On the time Gov. Tate Reeves appointed a Flowood neurosurgeon to the State Board of Well being, the physician stated he was dedicated to “sound, science-based coverage.”
However two years later, he has at the very least thrice made dismissive and what different well being consultants see as ill-informed commentary on social media about public well being points.
Reeves appointed Dr. John D. Davis to the State Board of Well being in 2021 to fill the six-year time period of Dr. Ed “Tad” Barham, who had died.
On the time he was appointed, Davis stated he was “dedicated to sound, science-based coverage with environment friendly execution” and appeared ahead to addressing “necessary issues that impression the well being and lives of Mississippians,” in response to a Well being Division press launch.
In a now-deleted tweet, nonetheless, he appeared unconcerned in regards to the rise in Mississippi infants with syphilis.
“It’s not laborious to go a lifetime and by no means contact syphilis. It doesn’t fall out of the sky. And it’s simple to deal with if in case you have intercourse with somebody who has it and provides ot (sic) to you,” he tweeted in response to a Mississippi As we speak story a few 900% improve in congenital syphilis instances within the state.
After Mississippi As we speak reached out to Davis about this and different statements final week, he deleted the tweet and up to date his Twitter bio to state: “All opinions offered are mine alone, they usually shouldn’t be construed as representing every other particular person or group.”
Mississippi now leads the nation in instances of the sexually transmitted an infection. Syphilis may cause miscarriages and loss of life. Youngsters born with the illness can have main malformations and life-long issues.
In 2016, eight infants in Mississippi have been born and hospitalized with syphilis. In 2021, that quantity hit 106, in response to information former State Well being Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs shared primarily based on Well being Division and hospital discharge numbers. Whereas syphilis instances in infants have gone up nationwide, Mississippi’s charge of improve is sort of 5 instances the nationwide common.
A number of messages left with Davis at his workplace in Flowood weren’t returned.
Reeves’ workplace didn’t reply to a request for touch upon Davis’ statements.
The State Board of Well being is an 11-member board that gives coverage path for the well being company.
Dr. Khalil Ghanem, president of the American Sexually Transmitted Ailments Affiliation and a professor of drugs within the division of infectious ailments at Johns Hopkins medical college, shared a response to these tweets with Mississippi As we speak.
“Whereas some individuals do reside their lives with out getting syphilis, others don’t. What these two teams have in widespread is the need to have wholesome youngsters who’re afforded a chance to realize success and happiness of their lives. Sadly, syphilis usually robs the mother and father and their youngsters of those alternatives,” Ghanem, whose experience consists of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted ailments, stated.
“With greater than an 900% improve within the charges of this merciless however utterly preventable an infection, extra youngsters are being robbed of those alternatives and that needs to be deemed unacceptable and insupportable by all members of society who care in regards to the welfare of kids. It’s vital to put money into these youngsters by placing an finish to this mindless and preventable an infection,” he continued.
Ghanem and others additionally level out that syphilis is just not all the time “really easy to deal with,” and many individuals who’ve syphilis should not have signs. In accordance with the Mayo Clinic, individuals could also be contaminated for years with out ever seeing signs.
Throughout being pregnant, Ghanem stated, it’s vital to establish the an infection earlier than the twentieth week of being pregnant for finest safety of the child. If pregnant sufferers aren’t screened and handled early, issues should still come up even with therapy.
Davis expressed an analogous perspective towards HIV: “It’s not tough in any respect to keep away from getting HIV. Does somebody want authorities intervention to reside a protracted life HIV (-)?”
He made the remark in response to a information story in regards to the state of Tennessee rejecting HIV funding from the federal authorities – funds that Mississippi itself accepts.
One of many Well being Division’s major roles is prevention applications for HIV. Additionally it is tasked with illness monitoring and outbreak administration; lab testing for syphilis, TB, and different ailments; and prevention applications for different STDs and communicable ailments.
The Well being Division and the Mississippi Public Well being Affiliation didn’t reply to requests for remark for this story.
Davis has additionally argued with the notion that contraception could be tough to entry for some Mississippians. In response to a tweet citing Sen. Nicole Akins Boyd explaining the issues girls on Medicaid have accessing long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), Davis responded on Feb. 10: “Positive. Whereas we work on bettering entry to longer performing contraception, use the capsule or condoms. ‘I can’t assist it that I received pregnant’ is just not legitimate in 2023 (apart from the lower than 1% that tragically consequence from rape.)”
Contraception drugs are 99% efficient at stopping being pregnant when taken persistently daily. About 9 out of 100 girls who use the capsule have unintended pregnancies yearly, in response to the Cleveland Clinic.
Condoms are 98% efficient when used completely however can leak, tear or come off, leading to lowered effectiveness.
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