[이데일리 신나리 인턴기자] As the number of people infected with monkey smallpox recently surpassed 1,000 worldwide, concerns regarding some sexually transmitted diseases, such as herpes and syphilis, with similar symptoms are growing. While the number of syphilis patients is rapidly increasing in neighboring Japan, the number of patients treated at hospitals for syphilis in Korea has also been increasing over the past three years.
◆ Are men more susceptible to syphilis than women?
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of early syphilis patients, including the number of outpatients and inpatients, over the past five years, has been more male than female every year. In 2017, there were 1661 more male patients than female patients, 1951 more in 2018, 1948 in 2019, 2387 in 2020, and 2563 more in 2021.
There were also differences between men and women who visited the hospital for a ‘test’ rather than a confirmation. In 2017, 1,026 men and 5,668 women visited the hospital for ‘syphilis’ in the last 5 years. From 2018 to the latest 2021, it was calculated that there was a difference of regarding 5,000 people, maintaining 8,000 to 10,000 males and 4,000 to 5000 females for all age groups every year.
How regarding this article?
However, experts say that there is no significant difference in the statistics of syphilis disease between men and women. Lee Yun-su, Myeong-dong Urology Director Lee Yun-su and Jo Seong-wan said, “It is not true that men are more susceptible to syphilis than women. can,” he analyzed.
◆ The reason why there are so many early syphilis patients in their 20s…
The number of early syphilis patients by age was the highest in their 20s. Of the 6851 patients with early syphilis last year, 2,598 were men and women in their 20s, accounting for 38.3% of all cases. Statistics for the past five years also accounted for 37.9% in 2017, 38.2% in 2018, 38.5% in 2019, and 37.0% in 2020, with people in their 20s taking the top spot.
Regarding the reason why the proportion of early syphilis patients in their twenties is large, Lee Yoon-soo, director of Myeong-dong Lee Yun-su and Jo Seong-wan urology department, analyzed, “The biggest reason is the increase in the influx of foreigners due to the liberalization of travel and the freedom of sexuality among people in their twenties.” .
On the other hand, as a result of counting the difference in the number of early syphilis patients by month for the past five years, from 2017 to 2021, the number was the lowest in the winter of December-February and the largest in the summer of July-August in the previous year. Regarding this, Yunsoo Lee, director of urology department of Myeong-dong Yunsu Lee and Seongwan Cho said, “Rather than seasonal factors, the number of trips in hot summer is higher than in cold winter, so it can affect the count.”
