In a follow up report late last year on this website concerning the rise of syphilis in Japan, officials say the syphilis issue in the country remains high, in fact, the number for the first quarter of 2016 (796) is double last year’s number for the same period.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

The Japan Times reports the number of new syphilis cases stood at 350 in Tokyo, up 240 percent on the same period last year; 100 in Osaka, up 230 percent; and 37 in Aichi, up 260 percent.

Men ages 40-44 and women ages 20-24 comprise the bulk of the new cases.

LISTEN: Talk Radio: Compensating Living Kidney Donors and a syphilis primer

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that is spread by direct, skin to skin contact during unprotected sex. Pregnant women who are infected can transmit it to their unborn babies.

Related: 

Japan Image/CIA
Japan
Image/CIA