New Mexico urges syphilis testing for all pregnant mothers

The Associated Press ^ | October 5, 2022

[Oldeconomybuyer]

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico health officials are renewing a public order aimed at protecting newborn babies from syphilis.

The state Health Department on Wednesday announced requirements that medical providers follow best practices by testing all pregnant women for syphilis multiple times.

The agency says that New Mexico had the highest rate of congenital syphilis cases among states in 2020, when there were 42 local cases of newborn babies contracting the disease from their mothers. That is the most recent year for finalized federal statistics.

Syphilis is a bacterial disease that surfaces as genital sores but can ultimately lead to severe symptoms and death if left untreated. When a mother passes the infection on to her baby, it can lead to serious birth defects, miscarriage and infant death.

State Health Secretary David Scrase says congenital syphilis is preventable through testing and treatment with penicillin to prevent transmission.

[GailA]

All sex-transmitted diseases are on the rise, and with a promiscuous-drug-riddled society, it is inevitable. Mothers should be tested, it would be safer than treating a newborn baby, who has no immune system. Within minutes a newborn is automatically given a Hep B shot. The heel stick is supposed to type blood, but it does DNA to, which goes into a national database.

[BJ1]

>>>If a woman is monogamous is she really at high enough risk that we just want to automatically test her?<<<

LMAO. How many loose women are going to admit that? Especially if they are showing up to the baby doctor with their husband or boyfriend? Young women today are rather promiscuous. And per the CDC, 1 in 5 people have a STD. And further, nearly one in two incidents were aquired by people aged 15 to 24 years old. So while it may be 1 in 5 for all, for the youth demo, it’s clearly higher.

[Vaduz]

Must be a blue state.