{"id":74,"date":"2023-07-05T19:44:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T00:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lubbock-sucks.local\/?p=74"},"modified":"2023-07-25T11:41:26","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T16:41:26","slug":"lubbock-seeing-a-500-increase-in-syphilis-cases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lubbock-sucks.local\/news\/lubbock-seeing-a-500-increase-in-syphilis-cases\/","title":{"rendered":"Lubbock seeing a 500% increase in syphilis cases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

https:\/\/www.kcbd.com\/2023\/07\/06\/lubbock-seeing-500-increase-syphilis-cases\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors and health experts across the country are reporting a spike in numbers for a certain sexually transmitted disease, one that could be deadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City of Lubbock Health Department reported a 500% increase in cases of syphilis from 2019 to this year and the front-line medication to treat the sexually transmitted infection cannot keep up with demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Director of Public Health Katherine Wells said the city is seeing increasing cases of syphilis in all populations, but a 40% increase among women. She said most STD and STI cases affect young adults, but they are diagnosing people up to 60 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe would see 50, 60, 70, cases a year of syphilis; for last year we saw 600 cases,\u201d Wells said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no definitive answer for why cases have spiked so high, but this increase has created an even bigger problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIncreases in the number of syphilis cases and the number of people being treated, we\u2019re also seeing a shortage in our frontline medication,\u201d Katherine Wells said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pfizer is the sole supplier of penicillin G benzathine, the injection, most efficient to treat syphilis and it reported shortages in both adult and pediatric benzathine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re having to do now\u2026we\u2019re treating with the alternate medication recommended by the CDC which is Doxycycline,\u201d Belle Maldonado, Licensed Vocational Nurse at the Health Department Clinic, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maldonado says receiving treatment as soon as possible is imperative and doxycycline has proven to be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe alternative medication for so long, so many days, and it\u2019s really easy once you start to feel better, you don\u2019t think you need those antibiotics anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the penicillin injection is the only syphilis treatment safe to administer to pregnant women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are continuing to treat pregnant women and their partners so we know they are being treated adequately,\u201d Maldonado said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syphilis left untreated can damage your internal organs and can even lead to death. It can also create complications for women wanting to become pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese things continue to wreak havoc in your body until you are treated sufficiently for syphilis,\u201d Maldonado said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pfizer estimates benzathine will not be easily accessible until April of 2024, so Maldonado says the best prevention of sexually transmitted infections and diseases is to use a condom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

https:\/\/www.kcbd.com\/2023\/07\/06\/lubbock-seeing-500-increase-syphilis-cases\/ Doctors and health experts across the country are reporting a spike in numbers for a certain sexually transmitted disease, one that could be deadly. The City of Lubbock Health…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[12],"yoast_head":"\nLubbock seeing a 500% increase in syphilis cases - Lubbock Sucks<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lubbock-sucks.local\/news\/lubbock-seeing-a-500-increase-in-syphilis-cases\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lubbock seeing a 500% increase in syphilis cases - Lubbock Sucks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kcbd.com\/2023\/07\/06\/lubbock-seeing-500-increase-syphilis-cases\/ Doctors and health experts across the country are reporting a spike in numbers for a certain sexually transmitted disease, one that could be deadly. 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