Are You Protected? Louisiana’s Syphilis Numbers on the Rise

It was back in January of 2020 that we read that Shreveport was one of the top ten cities for sexually transmitted diseases in the entire country.

It was in 2017 that Louisiana was named the number one state in the country for cases of syphilis.

Those are scary rankings, so when we read from the Louisiana Radio Network that Louisiana's syphilis cases are on the rise again, that gets all our attention.

What Do Louisiana's Numbers Look Like Today?

Chaquetta Johnson, the Deputy Director of Operations for the Louisiana STD/HIV Hepatitis Program, has just stated, "Louisiana ranks ninth in the United States for primary and secondary syphilis and fifth for congenital syphilis."

Got you reading a little more carefully now don't I?  These numbers are just unacceptable and apparently Louisiana is trying to do something about it.

So What Are We Going To Do About It?

The Louisiana Department of Health has just launched the "Just Check" campaign in an effort to prevent the rise of this disease.

Deputy Director Johnson says findings from the Department of Health indicate the majority of syphilis cases involve men under 40 who are otherwise healthy and this campaign will hopefully urge those concerned about possibly having syphilis to get checked and educated about syphilis.

Johnson says, “the Just Check campaign is centered around STD awareness and increasing the public’s awareness of the increasing syphilis numbers around central and north Louisiana.”

She goes on to say, "“We’re really being aggressive in trying to educate the public via billboards and radio spots and engaging with the media to promote this program in the community."