In Mongolia, an average of 16,000 people get infected with sexually transmitted diseases each year. Syphilis alone accounts for 40 percent of these incidences. The prevalence of syphilis was stable until 2016 but steadily increased until 2021, reaching a relatively high level compared to other Asian countries. Therefore, doctors are stressing the need to prevent syphilis and provide young people with better sexual health education and information services.

Doctor of the National Center for Communicable Diseases S.Otgonsukh said, “Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial disease, but it is curable. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of asymptomatic and latent syphilis cases among people of reproductive age. About 45 percent are aged 20 to 29. People aged 30 to 34 make up 15 to 18 percent. Unfortunately, up to 50 percent of those registered with syphilis are married or have sex on a regular basis.”

“Among the newly screened pregnant women, 99.1 percent were tested for syphilis and 1.7 percent were tested positive. In particular, 2.3 percent of those tested in Arkhangai Province were infected with syphilis, 1.8 percent in Dundgovi, 2.1 percent in Orkhon, 2.2 percent in Uvs, and 2.6 percent in Khuvsgul, which is 0.1 to 0.9 percent higher than the national average,” he noted