Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Mar 1;49(3):190-196.
doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001571.

Syphilis in Greenland, 2015 to 2019

Marianne Welzel Andersen  1 , Mila Broby Johansen  2 , Karen Bjorn-Mortensen, Michael Lynge Pedersen, Jørgen Skov Jensen  3 , Anders Koch
Affiliations

Syphilis in Greenland, 2015 to 2019

Marianne Welzel Andersen et al. Sex Transm Dis. .

Abstract

Background: An increase in the incidence of syphilis was reported in Greenland from 2011 to 2014, and notification rates kept rising in the following years in spite of focused efforts. To better understand the syphilis epidemic, this study was conducted to describe the syphilis epidemic in Greenland from 2015 to 2019.

Methods: Syphilis cases and their characteristics were identified through reviews of electronic medical records and laboratory results in 3 different data sets: notifications to the National Board of Health, electronic prescriptions for benzathine penicillin, and the national laboratory database. Annual incidences were calculated stratified by sex, age, and region.

Results: The incidence of syphilis in Greenland increased from 107.4 to 246.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants from 2015 to 2019. The incidence increased in both sexes and in nearly all regions, although with large regional differences. Especially the age group 15 to 29 years showed a substantial increase in incidence in 2018 and 2019. More females than males were infected (245 female cases vs. 178 male cases).

Conclusions: The burden of syphilis in Greenland is high, primarily among the age group 15 to 29 years. A higher incidence among females than among males was found, suggesting mainly heterosexual transmission, as seen for other sexually transmitted infections in Greenland.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest and Sources of Funding: No potential conflict of interest relevant for this study is reported by the authors.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Healthcare regions in Greenland. In this study, Sermersooq West: Nuuk, Paamiut, and adjacent settlements and Sermersooq East: Tasiilaq, Ittoqortoormiit, and adjacent settlements.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Five-year incidence of syphilis per 100,000 inhabitants by age and sex in Greenland, 2015 to 2019.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Annual incidence of syphilis per 100,000 inhabitants by age in Greenland, 2015 to 2019.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. From E. Some aspects of venereal diseases in Greenland. Sex Transm Infect 1980; 56:65–68. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Misfeldt JC. Dramatic decline in the incidence of gonorrhea and syphilis in Greenland—result of an intervention strategy? Ugeskr Laeger 1994; 156:4690–4694. [In Danish]. - PubMed
    1. Statistics Greenland . Greenland in figures 2005 (Statistics Greenland Web Site). Available at: https://stat.gl/publ/en/GF/2005/content/Greenland%20in%20Figures%202005.pdf. Accessed November 27, 2020.
    1. Berntsen S Karlsen APH Pedersen ML, et al. . Gonorrhoea in Greenland, incidence and previous preventive measures: A review to improve future strategies. Int J Circumpolar Health 2017; 76:1350092. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Albertsen N, Mulvad G, Pedersen ML. Incidence of syphilis in Greenland 2010–2014: The beginning of a new epidemic? Int J Circumpolar Health 2015; 74:28378. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances