Syphilis and Social Upheaval in China

Syphilis was nearly eliminated from China 50 years ago but is now the most commonly reported communicable disease in Shanghai. Dr. Joseph Tucker and colleagues write that the Chinese syphilis epidemic holds important lessons about social and environmental influences on sexual health. Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that was nearly eliminated from China 50 years ago, 1 is now the most commonly reported communicable disease in Shanghai, China's largest city. 2 No other country has seen such a precipitous increase in reported syphilis cases in the penicillin era. In 2008, an average of more than 1 baby per hour was born with congenital syphilis in China, for a total of 9480 cases; the rate had increased by a factor of 12 during the previous 5 years (see graph). A disease with social roots, syphilis has become a major scourge lurking in the shadows . . .