 In 2013 syphilis infected about 315 @,@ 000 people . During 2010 it caused about 113 @,@ 000 deaths down from 202 @,@ 000 in 1990 . After decreasing dramatically with the availability of penicillin in the 1940s , rates of infection have increased since the turn of the millennium in many countries , often in combination with human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ) . This is believed to be partly due to increased promiscuity , prostitution , decreasing use of condoms , and unsafe sexual practices among men who have sex with men . In 2015 , Cuba became the first country in the world to eliminate mother @-@ to @-@ child transmission of syphilis . 
