The latest report CIIPS PulseThe report, prepared by the Center for Implementation and Innovation in Health Policies (CIIPS) of the Institute for Clinical and Health Effectiveness (IECS), analyzes the sharp increase in syphilis cases in Argentina and warns about persistent gaps in prevention, access to the health system and risk perception.
In 2024 there were more than 36.000 reported diagnoses and 46.613 confirmed in 2025, which means there were 71% more infections that the average number of cases between 2020 and 2024, according to the National Epidemiological Bulletin.
CIIPS Pulse It highlights that three out of every four new cases are in people under 40, with a particularly strong impact on adolescents and young adults. Furthermore, it emphasizes that this phenomenon cannot be explained by a single cause or addressed solely through the healthcare system, but rather requires a comprehensive approach.
What is syphilis and what is causing the increase in cases?
Syphilis is a preventable infection, easily diagnosed and treated effectively at low cost. Its persistence and increase expose structural flaws in prevention, access, and the organization of the healthcare system. At the same time, a decline in individual and social behaviors related to risk prevention is observed.
The increase in cases is due to several factors:
Persistent inequalities in access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment
Access to diagnosis and treatment is not evenly distributed across the region or the country. There are still populations that, for various reasons (territorial, cultural, social, etc.), face barriers to accessing the healthcare system. For example, some countries in the region have experienced penicillin shortages (such as Ecuador, Honduras, and Paraguay).
Lower perception of risk
Factors related to restrictions on comprehensive sex education, the improvement in quality of life associated with chronic treatments for some STIs, and the wide variety of contraceptive methods have caused, as an unintentional effect, a decrease in the perception of risk regarding unprotected sex, especially among young people.
Changes in sexual behavior
There is a global trend, also reflected in our country, involving the abandonment of condom use among adolescents. International organizations warn of a sustained decline in condom use as a barrier method for preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly among adolescents and young adults. Data from the international study Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC), coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), show that between 2014 and 2022, condom use during the last sexual encounter decreased from 70% to 61% in adolescent males and from 63% to 57% in adolescent females in multiple countries, revealing a worrying trend globally. This phenomenon is associated with a higher risk of STI transmission.
While these data do not specifically correspond to Argentina, they reflect an international trend that is also observed in the country, where there is also the reduction in the supply and availability of condoms by the programs of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, such as the discontinuation of the ENIA Plan.
This is not about stigmatizing adolescents and young people. It's about recognizing a multi-causal problem and strengthening public policies for prevention, communication, and care.
To learn more about syphilis diagnosis, treatment, and healthcare system barriers, access the full CIIPS Pulse report available at this link.