the tools needed to keep moms and babies healthy and free of syphilis in Minnesota To do so it is essential to get the right wellness services to the right people at the right time Clara Busse is a rural wellbeing protocol postdoctoral researcher with the University of Minnesota Rural Physical condition Initiative Katy Kozhimannil is distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Population Wellbeing They have not long ago published research on rural urban differences in maternal syphilis The post Syphilis rates are rising among Minnesota s babies and it s entirely preventable appeared first on MinnPost