Turns out, West Texas isn’t just dry, dusty, and overrun with Whataburgers—it’s also apparently syphilis central. The City of Lubbock Health Department reports cases of the infection have skyrocketed by 500% since 2019. That’s not a typo. We went from 50–70 cases a year to 600. And no, it’s not just college kids—doctors are now diagnosing people up to age 60.
To make things worse, the main drug that actually works—penicillin G benzathine—is in short supply because Pfizer is the only supplier and they’re running behind. So now, patients are being handed doxycycline, an alternative that works but takes longer and is easier to screw up since people stop taking it once they “feel better.” Pregnant women? They still need the injections, so they’re first in line.
Untreated syphilis doesn’t just make for awkward clinic visits—it can wreck your organs, cause pregnancy complications, and eventually kill you. Meanwhile, Pfizer says the good stuff won’t be back in regular supply until at least April 2024.
Condoms are cheap. Coffins aren’t. Your move, Lubbock.
https://www.kcbd.com/2023/07/06/lubbock-seeing-500-increase-syphilis-cases/
