Syphilis rates in Vancouver highest in 30 years

Syphilis rates are at  their highest in more than 30 years in the Lower Mainland. Last year, 371 cases were reported in BC and 80 per cent of those were diagnosed in the VCH area.

If you provide care to men who have sex with men, please urge them to be regularly tested every three months for syphilis. They can be tested at their doctor’s office, at a community health clinic, mobile testing clinics or even clinics in local bath houses.

Syphilis is a highly contagious disease spread primarily by sexual activity—whether it’s oral, vaginal or anal sex. Just being in close contact with an infected person’s genitals, mouth or rectum is enough to expose you to infection.

Syphilis also increases the risk of getting HIV; in fact, there are high rates of syphilis among people who are HIV positive. In VCH, 60 per cent of all syphilis cases are also HIV positive.

Symptoms to watch for

Common symptoms of syphilis include sores resembling bug bites, rashes on the palms and soles, fever, swollen lymph glands and weight loss. In the early stages of the illness, however, syphilis may have no symptoms and whatever symptoms do appear later on are often mistaken for other diseases.

Effects of the illness

Syphilis is easily treated with antibiotics if identified early. If left untreated, syphilis can lead to permanent blindness, hearing loss, deep bone pain and neurological problems, all of which can happen early or late in the course of infection. Severe cases of the disease can even be fatal. Pregnant women can also pass syphilis to an unborn child resulting in stillbirth, pre-term birth and abnormalities in the baby.

What to tell your patients/clients

• VCH and BCCDC recommend that men who are sexually active with other men get tested every three to six months.
• To locate the nearest testing clinic, access the clinic finder at www.smartsexresource.com.
• Visit your doctor if you have sores, bumps, a rash, blisters or warts on or around your genitals or anal area.
• Practice safer sex by always using a condom.