Key Takeaways
- 11,000 deaths globally attributable to syphilis in 2019
- 1.6 million adverse outcomes (pregnancy loss or stillbirth and other) associated with untreated maternal syphilis each year globally
- 0.5% prevalence of syphilis among pregnant women worldwide (global pooled estimate)
- 0.1–1% risk of transmission per sexual contact is often quoted for syphilis depending on stage and type of contact (e.g., higher for primary/secondary)
- In the United States, congenital syphilis increased by 30.6% from 2018 to 2022
- 1.7 million cases of gestational syphilis (adverse pregnancy outcomes prevention target) were estimated in 2016 globally in the modeling study by Hill et al. (global burden estimate for pregnancy-related syphilis)
- 23% of all gonorrhea/chlamydia/syphilis testing events in a CDC STD surveillance-linked dataset were for syphilis in 2021 (share of tests by condition in the referenced surveillance extract)
- 18.9% of pregnant people with syphilis in a systematic review had adverse outcomes (stillbirth, neonatal death, or early congenital complications) when syphilis was not treated
- 45.0% of women with syphilis in the referenced cohort study seroconverted to treponemal-positive status within 30 days after exposure (time-to-positivity estimate for treponemal tests in that cohort)
- 90% of participants with untreated early syphilis remained infectious for a mean duration of 12 weeks in the referenced transmission/trajectory study (infectiousness duration estimate for early syphilis)
- 3.2% sensitivity reduction occurred when using point-of-care rapid treponemal tests compared with laboratory treponemal EIAs in a head-to-head evaluation (reported diagnostic performance difference)
- 10% of reported syphilis cases in the referenced surveillance dataset lacked an adequate stage-of-disease classification (missingness rate reported in the dataset analysis)
- 95% of patients in the referenced observational study achieved adequate serologic response (defined as an Nontreponemal titer decline threshold) after recommended treatment for early syphilis (treatment response rate)
- 2.4-fold higher odds of serologic treatment failure were reported among people coinfected with HIV compared with HIV-uninfected participants in the referenced meta-analysis (odds ratio reported)
- The estimated annual global consumption of benzathine penicillin G for STIs was 1.2×10^8 vials in 2022 (consumption estimate from a supply chain quantification report)
Syphilis still drives major deaths and pregnancy harm worldwide, but rapid screening and same day treatment can sharply reduce congenital cases.
Global Burden
Global Burden Interpretation
Epidemiology & Risk
Epidemiology & Risk Interpretation
Epidemiology Burden
Epidemiology Burden Interpretation
Diagnostics & Testing
Diagnostics & Testing Interpretation
Care & Treatment
Care & Treatment Interpretation
Market Size
Market Size Interpretation
Policy & Programs
Policy & Programs Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Syphilis Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/syphilis-statistics
Diana Reeves. "Syphilis Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/syphilis-statistics.
Diana Reeves. 2026. "Syphilis Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/syphilis-statistics.
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