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Congenital syphilis is preventable

Syphilis in pregnant women can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or the baby’s death shortly after birth. Approximately 40% of babies born to women with untreated syphilis are stillborn or die from the infection as a newborn. Babies born with congenital syphilis are at risk for bone damage, severe anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, nerve problems causing blindness or deafness, meningitis or skin rashes.

2021 data as of 8/19/2021. In Sonoma County the number of pregnant women with syphilis in 2021 is already almost double that of 2017 and 2019, and five times more than 2020 - and we haven't even completed 2021 yet.

In response to the alarming rise in cases

the California Department of Public Health recommends expanded syphilis screening for all people who are or could become pregnant

The 2018 California case rate for early syphilis in women was 17.3 per 100,000.

The California Department of Public Health Recommends:

• All pregnant patients should be screened for syphilis at least twice during pregnancy: once at either confirmation of pregnancy or at the first prenatal encounter (ideally during the first trimester)- and again during the third trimester (ideally between28-32 weeks gestation), regardless of whether testing was performed or offered during the first two trimesters.
• Patients should be screened for syphilis at delivery, except those at low risk who also have a documented negative screen in the third trimester.
• Emergency Department (ED) providers in local health jurisdictions with high CS morbidity should consider confirming the syphilis status of all pregnant patients prior to discharge, either via documented test results in pregnancy, or a syphilis test in the ED if documentation is not available.
• All people who are or could become pregnant entering an adult correctional facility located in local health jurisdictions with high CS morbidity should be screened for syphilis at intake, or as close to intake as feasible.
• All sexually active people who could become pregnant should receive at least one lifetime screening for syphilis, with additional screening for those at increased risk.
• All sexually active people who could become pregnant should be screened for syphilis at the time of each HIV test.