Syphilis Hits Record High in Argentina: 46,799 Cases in 2025, Men Missing from Testing

📈 The Numbers That Raise Every Alarm

Syphilis has been steadily rising since 2011, with a sharp acceleration after 2015 when cases tripled in four years. After a pause during the pandemic, the increase resumed strongly in 2022:

The most affected group is 15 to 39 years old, accounting for 76% of diagnoses. Within that range, the 20–24 age bracket has the highest rate: 290.6 cases per 100,000, with a striking gender gap: 366 cases in women versus 218.2 in men.

📍 Mendoza, Jujuy, and Entre Ríos: The Provincial Hotspots

While the problem is national, several provinces show increases far exceeding the average:

• Mendoza: The rate jumped from 85.7 to 123.7 per 100,000 between 2024 and 2025, a 44% increase. In absolute numbers, it went from 1,489 to 2,174 cases (+46%). 76% are aged 15–40, with notable spikes in 15–19 and 30–35 age groups.
• Jujuy: Recorded 1,513 cases in 2025, a rate of 223.2 per 100,000—nearly double the national average and one of the highest in the country. The province rose from 851 cases in 2022 to 1,367 in 2024.
• Entre Ríos: The public sector reported a 47% increase in 2025 over the previous year, with a heavy concentration among 14–26-year-olds.

The Central region concentrates 60% of cases, while the highest rates are in the South (159.8), Cuyo, and the Northeast.

⚠️ The Hidden Problem: Men Aren't Getting Tested

One of the most concerning findings is the huge gender gap in access to diagnosis. Johana Bazán, head of Mendoza's Reproductive Health Program, puts it bluntly: “If you ask a man where to get tested, he probably doesn't know.”

Women are more connected to the health system through gynecological and reproductive checkups, while men only seek care when symptoms are already advanced. “When syphilis is symptomatic, it's already in an advanced stage,” warns Bazán. Higher female rates are simply because more women get tested, not because they have greater exposure.

🛡️ Dual Protection: The Forgotten Key

Experts agree that the main cause of the resurgence isn't just condom abandonment, but the lack of dual protection. Many young women and teens prioritize avoiding pregnancy and stop using condoms, relying on methods like the subdermal implant, which doesn't protect against infections.

Similarly, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV) reduces HIV risk but offers no protection against syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia. Infectious disease specialist Astudilla from Entre Ríos emphasizes “combined prevention”: condoms + testing + counseling + sex education + timely treatment.

🔬 Deceptive Symptoms and a Curable Disease

Syphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum and is often called the “silent disease” because it can be asymptomatic for long periods. In its primary stage, a painless chancre (ulcer) appears on genitals, mouth, or anus, then disappears on its own, giving a false sense of recovery. Later symptoms may include skin rashes, fever, swollen lymph nodes, or hair loss. Without treatment, the disease can damage the heart, nervous system, and other organs years later.

The good news: syphilis is curable with penicillin, and early detection makes treatment simple. Rapid tests require just a finger prick, and results are ready in 20 minutes. They are free at public hospitals and health centers nationwide, with no medical prescription required.

🏛️ The Deeper Debate: Policy and Stigma

The surge has reignited discussions about prevention policies. Lic. Verónica López, in an opinion column, warns that the discourse of “returning to morality as state policy” evokes 19th-century hygienism, when syphilis was linked to female prostitution and women were blamed while men were seen as “passive victims.”

Data shows that infection curves drop when there is comprehensive sex education, accessible testing, and free condom distribution, and rise when those programs are defunded. Condom purchases fell from 22.7 million units in 2023 to 4.8 million in 2024 and virtually zero in 2025, according to the cited analysis.

Mendoza's Ministry of Health insists there is no condom shortage and that HPV testing campaigns have been running for four months. In Entre Ríos, Astudilla confirms that “supply of protective items has been normalized for about 6 months.”