If you're a man having sex with other men in Winnipeg, you should know that right now the city is going through a syphilis outbreak.

In the last couple of decades, syphilis has been making a comeback in Canada and around the world. The good news? Nowadays it's easier than ever to get tested and treated. A simple blood test at your health care provider’s office or a walk-in clinic can diagnose syphilis. And if you test positive, syphilis is totally curable with antibiotics.

Last September, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) sounded the alarm that the number of new syphilis cases in a month had doubled from the typical two up to four. This past March, the number of new cases hit twelve. That’s a 600% increase from the norm, and the highest number of new cases in a month since the 1980s.