Metrics details. Congenital syphilis is completely preventable through screening and treatment, but rates have been rising in the United States. Certain areas are at particularly high risk. We aimed to assess attitudes, knowledge, and barriers around effective prevention of congenital syphilis among health care providers and community women potentially at risk. Two parallel studies were conducted: in-depth interviews with health care providers and focus groups with community women in the area of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Each group was questioned about their experience in providing or seeking prenatal care, knowledge and attitudes about congenital syphilis, sources of information on testing and treatment, perceptions of risk, standards of and barriers to treatment. Providers identified delays in testing and care, lack of follow-through with partner testing, and need for community connection for prevention, as major contributors to higher rates of congenital syphilis.
Women identified difficulties in accessing Medicaid contributing to delayed start of prenatal care, lack of transportation for prenatal care, and lack of knowledge about testing and prevention for congenital syphilis. Providers and community members were in broad agreement about factors contributing to higher rates of congenital syphilis, although some aspects were emphasized more by one group or another.
Evidence-based interventions, likely at multiple levels, need to be tested and implemented to eliminate congenital syphilis. Peer Review reports. A dramatic increase in congenital syphilis was documented between and in all regions of the U. Theoretically, prevention of congenital syphilis is relatively simple and inexpensive. Screening all pregnant women for syphilis during antenatal care is feasible and the condition is treatable with antibiotics.
In reality, however, barriers arise at the community, provider, program, and policy levels Fig. Women with limited health insurance or with substance use issues are at increased risk for inadequate prenatal care. Many cases of congenital syphilis result from lack of screening or screening and treatment too late for prevention of maternal-to-child transmission. Congenital syphilis prevention cascade to identify linkage and retention gaps in high-risk pregnancy.
