Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. It is transmitted through direct contact with a syphilis sore, known as a chancre. The primary stage typically begins 2–6 weeks after exposure with the appearance of a chancre, which may heal without treatment. However, untreated syphilis can progress to the secondary stage, often marked by a body-wide rash, and then to latent and late stages. Late-stage syphilis can lead to severe health complications, including organ damage, paralysis, blindness, dementia, and even death. In pregnant women, syphilis can cause miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, or serious complications for the newborn such as deafness, seizures, or cataracts.

This statistic is expressed as a rate per 100,000 population, based on reported cases in a single year. Zip code level data calculations were performed by the Tulsa Health Department (THD) using raw data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), Center for Health Statistics (CHS), Health Care Information (HCI), with population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau (census.gov).