Prenatal Syphilis Screening Mandates and Maternal Syphilis Case Detection

What is the association between mandates requiring prenatal syphilis screening in the third trimester and delivery and maternal syphilis case detection?In this cross-sectional study including 16.3 million live births and 20 961 reported syphilis cases between 2012 and 2022 in the US, maternal syphilis case detection increased by a statistically significant 26% in the first quarter after mandates at the third trimester and delivery were enacted. The magnitude of this effect declined within the following year, although it remained positive.Mandates for syphilis screening later in pregnancy may briefly increase maternal syphilis case detection but are unlikely to generate sustained impact on their own without complementary supports for screening and treatment.

Corresponding Author: Sarah E. Baum, BA, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115 (sbaum@g.harvard.edu).

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