What Was Up With the Syphilis Billboards?
We get it! We get it! There were a lot of syphilis billboards around town. It led to many questions and speculations and a lot of discussion. Guess what. That’s exactly why they were there! So, let’s answer a few common questions.
Why were there so many syphilis billboards around town?
Billboards are an effective way to increase awareness and educate our entire community on the symptoms and how to get treatment. Cases of syphilis in the U.S. have reached their highest levels since the 1950s, and, heartbreakingly, cases of syphilis among newborns have gone up more than tenfold in the U.S. over the past 10 years. Already this year, more infants in Spokane County have been born with syphilis than in the previous two years combined. If the baby is born alive, they can have significant, irreversible damage. Syphilis is a disease that can go unnoticed which is why it is so important for people to realize the importance of getting tested so they can receive treatment and be cured.
Why did you have to use images of people with symptoms, especially when kids are seeing them?
We did consider who would be seeing the billboards, so we made the images as clinical as possible, but still informative. Raising awareness of syphilis and congenital syphilis and what individuals, clinicians, and organizations can do to reduce it is a public health priority. We had to weigh the message's importance with the potential for discomfort and act.
Why were there so many in my neighborhood?
The billboards were all over Greater Spokane with no intention of focusing on any neighborhood. The goal was to have them spread out for as many people to see as possible. Unfortunately, in Spokane County, syphilis has become a public health threat among many demographics – all income levels, ages, genders, and sexual orientations. Billboards are an effective way to increase awareness and educate our entire community on the symptoms and how to get treatment. This is also not an issue specific to Spokane County. Syphilis rates are rising across the country and many other cities have similar campaigns.
We hope that these billboards will encourage conversations about syphilis so that people are tested and treated sooner – before the more serious health effects take place such as vision loss, hearing loss, paralysis, and death. Better yet, we hope that people will take the precautions necessary to prevent ever contracting syphilis in the first place.