Congenital syphilis has been on the rise since 2001, with a sharp increase in 2014 across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although many may not think of syphilis as current public health problem, this is still a very real threat to mothers and their unborn children. Recently awarded a $150,000 grant to further study the underlying causes of this outbreak, Jennifer Wagman, PhD, an assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine, discusses some thoughts on why we might be seeing a rise in congenital syphilis and what steps can be taken to help combat this epidemic.