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Syphilis rates surged by an alarming degree in 2021 amid an overall increase in cases of sexually transmitted infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday. There was a 32% increase in combined stages of syphilis between 2020 and 2021, the CDC said. Cases of congenital syphilis, which happens when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to her baby during pregnancy, also rose by 32%. The spike resulted in 220 stillbirths and infant deaths. (Chasan, 4/11)

U.S. health officials released data Tuesday showing how chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases have been accelerating, but doctors are hoping an old drug will help fight the sexually transmitted infections. Experts believe STDs have been rising because of declining condom use, inadequate sex education and reduced testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Stobbe, 4/11)

On Jan. 1, a law intended to safeguard the more than 1.5 million Americans with a sesame allergy — including the McDermott and Tibbs children (and, full disclosure, my son as well) — took effect. The law mandates, among other things, careful cleaning to prevent cross-contact between food products with and without sesame. In a twist few would have expected, however, many food companies have chosen to add small amounts of sesame flour to products that were previously sesame-free, instead of conducting the careful cleaning required for foods without sesame. (Weese, 4/11)

Perhaps you’ve heard that you should take 10,000 steps every day for your health. But that’s not actually a hard-and-fast rule. Research is finding that you might be able to take fewer steps as you age and still get serious benefits. If you’re over age 60, for example, you might be able to cut a 10,000-step goal by almost half and stay healthy. “There is no single magic number,” says Amanda Paluch, a physical activity researcher and assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. (Stanten, 4/10)

But emergency medicine specialists are divided on whether it makes sense for anyone to buy one. For one, there is the expense — the devices often cost more than $1,000, making them far less affordable to the average person than home medical devices like a blood pressure monitor or a pulse oximeter. While there are efforts to develop cheaper A.E.D.s, they are still underway, according to Monica Sales, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. The price is not the only thing that gives some specialists pause. The odds are so stacked against a dramatic save that it has proved impossible to show that personal A.E.D.’s make a difference. (Kolata, 4/11)