New York State Department of Health Establishes Nation’s First Syphilis During Pregnancy Awareness Day
Governor Hochul Issues Proclamation Declaring August 25, 2025, as Syphilis During Pregnancy Awareness Day
Landmarks to be Illuminated Magenta and White on the Evening of August 25
New York State is First in Nation to Declare a Syphilis During Pregnancy Awareness Day
Testing for and Treating Syphilis During Pregnancy is the Best Way to Eliminate Congenital Syphilis in Infants
ALBANY, N.Y. (August 25, 2025) – The New York State Department of Health is reinforcing its commitment to eliminating syphilis during pregnancy and congenital syphilis in recognition of the inaugural Syphilis During Pregnancy Awareness Day, which will occur annually on the fourth Monday in August. Governor Hochul signed a proclamation declaring August 25, 2025, as Syphilis During Pregnancy Awareness Day as a powerful reminder to New Yorkers about the importance of prevention, detection and treatment to improve health outcomes for pregnant persons and their infants.
New York is the first state in the nation to declare a Syphilis During Pregnancy Awareness Day. To raise awareness about congenital syphilis and promote the prevention and treatment options, landmarks will be lit magenta and white this evening across New York.
"Congenital syphilis is an entirely preventable and treatable illness and with the support of Governor Hochul's proclamation and tonight's landmark illumination, we are shining a light on the importance of preventing syphilis broadly and eliminating congenital syphilis in New York State," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "I encourage everyone on this inaugural Syphilis During Pregnancy Awareness Day to join us in spreading the word about congenital syphilis prevention, testing and treatment to prevent infant deaths or lifelong health complications."
Congenital syphilis occurs when syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), is passed from a pregnant person to an infant. Untreated syphilis during pregnancy (regardless of disease stage) may be transmitted from the pregnant person to the unborn child. Without adequate treatment, this can lead to catastrophic outcomes to the unborn child or infant including stillbirth, neonatal death and severe physical or neurological complications.
In recent years, New York State has seen a concerning increase in cases. The Department recently announced the third presumed syphilis-related infant death in 2025 among counties outside of New York City, marking the 21st congenital syphilis case reported among counties outside of New York City so far this year.
These cases – and the entirely preventable infant deaths among them – continue a concerning trend in rising cases, underscoring the urgent need for strengthening efforts to prevent syphilis transmission broadly through increased awareness, routine testing and timely treatment.
Therefore, on the evening of August 25, landmarks and buildings across New York State will be illuminated in magenta and white in a symbolic effort to raise awareness about congenital syphilis prevention. The Department encourages healthcare providers, community-based organizations and residents to act by learning more about syphilis screening and promoting awareness.
Join the Department and New York State in shining a light on this critical issue and ensuring every pregnancy is protected.
Landmarks to be lit include:
- 1WTC
- Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
- Kosciuszko Bridge
- The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
- Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
- Empire State Plaza
- State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
- Niagara Falls
- The "Franklin D. Roosevelt" Mid-Hudson Bridge
- Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
- Albany International Airport Gateway
- MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
- Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
- Moynihan Train Hall
- Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park
The rising number of congenital syphilis diagnoses and related infant deaths highlights the critical need for providers to appropriately screen for syphilis throughout an individual's pregnancy. Effective May 3, 2024, Public Health Law was amended to require syphilis screening in the third trimester, mandating providers to test pregnant people for syphilis a total of three times: at the first prenatal care exam, between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy (third trimester) and again at delivery. Testing and treatment for the sexual partner(s) of the pregnant person also needs to be prioritized to avert re-infection of pregnant persons.
Penicillin is the first-choice treatment for every stage of syphilis and usually cures the infection thereby averting these life-threatening events, however there is currently a national shortage.
To address the current national shortage of penicillin, New York State has advised health care providers to reserve long acting bicillin for treating syphilis in pregnant people and infants. For other conditions that typically require a long-acting penicillin, providers have been advised to pursue alternative treatments. These ongoing shortages underscore the critical need to ensure adequate treatment options are available for pregnant persons so that hard-earned progress in disease intervention is not compromised.
In an effort to provide New Yorkers with more options for testing, diagnosis, and treatment of syphilis, we are promoting the availability of self collection- or at-home sexually transmitted infection tests and rapid point-of-care screenings for hospitals and clinics.
The Department has developed and launched the Syphilis During Pregnancy/Congenital Syphilis Landing Page which includes important information on syphilis for patients and providers.
Additionally, in February, the Department released a first-in-the-nation New York State Congenital Syphilis Elimination Framework to provide recommendations for the elimination of congenital syphilis in New York State.
Learn more about congenital syphilis here.
