What Has Changed In The Past Few Years To Cause This?

[youngmafbog]

It can't be all down to Viagra and dating apps surely?

Any ideas how it can be sorted out?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6670639/UK-babies-born-syphilis-sexual-health-expert-warns.html

[fiction-factory]

From the article: "A total of 7,137 cases were diagnosed in England in 2017, up from 5,955 in 2016 and just 2,646 in 2010, according to Public Health England."
So whilst 20% sounds dramatic it is 'only ' up by around 1200 cases ayear -which is too many but very very small in a poulation of well over £60 million. There was one death- one too many I know-among babies but it's hard to say whether that is enough to indicate a trend that will continue for baby deaths.

[fiction-factory]

Okay - population of England is only 55 million. The headline refers to UK but the figures related to England

[fiction-factory]

Sometimes increases like this can simply be a case of different reporting criteria or better detection rates

[Mamyalynne]

Sexually transmitted diseases in the older population has been steadily increasing for a while, I imagine at least part of it must be a lax attitude to using barrier contraception.

It's a false premise to think such things are the preserve of the young.

[Sqad]

"Any ideas how it can be sorted out? "

Do you mean congenital syphilis OR syphilis as a whole?
If you mean congenital syphilis then this could be eradicated if all pregnant mothers are blood tested and if found positive...treated.
If you mean syphilis as a whole, then this is a social problem mainly and then a medical solution.

Sex is all about opportunity and desire and both of these are readily available in this brave new world.
Teenagers are not scared of becoming pregnant because today it is no big deal to have sex at any opportunity, with multiple partners and they have "understanding parents"......so they are not scared of becoming pregnant unmarried and producing ***.
This is made easier by the contraceptive pill, which encourages sexual activity with the danger of increasing likelihood of syphilitic infection.
Dating sites.....some principle..easy access of multiple partners, although the contagion of syphilis only requires one partner, if infected.
Drug resistance in treating syphilis may well be an added problem.

Promiscuity increase by the above reasons is the main cause, plus.......may i add.......immigration.

The Daily Mail expert is quite correct.

[spathiphyllum]

Being someone from the younger generation, i can tell you that people consider condoms "uncool" (pathetically juvenile attitude). I can also tell you that monogamy is less appealing to younger people making them sleep round a bit more, spreading these fluids. Universities are breeding grounds for these diseases to fester. People are less inclined to get checked up by clinics. More people, more sex, more disease. It's easier to get rid of a pregnancy with the morning after pill or abortion. As mamy says the barrier contraception's (condoms) are simply used less. What sqad says about sex being no big deal is also true and about how parents are more relaxed. 80's babies ent they...

[Sqad]

Good post by Spath with which I entirely agree plus the presumed increase in homosexuality.

[Calicogirl]

Wow Spath what an appalling spokesperson you are for 'younger' people. I don't know ANYONE who thinks abortion should be used as a form of contraception (or the morning after pill either for that matter except in exceptional circumstances due to the failure of another form of contraception). Condoms are not seen as uncool, they save you from HIV and a plethora of other nasties during casual sex, and I don't know any other girl my age who has unprotected sex with anyone but a serious partner. Just who is it you're mixing with?

[spathiphyllum]

Calico again you've put words and implications in my mouth or you've seriously misinterpreted what i meant/ said.

We had a debate recently (As in AB did, not me and you), one where i quite strongly agreed that abortion or/and the morning after pill were not a form of contraception.

I've not implied they are in the post above.

What i've implied is, people are less worried about getting pregnant because there are options to take.

And who i hang around with and who i'm able to observe are very different kettles of fish.

[youngmafbog]

Calico, I see where you are coming from but Spaths post is rather more supported by the rising number of STI's surely.

It would be interesting to see the sales graphs of Condom sales.

"This is made easier by the contraceptive pill, which encourages sexual activity with the danger of increasing likelihood of syphilitic infection."

Agreed Sqad but surely this has been going on since early 60's ? (OK only initially available to married mothers I suppose). So why the rise now?

[Prudie]

I'm not well versed in this but think people have continued to have as much free sex as they did in the 60s. Abortions and morning after have also been available for years so don't see a correlation in that either. It could well be less condom use, bacteria resistance building up over time - or maybe because it seems to me that antibiotic prescriptions given out for something else (that could attack the STD at the same time) have reduced dramatically. Antibiotics are like gold dust in my surgery.

[Calicogirl]

No Spath, I think I interpreted your post correctly.
'Younger' people, as you term us, have no more options regarding the morning after pill and abortions than did women in 1984 when the morning after pill was first available. That's a full 35 years ago, so generationally that can't possibly make a difference.

[spathiphyllum]

and it wasn't untill the year 2001 where a branded pill was available to buy.

[spathiphyllum]

^ in the UK

[jno]

Prudie, I don't know about more sex, but more partners may be the thing; it greatly increases your chances of coming into contact with someone already infected.

[spathiphyllum]

Oh also, it wasn't till 2015 where the EU change the status of the pill so that it could be bought from chemists without a prescription.

Lets not factor the ages required.

[Calicogirl]

Spath you're wrong. the morning after pill was available by prescription from 1984 and available from chemists from 2001. since you never take my word for anything please see here.

Also if condom use is declining you would expect HIV to be on rise whereas actually it's at it's lowest level since 1990.

https://onlinedoctor.lloydspharmacy.com/blog/story-of-the-morning-after-pill/

[maggiebee]

//Sexually transmitted diseases in the older population has been steadily increasing for a while// I totally agree Mamy, but these are not the folk having babies.

[spathiphyllum]

What i've said is not wrong Calico. You're coming across as quite argumentative.

[Calicogirl]

Spath you are factually wrong about your dates regarding the morning after pill- sorry you find that argumentative but you're wrong. Please see the link to prove so to yourself. Crikey.