Syphilis cases are surging across Queensland with a 25 per cent rise in the last year alone, prompting the state government to intervene.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has announced a five-year action plan backed by an initial funding boost of $1 million to slow the spread of the disease.
Data shows there were 1367 cases of the sexually transmitted infection reported in 2023 compared to just 200 cases in 2008.
In the past two months alone, 132 cases have been reported.
Syphilis is curable if identified but can cause serious health risks if left untreated.
"If there's one thing you don't want to be giving your partner this Valentine's Day, it's syphilis," Ms Fentiman told parliament on Wednesday.
It's not just sexually active adults who can contract syphilis, with the disease also able to be spread congenitally - passed to a baby during pregnancy.
The spread from mum to baby can result in miscarriages, stillbirths and serious health problems.
The government's five-year action plan aims to eliminate congenital syphilis by 2028.
There were five Queensland cases of congenital syphilis in 2023 with one recorded so far this year.
The funding will go towards educational resources, strengthening regional contract tracing and notification services, establishing dedicated healthcare positions that support women at risk during pregnancy.
It's not just Queensland that has suffered a rise in syphilis.
In 2022, the number of cases doubled across Australia compared to 2015 - especially among women, First Nations people and gay and bisexual men.
Syphilis often does not present symptoms, but can be identified through regular sexual health testing.
Other indicators are fever, chancre ulcers on the genitals, rashes and lesions.
Ms Fentiman unveiled the plan on Wednesday after posing a question to parliament - what do composer Ludwig van Beethoven, gangster Al Capone and poet Oscar Wilde have in common?
The answer: all three men are suspected of dying of syphilis.
Ms Fentiman said syphilis treatment was far more simpler these days, with penicillin now used instead of mercury.
Meanwhile, Queensland has been ranked as the best in the country for elective surgery and treating patients at clinically recommended times, according to the Report on Government Services by the Productivity Commission.
Queensland also has the best ambulance response times in relation to state size and scale.
Emergency department wait times are the second best in the country, trailing only Western Australia.
