Syphilis Education Online Opportunity: May 2

KDHE

Syphilis, a genital ulcerative disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, is associated with significant complications when not diagnosed and treated. After historic lows in reported cases in 2000 and 2001, syphilis cases have increased almost every year since then. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has partnered with the St. Louis STD/HIV Prevention Training Center at Washington University to offer this Continuing Education Unit (CEU) opportunity:

Webinar: Syphilis Update for Kansas Clinicians:  Focus on Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention

Thursday May 2, 2019, 10 a.m. – noon

Free of charge. Registration required.

Since 2000, the rise in the rate of syphilis infections has been primarily attributable to increased cases among men and, specifically, among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM). However, in the last five years, rates have increased among both men and women, and the syphilis rates among women have more than doubled. Subsequently, rates of reported congenital syphilis cases also increased substantially, with eight Kansas cases reported in 2018, compared to only two cases reported in the decade before.

The course will focus specifically on recent trends in syphilis epidemiology in Kansas, clinical presentation of primary and secondary syphilis, laboratory diagnostic issues and treatment and prevention strategies (including PrEP for HIV prevention).