Source: The Australian Government Department of Health, 29 July 2021
We have launched a campaign on infectious and congenital syphilis. Syphilis is a serious sexually transmissible infection (STI) that causes both immediate and long-term health issues.
Syphilis is treatable with antibiotics, but not everyone with syphilis has symptoms. This means that people often don’t realise they have the infection.
In 2020, notifications of infectious syphilis in Australia increased by nearly 90% from recorded rates in 2015.
Three populations are most at risk:
- men who have sex with men
- women of child-bearing age
- those who live in outbreak areas (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities).
The campaign will run nationally on a range of online channels, including social media, to raise awareness of syphilis, including:
- symptoms
- treatment options
- how to avoid getting it.
We encourage anyone who is sexually active to get tested regularly for syphilis to help stop the spread of infection.