What We're Reading: Syphilis Rates Rising; House Democrats and ACA Suit; WHO to Look at Gene Editing

Spike in Syphilis Rates Being Fueled by Drug Use

Drug use is fueling record-high syphilis rates around the nation, a CDC report said. The report shows a large intersection between drug use and syphilis among women and heterosexual men. In those groups, reported use of methamphetamine, heroin, and other injection drugs more than doubled from 2013 to 2017, Kaiser Health News reported.

House Democrats Allowed to Defend ACA in Federal Lawsuit

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is allowing House Democrats to defend the Affordable Care Act in a lawsuit that challenges the law’s constitutionality, Politico reported. Democrats voted last month to intervene in the lawsuit. The court also approved requests from 4 states (Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, and Nevada) to join the defense being mounted by a list of blue states.

WHO to Develop Global Standards for Gene Editing Oversight

The World Health Organization is convening an expert meeting in March to develop global standards for the governance and oversight of human gene editing, the Associated Press reported. The panel will examine the scientific, ethical, social, and legal challenges. Last fall, Chinese researcher He Jiankui claimed he altered the DNA of twin girls to make them resistant to HIV, in a move criticized by many scientists.