The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is joining other southeastern states in an effort to combat congenital syphilis.
They’re working together on aligned recommendations for standard syphilis screening in pregnant women and also to make testing a part of routine healthcare for everyone.
Dr. Victoria Mobley with NCDHHS said North Carolina’s congenital syphilis numbers are the highest they have been in almost 20 years and it will take the commitment of all medical providers to reverse the trend.
The South makes up a third of the U.S. population, but accounts for more than half of reported congenital syphilis cases. In North Carolina, there have been 7 neonatal and stillbirth deaths due to congenital syphilis so far this year.