Roanoke – Cases of syphilis are on the rise, and health officials are recommending screenings.
Virginia Department of Health officials said if you are sexually active and between the ages of 15 through 44, you should talk with your doctor about the next steps for a screening.
Officials said any woman who is pregnant should get tested for syphilis at their first prenatal appointment.
“By early September of 2023 we have already exceeded our total case count for all of 2022, so we are seeing a significant increase in total early syphilis cases and that’s what the dashboard shows,” Dr. Cynthia b. Morrow, MD, MPH Health Director said.
VDH officials said that syphilis is a complicated disease and is often called the great mimicker because of the different ways the disease can present itself.