When a drip becomes a flood: The rate of infection for syphilis in Guangdong Province is 1.5 times the national average in China, reports the Guangzhou Daily.

Fifty-one out of 100,000 Guangdong residents had syphilis in 2012, according to data accumulated by the Guangdong provincial syphilis monitoring system. Yang Bin, director of the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Dermatology, said infection rates for sexually transmitted diseases including syphilis in Guangdong have skyrocketed because of a greater mobility of people.

Safe sex practices such as condom use can greatly reduce the risk of getting infected with syphilis and other sexually-transmitted diseases.

Be safe out there.

Photo: Berg Properties, Daily Mail, wikipedia