The syphilis epidemic in Japan is something that has featured on this blog countless times. Just last year, we wrote about its alarming further growth. We wish we had something more positive to share with readers, but the news just keeps getting worse. The total number of cases in 2023 has already exceeded 10,000 -- the fastest time this has ever occurred. Medical experts are advising people to get tested even if they exhibit no symptoms in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. Cases hit 10,103 on September 3, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. That is a ...

The growing problem of syphilis in Japan is not new: we've been writing about it for years now. But it simples that it won't get better any time soon. Just when you think cases can't rise anymore or that the coronavirus pandemic would at least slow its relentless spread, along comes the latest batch of statistics to prove you wrong. We are only a quarter of the way through the year but number of cases of syphilis in Japan is already up yet again, reports the Mainichi. Compared to the same period last year -- whose overall figure reached a record high -- the number of syphilis cases has ...

Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases announced the grim news on December 14 that cases of syphilis were at a historic high in the country. This year's number of reported syphilis cases hit 7,134 from January to December 5. The number is the highest since measurements began. Syphilis is increasing nationwide, though Tokyo, Osaka, and surrounding areas saw a particular surge in reported cases: Tokyo led the pack with 2,226 cases, followed by Osaka with 761 and Aichi with 379. In terms of per-population rates, though, the rural prefectures of Kochi, Okayama, and Miyazaki had the ...

Omotenashi indeed. Japan is still losing the fight against sexually transmitted diseases and infections, it seems, judging from the last syphilis figures that were announced at the start of the year. In an uncanny, somewhat depressing repetition of a similar report from January last year, the syphilis epidemic shows no signs of slowing. In fact, it's getting worse. The number of syphilis patients reported in 2017 topped 5,000 -- the first time it had hit such a level since records began. The National Institute of Infectious Diseases has revealed that 2017 featured the worst data ...

Once again we have an alarming announcement from Japan's health ministry that the number of syphilis patients in Japan has gone up. This has become a regular news item of late, prompting the ministry to launch a special team to investigate ways to combat the spread of sexually transmitted infections and diseases. Hospital data from across Japan reports that the number of syphilis patients totaled 4,259 in early December, which is an big increase of 77% from 2,412 in the corresponding period in 2015, and more than seven-fold from a decade ago. It seems that current efforts to ...

How do you get people to have safe sex? Well, don't trust the guys to fulfil their end of the bargain, it seems. Instead, get the girls to insist on protection. And communicate to them using their favorite manga characters. That seems to be the logic behind the latest safe sex campaign in the sexually transmitted infection heaven that is Japan. Sailor Moon, the manga and anime series popular with girls and young women, has inspired its own series of contraception. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has launched a campaign fronted by Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon heroines to ...

Once again we have bad news about Japan and sexually transmitted diseases. Syphilis cases have jumped yet again, this time increasing by over 2,000 in less than a year. The number of cases logged between January 1st and October 28th is 2,037 -- already more than 2014's record 1,617. 1,463 of the cases were male, while 574 were female. There has been a 2.1 increase in the number of women contracting syphilis through heterosexual contact. The increase especially affected women aged between 15 and 35, and between 20 and 24. Ladies, protect yourselves! Japan is a land ...