One in every 2,000 people in Guangdong Province has syphilis. Among pregnant women, this figure could be as high as 1 in every 200, Nandu Daily reports. The province’s rate is 1.5 times the national average.
Some of the statistics are truly frightening.
Last year, 53,043 people were diagnosed with syphilis in the province. Zhejiang was in second place with 35,194. The province also saw 1,662 infants diagnosed with syphilis. According to Yang Ligang, director of Guangdong’s STD Prevention Centre, 75% of cases in the province were in the age groups of 20-45 and 60 and above.
Perhaps the most striking statistic of all is that 1 in 200 pregnant women have the disease and it is as common in urban areas as it is in rural areas. Yang stressed that if secondary syphilis goes undiagnosed in a woman, then the infant is in serious danger of contracting congenital syphilis.
According to the U.S. Department of Health, the most surefire way of avoiding syphilis is to abstain from sexual relations, and if you can’t do that, practise safe sex and don’t be promiscuous:
Syphilis is spread through direct contact with a syphilis sore or rash during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. The bacteria can enter the body through the penis, anus, vagina, mouth, or through broken skin. An infected pregnant woman can also pass the disease to her unborn child. Syphilis is not spread by contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.
And as you know, Guangdong can be a pretty scary place in which to have a baby as it is.