Public health campaign targets spread of syphilis

Knowledge about sexual health — or simply an eagerness to learn — earned some lucky Iqaluit shoppers prizes Friday afternoon, as Nunavut public health staff installed a live pop-up game show in Northmart’s lobby.

Territorial sexual health program officer Shawna Kyak spins the sexual health trivia wheel at Northmart in Iqaluit on Friday afternoon. (Photo by Daron Letts)

A spin of their tire-sized “sexual health trivia wheel” revealed skill-testing questions about birth control, navigating intimate relationships, and sexually transmitted infections.

By day’s end, more than 600 customers had taken a spin and entered their names to win prizes, including a children’s bike, said Shawna Kyak, a territorial sexual health program officer.

Kyak ensured everyone had a chance to leave with condoms and dental dams, along with educational handouts for parents and youths.

Nunavut’s public health department is targeting syphilis because there has been a resurgence of it among sexually transmitted infections, she said.

“The reason we’re focusing on syphilis is that this is a disease that, up to a little bit more than a decade ago, had become very rare in Canada,” said Dr. André Corriveau, Nunavut’s acting chief public health officer, in a video call Zoom call Monday.

“There’s been a big, continuing increase, especially after the COVID pandemic.”

The disease is easily treated with antibiotics when detected early, but can lead to dementia and organ damage if ignored and untreated.

“It can cause some very serious damage,” Corriveau said.

Syphilis commonly shows up as lesions on the genitals, which can be painless and harder to identify in women. These open sores open the way for other sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV, to more easily enter the body, he said.

Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic — between 2023 and 2025 — 393 syphilis infections were recorded in Nunavut, including 89 syphilis re-infections and fewer than 10 probable cases of early congenital syphilis, in which newborns contracted the disease from a mother with a syphilis infection.

Most cases during this period were found in patients between the ages of 30 and 59, Corriveau said.

Among those who were 40 or older, the majority of patients are male. Among those aged 15 to 39, most are female, he said.

In addition to practising safe sex by using condoms, female condoms, and dental dams, Nunavummiut can reduce their risk by establishing personal well-being and building relationships based on mutual trust and respect, Corriveau said.

Nunavummiut who want to get tested for syphilis can visit their local health clinic or contact public health.