research in health economics The availability of HIV treatment in the late 1990s dramatically improved survival rates, but also contributed to the resurgence of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis.
Through a statistical analysis of information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and pharmaceutical industry sales data, researchers found that U.S. states with high AIDS prevalence saw significant increases in syphilis since highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) became widely available. These increases have been concentrated among men, while the proportion of women continues to decline. This suggests that changes in sexual behavior associated with lower perceived risk of HIV have broader public health implications.
Data shows that without HAART, syphilis cases would have declined by 81% between 1996 and 2008.
At a time when syphilis cases are at a 60-year high, these findings provide timely insights into how lifesaving innovations are reshaping people’s behavior and highlighting the need for complementary public health strategies. ”
Dr. David Beheshti, corresponding author, University of Texas at San Antonio
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Reference magazines:
Beheshti, D. Others. (2026). An unintended consequence of a life-saving drug innovation: How HAART led to a resurgence of syphilis. health economics. DOI: 10.1002/hec.70100. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hec.70100
