Ministry Of Health: Syphilic Patients Increase 70 Percent In The Last 5 Years

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) stated that the number of people suffering from syphilic diseases has increased by almost 70 percent in the last five years (2016-2022).

"Just for the syphilic disease, in the last five years (2016-2022) there has been an increase in cases of almost 70 percent," said Ministry of Health Spokesperson Mohammad Syahril at a press conference: Protecting Children from Transmission of Sexual Diseases reported by ANTARA, Monday, May 8.

He said in 2016 there were 12 thousand cases of syphilic diseases and continued to increase by almost 21,000 cases by 2022.

According to him, one of the causes of the increase in cases of risky sex behavior by parents, for example through oral sex or anal sex.

"This risky sex behavior is very likely to injure children's rights and threaten their survival because it can cause defects," said Syahril.

In data from the Ministry of Health, this risky sex behavior then opens up the potential for mothers to transmit syphilic to their children. Even the percentage of abortus occurs, babies born dead or babies experiencing congenital syphilics due to transmission reaches 69 to 80 percent. The Ministry of Health highlighted that the number of pregnant women with treating syphilics is still low or around 40 percent. While the other 60 percent did not receive treatment so that they have the potential to transmit and cause defects in children born.

The lack of treatment is due to stigma and shame elements. Every year, out of five million pregnancies, only 25 percent of pregnant women are screened for syphilic. Of the 1.2 million pregnant women, finally 5,590 pregnant women are positive for syphilic," said Syahril.

From that situation, he said, the thing that needs to be considered is how people get rid of the bad stigma against patients and support them to immediately carry out free checks that have been provided by government health facilities so that they can quickly get the treatment or the necessary medicines.

Another thing that needs to be pursued is to provide an understanding that siphilics can be prevented by using protective equipment, such as condoms during sex and avoiding risky sex behavior.

As mandated in Law Number 35 of 2014 Article 46 concerning Health that countries, governments, local governments, families, and parents must strive so that children born are protected from diseases that threaten survival and/or cause disabilities.

If the treatment of syphilics there are drugs used depending on the clinical level, ranging from mild to severe. If this is treated properly, then God willing, he will recover, be controlled, and not infect others, including the baby who will be born, "said Syahril.