The United States is grappling with an alarming surge in syphilis cases, which have increased by 80 percent over the past five years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in 2022, highlighting an escalating sexually transmitted infection (STI) crisis. CDC Director for STD Prevention, Laura Bachman, emphasized the need for immediate intervention, noting a significant rise in primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis—the disease's most infectious stages. Bachman revealed that the cases of primary and secondary syphilis increased 10 percent in 2022 alone and 68 percent since 2018. Although curable with antibiotics, syphilis poses a severe risk to babies who contract congenital syphilis during pregnancy or birth. Over the past decade, rates have surged by 937 percent, a figure Bachman described as “alarming.” The data showed that American Indian or Alaska Native people experienced the highest rate of congenital syphilis, while Black or African American people accounted for nearly 30 percent of cases in 2022. The report revealed a staggering 183.4% increase in congenital syphilis cases over the past five years and nearly a 31 percent rise from 2021 to 2022. The National Coalition of STD Directors has labeled the U.S. STI epidemic as “out-of-control.” #Queer Up Health