Primary Care Quiz: 5 Questions on Latest US Syphilis Trends

It's STI Awareness Week, and the CDC released its 2024 Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance Report (Provisional). Syphilis remains a critical focus of STI prevention efforts, with 186 301 reported cases across all stages in 2024. While overall cases declined compared with 2023, the disease continues to pose substantial clinical and public health challenges, particularly in identifying early, transmissible stages.

Primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis represents the most infectious phase of the disease and is central to transmission dynamics. Encouragingly, P&S cases declined significantly in 2024, although clinicians must remain vigilant in screening and early detection.

This quiz reviews key data on syphilis staging and year-over-year trends relevant to primary care decision-making.

Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance, 2024 (Provisional). Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2025.