The Northwestern Health Unit says it’s tracking an increase in the number of syphilis cases in the City of Kenora.
Gillian Lunny is the manager of Sexual Health and Harm Reduction and says while the incidents of STI’s are higher in this region, the recent spike in syphilis cases is very specific to the city.
She says, unfortunately, symptoms of the sexually transmitted disease aren’t always obvious.
“Because the symptoms can be difficult to identify if you get any, we’re encouraging people to look instead look a little more at their potential risk factors. And if they do have unprotected sex with multiple partners or STI’s in the past, it’s a good idea to get tested.”
Lunny says syphilis can be treated with antibiotics if it’s treated early, but it can cause severe and irreversible damage is left untreated.