Syphilis is slowly but surely on the rise in New Zealand. Photo / 123rf
Syphilis is slowly but surely on the rise in New Zealand. Photo / 123rf
Syphilis may sound like a disease from a bygone era, something like scurvy that should have long been flushed out by antibiotics and replaced by other modern day malaise.
But here in New Zealand, it's an STI on the rise.
The ESR (Institute of Environmental Science and Research) has released its quarterly surveillance intelligence dashboard detailing STI (sexually transmitted infection) rates by region in the past year.
It reveals that reported cases of infectious syphilis in New Zealand have gone up since 2017 with the majority of cases found in areas with large cities: Auckland topped the list with 248 known infections.
It's been worse for Aucklanders, however: 2018 saw 276 cases.
But a general trend shows an increase in syphilis across the country: the Waikato seeing a jump from 10 cases at the end of 2018 to 53 cases as 2019 wrapped up.
Canterbury saw a rise from 39 to 83, while the number of cases in Southland doubled from 12 to 24.
Data shows that STIs are most prevalent in young people aged 20-29. Photo / 123rf
Chlamydia is still the most commonly reported STI in New Zealand, with most cases in those aged 15-29 years.
If you're planning a trip to Auckland for a wild weekend, spare a thought for the fact it's home to the highest number of chlamydia cases reported over the past year: 11,442. Wellington and Christchurch are also breeding grounds for chlamydia, with 3571 and 3134 cases respectively.
Although the cities may be hotbeds for this STI, when cases per 100,000 people are considered, Tairāwhiti, the East Coast region which includes Gisborne, tops the unenviable list with 1002 reported cases per 100,000.
Gonorrhoea has also been steadily on the rise since 2017, with higher rates and increases reported in males than in females.
Young people aged 20-29 is the age bracket most affected by gonorrhoea. Māori and Pacific peoples continue to have higher rates of the infection than other ethnic groups.
