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• Kightlinger said most of the past syphilis infections came from outside South Dakota.
• "Now it's homegrown syphilis in the state," he said.
• Physicians and other health care providers are hoping to quash the trend. Physicians, medical students and residents gathered in Sioux Falls Wednesday for a presentation on "Syphilis 2014: The Great Imitator Returns."
• Dr. Donna Sweet is a professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and spoke at the Sioux Falls event. She said that syphilis rates across the nation have doubled since 2000.
• She said the infection is called the "great imitator" because its symptoms can be confused with other STDs or other problems affecting the heart, eyes and neurological system.
• She said the increase in syphilis cases is related to the increase in HIV cases in the state, because people with HIV are more susceptible to syphilis.
• "You're going to see more of all the sexually transmitted diseases," Sweet said. "They're all co-travelers."
• Sweet attributes the rise in STD rates to travel, drug use and misperceptions that oral sex is harmless or STDs are only found in big cities.
• Allie Luoma, a nurse and nurse coordinator for a family planning clinic on the South Dakota State University campus, has seen an increase in STDs among college students and patients from the community.
• "Even if it's not happening to you, it might be happening to someone close to you," Luoma said.
• She and the wellness coordinator at SDSU are seeking a grant to bring in speakers for a "sex ed boot camp."
• Her office puts out information on STD rates and symptoms, encouraging students to get tested. She said students can access free condoms on campus.
• The President of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse and the Alpha Center in Sioux Falls, Leslee Unruh, said her program educates young people about the risks of sexual activity.
• "We don't feel that latex is the protector," Unruh said in reference to condoms.
• She said kids have been learning about condoms for years, and still the STD rates rise. She blames the prevalence of STDs on a social "hook-up culture" in which it's socially acceptable for people to have casual sexual encounters.
• "It's pretty scary," Unruh said. "If you have sex with someone, you're putting yourself at risk."
• Kightlinger said once syphilis is under control, the state can keep it that way. Disease intervention specialists and other professionals across the state will continue

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