Japan's Syphilis Patients Surpass 10,000 for the First Time... Cause Linked to SNS and Dating Apps?

Record High in 23 Years... Over 2,000 More Than Last Year's Total Already in October
Medical Professionals Urge "Refrain from Promiscuous Sexual Relations and Seek Medical Care Promptly"

On the evening of October 31, Shibuya Scramble Crossing, a bustling area in Tokyo, Japan. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Experts have begun analyzing the surge in syphilis cases in Japan following a recent investigation. According to local media reports such as NHK and Kyodo News on the 1st, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases announced that the cumulative number of confirmed syphilis cases from January 1 to October 23 this year reached 10,141. This is the first time since the syphilis-related statistics began in 1999 that the number has exceeded 10,000. The Institute stated that the number of infected individuals is 1.7 times higher than at the same time last year, indicating a rapid increase in patients.

According to data from the Institute of Infectious Diseases, as of the 2nd of last month, there were 6,167 male and 3,144 female syphilis patients in Japan. By age group, those in their 20s and 30s accounted for 75%. Among women, those in their early 20s were the most numerous, while among men, the proportion of those in their 30s and 40s was higher than those in their 20s.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, which belongs to the spirochete family. It is mainly transmitted through sexual contact. The primary symptom of syphilis is skin ulcers, which can later spread to skin rashes and other manifestations.

Even if infected, symptoms may be absent or may appear and then quickly disappear, making it common for individuals to be unaware they have contracted the disease. Missing the treatment window and leaving it untreated can lead to serious symptoms in the brain or heart. Especially in pregnant women, it can result in stillbirth or miscarriage, and various symptoms may appear in the newborn.

Syphilis spread widely in Japan during the 1940s to 1960s, but after the invention of antibiotics, the number of patients significantly decreased to fewer than 1,000 annually. However, syphilis cases in Japan began to surge from the mid-2010s. The year 2013, when syphilis cases started to increase significantly, coincided with the second Abe Shinzo cabinet aggressively promoting tourism, leading some to attribute the rise to an increase in foreign tourists. However, this hypothesis has lost credibility as cases have surged even after the onset of COVID-19.

Some Japanese media have pointed to the use of entertainment establishments and sexual activity with unspecified multiple partners through social networking services (SNS) or matching applications (apps) as the background for the rapid increase in syphilis cases. Japanese medical professionals emphasize that syphilis is a disease with an established treatment method and urge people to avoid sexual contact with unspecified multiple partners to prevent the disease and to promptly visit a hospital if symptoms are suspected.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.