Syphilis trends in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) of Georgia and South Carolina, USA

There has been an alarming resurgence of early syphilis since 2000, especially in the southeast region, which has one of the highest rates of primary and secondary syphilis in the United States of America (USA). Although the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) is the second most populous area in Georgia with a large presence of health care facilities, its counties have one of the lowest overall rankings in health outcomes. This study examined the syphilis rates and trends in the CSRA. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention’s AtlasPlus was used. Cases of primary and secondary syphilis diagnosed during 2010–2015 were analyzed to describe reported syphilis among CSRA residents. In the CSRA, between 2010 and 2015, the incidence rate of primary and secondary syphilis increased from 5.9 to 9.4 cases per 100,000 population. The lowest rate of syphilis was observed in 2011 (2.7 cases per 100,000) and the highest rate in 2015. In 2015, the highest syphilis rates were observed among males (15.9 per 100,000), non-Hispanic blacks (16.9 per 100,000), and persons between the ages 20–24 years (34.5 per 100,000). The relevance of preventive measures has been widely communicated, yet it is clear that risk-taking sexual behavior is on the rise. Greater effort is warranted to reduce risky behaviors that promote the transmission of syphilis, including areas outside of major metropolitan areas.