Syphilis incidence in women quadruples in 10 years, fuelling congenital cases
Men still accounted for 80% of syphilis cases in 2024, but the rate among women was rising.
Syphilis incidence in women has quadrupled since 2015, leading to more congenital cases and deaths, Australian research suggests.
Overall incidence of syphilis and gonorrhoea has doubled over the past decade, even while rates of chlamydia — Australia’s most common STI — remain stable, according to the Kirby Institute in Sydney.
More than 5850 syphilis cases were diagnosed in 2024. Men still accounted for 80% of cases, the data show.
However, amid an increasing proportion of diagnoses in women, 103 congenital syphilis cases had been recorded since 2015, including 34 fatal cases.
