Syphilis Episodes

On today's episode, Thomas Dobbs from the University of Mississippi discusses syphilis in the U.S., from the use of antibiotics and public health interventions to the rising case rates over the past decade. Later, Joshua O’Neal from the Southeast STD/HIV Prevention Training Center discusses how prevention training centers are helping health departments and local providers respond to the crisis.

New CDC surveillance data show encouraging declines in several sexually transmitted infections—but a troubling increase in syphilis among newborns. In this episode, the Director of the Division of STD Prevention at CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Dr. Bradley Stoner, breaks down the key takeaways from the 2024 Provisional STI Surveillance report, including declines in chlamydia, gonorrhea, and primary and secondary syphilis, alongside the continued rise in congenital syphilis.

In this episode, we continue our Legislative Prospectus Series, examining public health trends in policy going into 2026 with Meredith Allen, vice president for health security at ASTHO. She’ll discuss the critical role immunizations play in preventing the spread of disease and protecting communities nationwide.

Dr. Sameer Vohra, ASTHO member and director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, discusses the op-ed he co-authored in the Chicago Tribune on the progress his state has made in treating HIV; Brandon Kufalk, STI unit supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, explains...

Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, outlines the recent recall of Bicillin; Marie Stratton, Overdose Data to Action program manager at the Maryland Department of Health, explains...

Adrienne Ammerman, founder and CEO of Arclet, explains how her platform will help health communicators; Amelia Poulin, ASTHO assistant director of emerging infectious disease, breaks down a blog article on what states are doing to combat syphilis and...

Robbyn Kistler, senior consultant for the Social Impact Media Program at KFF, tells us about recent syphilis videos that ASTHO, KFF, and CDC created; Theresa Arriola, director of the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services, discusses the importance of face-to-face interactions at ASTHO’s Spring Leadership...

Dr. Bradley Stoner, director of the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC, reports the findings in the latest STI Surveillance report; Katherine Feldman, chief performance Officer at the Maryland Department of Health, details the success of...

Dr. Bradley Stoner, director of the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC, discusses the first few weeks in his new role; Dr. Barbara Van Der Pol, professor of medicine and public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, explains how the UAB...

Heidi Hedberg, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and an ASTHO Member, describes Alaska's Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program Plan; Julia Greenspan, director of Infectious Disease Infrastructure and Policy at ASTHO, explains...

Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and an ASTHO member, provides an update on Colorado’s progress dealing with syphilis; Dr. Sonya Borrero, professor of medicine and director of...

Dr. Robert Goldstein, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and an ASTHO Member, discusses the containment and prevention of the spread of infectious disease as part of ASTHO’s Legislative Prospectus Series; Allyson...

David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors and the ASTHO Affiliate Council chair, tells us how the ASTHO Affiliate Council assists public health; Patrick Allen, former secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health,...

Laura Ungar, science and medical writer on the Global Health and Science Team for the Associated Press, discusses the two articles she wrote about the maternal mortality crisis; Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO past president and Alaska’s former chief medical...

Dr. Steven Stack, MD, MBA, Commissioner for Public Health and Chief Medical Officer, Commonwealth of Kentucky, and ASTHO President, discusses a partnership with HBCU Kentucky State University to bolster the public health workforce; Julia Greenspan,...

Sasha Chavkin, senior reporter for The Examination, tells us about his investigation into whether the food industry is misusing anti-diet messages; Dr. Timothy Harrison, principal deputy director in the office of infectious disease and HIV AIDS Policy...

Dr. Sharon Stancliff, associate medical director for Harm Reduction in Healthcare at the AIDS Institute with the New York State Department of Health, discusses a study the state performed to test the pros and cons of different doses of naloxone; Tanya...

AJ Pearlman, director of Public Health AmeriCorps, says more than 4-thousand people are learning about public health as part of the program; Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, and Dr. Debra Bogen, acting secretary of...

Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO Member and State Health Officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, says new numbers in Alabama show infant deaths are dropping but the news isn’t all good; an ASTHO blog article outlines practical strategies for...

Julia Greenspan, ASTHO Director, Infectious Diseases, says the FDA deciding to import a medication that treats syphilis is a step in the right direction; Caitlin Langhorne Griffith, ASTHO Director of Behavioral Health, tells us many states...

Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO immediate past president and chief medical officer for the Alaska Department of Health, says policies can help address the fact that the number of babies born with syphilis is ten times higher than in 2012; JoAnne McClure, ASTHO...

Dr. Mark Levine, commissioner, Vermont Department of Health, says ASTHO’s new policy statement on suicide prevention offers many recommendations including a call to improve access to health care services for those at highest risk; Dr. Robert...

Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO past president and Alaska chief medical officer, raises the alarm on the need for new attention to the rising number of syphilis cases in the U.S.; Stephanie Doyle, deputy director for the Bureau of Family Health and...

Beth Giambrone, ASTHO’s Senior Analyst of State Health Policy, says the EPA has proposed regulations on certain forever chemicals; Jamie Pina, ASTHO’s Vice President of Public Health Data Modernization, explains how artificial intelligence (AI) can be a public health tool;...