Dramatic increase in cases of syphilis in Sweden

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The cases of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis are increasing in the western world. In Swedish Västra Götaland  the number of new cases has tripled since 2014, according to Dagens Medicin.

One of the  groups most affected by this are men who have sex with men.
– It can be treated, but it can also be serious. It can lead to meningitis, other neurological problems and vascular injuries, says Leif Dotevall, assistant infection doctor in Västra Götaland, a region bordering Norway and which includes the cities and towns of Gothenburg, Uddevalla and Strömstad.
In this region the number of people with the disease has increased from ten people in 2010 to 51 people in 2015.
In the same period, the number of cases increased from 89 to 158 in Stockholm. Throughout the country,  about 244 new syphilis infections were reported .
By comparison,  172 new cases of syphilis in were reported in Norway last year, a slight decline from the previous year. Almost all the persons who have been infected are men and over half of the cases were reported in Oslo.
The best way to protect yourself against syphilis is to use a condom.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today