Mississippi leads the nation in the rates of sexually transmitted diseases, and one is in the spotlight because the state is working to stop the spread, particularly from mom to baby.

Overall, Invigor Medical ranked Mississippi No. 2 in the nation for total STD cases per 100,000 people. Louisiana took the No. 1 spot in the analysis, which used data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information from 2023 is the most recent report available.

Syphilis , though not the most common STD in the Magnolia State, is the focus of new health programs and messaging to stop the spread. The number of babies who caught an infection from their mothers during pregnancy sharply spiked over a few years.

"It is a nationwide epidemic," Kayla Stover, professor and vice chair

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