Once again we have an alarming announcement from Japan’s health ministry that the number of syphilis patients in Japan has gone up.
This has become a regular news item of late, prompting the ministry to launch a special team to investigate ways to combat the spread of sexually transmitted infections and diseases.
Hospital data from across Japan reports that the number of syphilis patients totaled 4,259 in early December, which is an big increase of 77% from 2,412 in the corresponding period in 2015, and more than seven-fold from a decade ago.
It seems that current efforts to promote safe sex, including Sailor Moon condoms, are not working.
The rise in syphilis yet again is caused by heterosexual intercourse, though there is also a jump in mother-to-child transmissions.
STDs and STIs are apparently especially prominent in Shinjuku ward in Tokyo, which doesn’t surprise given that it is home to the red light district of Kabukicho.
It is not sure yet if this is a general outbreak or can be sourced back to several major infection routes.
