Cases of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis, have risen in Florida over the last five years.
According to the Florida Department of Health, the proportion of people contracting syphilis is higher in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, in comparison to the rest of Florida.
Cheryl Hardy is operations manager for the STD HIV program in Miami-Dade. She says more people are having unsafe sex.
“So the odds of transmission is greater when engaging in high risk behavior, and condom use among the youth is non- existent,” Hardy said.
The health department also reports that syphilis numbers have increased significantly among men who have sex with men.
Hardy paints a picture as to just how high those numbers are.
“In Florida 2015, 19 cases of an STD was diagnosed everyday,” men who have sex with men.
Efforts are continuing to combat the spread of syphilis and other STDs.
Miami-Dade is increasing the number of providers to test and treat the disease, and Broward started social marketing campaigns to educate people about syphilis and HIV.
