Syphilis cases rise sharply in women as CDC reports an "alarming" resurgence nationwide

Nearly a quarter of syphilis cases in the U.S. were being diagnosed in women in 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday, in a sign that the nation's "alarming" epidemic of the sexually transmitted infection is increasingly spreading among heterosexual couples.

The number of syphilis cases reported in women climbed 19.5% in 2022. In all, there were 14,652 cases of primary and secondary syphilis, the first two stages of the disease, reported in women, making up roughly a quarter of the 59,016 cases nationwide. In 2018, just 14% of syphilis cases had been reported in women.

Men who have sex with men continue to make up a disproportionately large share of cases, the CDC says.