A Denver Health infectious disease doctor warns sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise, but the “dramatic” increase in syphilis cases means anyone sexually active between the ages of 14 and 44 should get tested.

Dr. Sarah Rowan, an infectious disease physician at Denver Health, called the sharp increase nationally and in Colorado an “epidemiological phenomenon” that had mostly been an issue among men who had sex with other men.

“When something goes up in one population, it’s only a matter of time before it reaches the wider community,” Rowan said.

Denver Health is the city’s hospital safety net.

In response to the growing crisis, Rowan said Denver Health has expanded its syphilis screening of pregnant women in response to the governor’s order that state agencies and health care providers offer testing at the frequency required by proposed legislation lawmakers are considering.

If approved, the House Bill 1456 would expand the existing test requirement to include the third trimester and delivery, in addition to their first prenatal visit.

Rates of congenital syphilis have tripled in the U.S. and nearly quadrupled in Colorado over the past five years from 1,084 cases in 2018 to 3,266 in 2023, according to the state health department.

“If syphilis is diagnosed in pregnancy and adequately treated, that can prevent congenital syphilis,” Rowan said.

Congenital syphilis occurs when a pregnant individual transmits syphilis to their child in utero and can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and permanent health issues for those born with the disease.

To date, Colorado has reported 25 cases of congenital syphilis this year that has resulted in five stillbirths and two infant deaths.

As many as 40% of babies born with untreated syphilis will be stillborn or die in infancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Syphilis is a bacterial infection most often transmitted through sexual contact. Detected early, syphilis can be cured with antibiotics, according to the Mayo Clinic. If left untreated, syphilis can affect the brain and spinal cord as well as other body parts that can cause serious or life-threatening health conditions.

The state’s public health order, which goes into effect April 25, is believed to help health care providers identify these cases prior to birth.

“Syphilis was once a rare disease,” Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, has said. “We are very concerned about this growing epidemic, both in the state and nationally.