By August 7, the number of people infected with syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, had risen sharply to 7,013 nationwide, marking the first time since 1999, when statistics began to be collected using the current method, that annual infections topped 10,000. It has been pointed out that the possibility of exceeding
A doctor who is familiar with the treatment of syphilis is calling for people to get tested if they have had risky sexual activity.
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is spread primarily through sexual contact.
Even if infected, the symptoms may disappear immediately or be asymptomatic, and if left untreated, serious symptoms may occur in the brain and heart.
According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, the number of people infected with syphilis reported nationwide by the 7th of this month was 7,013, a sharp increase of 1.7 times from the same period last year.
It has been pointed out that if this pace of increase continues, the annual number of infected people may exceed 10,000 for the first time since 1999, when statistics were first collected using the current method.
By the 3rd of last month, which is the first half of this year, 67% of the infected people were male and 33% were female.
By age group, women in their 20s and 30s account for about 75% of the total, while men in their 20s account for 22.4%, 30s for 25.4%, 40s for 25.8%, and 50s for 16.4%. It also spreads to older age groups.
Yasuhiko Onoe, director of "Private Care Clinic Tokyo", who is familiar with the treatment of syphilis, said, "Using a condom is the most important way to prevent syphilis. I want you to get tested," he said.