A new campaign is calling on sexually active people, especially rangatahi and wāhine Māori, to make STI screening a regular part of their health checks.

It follows a 45 percent rise in syphilis cases since 2022, with wāhine Māori increasingly affected.

Last year alone, six babies were born with congenital syphilis, more than double the year before.

Māori sexual health nurse Tiahn Beuth-Pukepuke says normalising STI checks within Māori communities, particularly for hapū wāhine, is vital to preventing further cases.

“A lot of these māmā don’t know they have syphilis until you know they’re 39 Weeks Pregnant, preparing and waiting for their pēpi’s arrival, birthing their baby, and you know, not knowing if their baby’s going to survive because of this unknown infection. And this is the reality, and this is what’s happening with our unborn pēpi and māmā, so we need to really ensure that we are, you know, seeking our prenatal screening and that we’re supporting as whanau, our pregnant māmā,” says Beyth-Pukepuke.

Testing is available through Auckland Sexual Health Services.