PREPARED BY:
Infectious Disease Prevention (IDP)
DATE:
June 15, 2023
SUBJECT:
Sexual Health Campaigns in IDP
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) of public health significance. Although syphilis is largely preventable, data for these infections in Windsor and Essex County (WEC) is showing cause for concern. Syphilis cases are steadily increasing. Over the past 5 years, the WEC crude incidence rate of syphilis (infectious, latent, and other) increased from 13.52 cases/100,000 population in 2018 to 17.37 cases/100,000 population in 2022. This is an increase of 28.55%. In comparison to provincial rates, the crude incidence rate of syphilis (infectious, latent, and other) in Ontario increased from 20.02 cases/100,000 population in 2018 to 35.51 cases/100,000 population in 2022, which is an increase of 77.37%. Congenital syphilis, the transmission of syphilis to a baby during pregnancy or childbirth, has also become increasingly more prevalent in Canada in recent years. (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2021). Locally, three congenital syphilis cases have been reported in WEC.
Most syphilis cases have been found in men, although women are also at risk. Of the 396 cases of syphilis that occurred in WEC from 2018-2022:
- 80.30% were male, 19.19% were female, and 0.51% were transgender;
- Age ranged from 18 to 75 years, with a median age of 39 years; and
- 4.55% of syphilis cases were co-infected with HIV based on iPHIS risk factors.
Risk factors for syphilis include: unprotected sexual activity (especially in men who have sex with men), sexual contact with an identified case of syphilis, sexual contact with an individual from a jurisdiction with an elevated prevalence of syphilis, previously tested positive for syphilis, HIV, or other sexually transmitted bloodborne infections, born to an individual who tested positive for syphilis during pregnancy, and being classified as a member of a vulnerable population engaging in unprotected sex (vaginal, anal, and oral), men having sex with men, and having sex with anonymous and/or multiple partners (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2021). This increasing trend of engaging in anonymous sex with partners found on the internet has created challenges in being able to notify contacts of exposure.
CURRENT INITIATIVES
Public health campaigns play a strategic role in society by raising awareness of important health issues and encouraging groups and individuals to seek information and services. With increased prevalence of syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections, like MPox (previously known as Monkeypox), IDP is developing a sexual health strategy that include various initiatives and platforms to address the issue.
The strategy aims to reach the broader community with an emphasis on reducing stigma, prevention, increasing public knowledge about syphilis, encourage individuals to get tested and know that it can be treated with antibiotics. Recognizing that June is Pride Month, IDP will be kicking off a MPox advertisement (ad) in the Summer Issue for Windsor Life Magazine (see Appendix A). Social media posts on WECHU’s Facebook and Instagram platforms will also push out critical messages about virus transmission, symptoms, testing, and vaccine availability that align with Public Health Ontario’s initiatives, alongside the Gay Mens Sexual Health Alliance. These efforts directly contribute to getting community members vaccinated and helping people access reliable and trustworthy information. The MPox ad will also be published in the 2023 Come OUT & Play Guide to support our local Windsor-Essex Pride Fest, which IDP will partake in as a vendor in August 2023. MPox vaccines, along with sexual health education, will be available at the event.
Moreover, IDP has collaborated with the Healthy Schools department and Merck to organize a Healthcare Provider Breakfast event that will be held on June 15, 2023. Dr. Mehdi Aloosh and Dr. Shanker Nesathurai will be shedding light on the increasing syphilis numbers in WEC. Kim Kirkpatrick, a Nurse Practitioner from Sexual Health Windsor, will also be presenting about the recent syphilis trends and resources available in the community in relation to syphilis. One of the objectives of the event is to emphasize the importance of testing and treating syphilis in the community. Aligning with the Healthcare Provider Breakfast event, a syphilis ad is also underway that focuses on removing the stigma from sexual health and promoting STI testing in the community. The syphilis ad will be included in the July/August issue of the Biz X Magazine, and social media posts will parallel this initiative. The campaigns are carefully crafted to address the demographic changes in WEC in relation to sexual health.
References
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2021, 11). Infectious syphilis and congenital syphilis in Canada, 2020. 2021. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-c…
Appendix A
MPox Advertisement
