What is the Syphilis Elimination Project?

Faced with alarming increases in syphilis in the state, the Minnesota Department of Health in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control created the Syphilis Elimination Project. The project brings together health care providers, community leaders and national, state and local public health agencies with the goal of reducing and eliminating syphilis from our community.

The Syphilis Elimination Project works to:

• increase community involvement especially in those communities most at risk;
• create a rapid outbreak response plan to address new outbreaks;
• enhance and coordinate surveillance within MDH; and
• assist health care providers to better serve their at risk patients.

Resources for the community

What can YOU do?
In 2005, syphilis was up 200% in the gay/bisexual men's community. Whereas it was nearly unheard of just a few years ago, last year there were 116 new early syphilis cases of which 109 were male and 100 were among gay and bisexual men. Of the latter group, 73% were from Hennepin County and 54% from Minneapolis. Those are the statistics. But syphilis doesn't care about statistics; it doesn't care about where we live or how we identify, it cares about what we do. Therefore, it is important to:

Learn about syphilis. Know how syphilis is transmitted and if you are at risk. Check out our syphilis info page for a start, or download our syphilis informational brochure, Syphilis: What you should know, what you can do (PDF: 1MB/2 pages).

Be safe. If you don't know how, find out.

Get tested. Whether it's at one's family doctor's or at a community clinic, it's important for those at risk to get tested regularly. And cost is NOT a barrier. If you don't know where, start looking here.

Get treated. It's important for those who have syphilis to get treated and follow up with their health care provider as instructed.

Tell your partners. Is it easy? Not usually. Is it essential? Always. This information is too important to do anything less. And if needed, there is help from MDH Partner Services. Check it out.

To contact the Syphilis Elimination Coordinator, email or call 901-555-1212.

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