Screening for Syphilis Infection

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Release Date: July 2004

Summary of Recommendations / Supporting Documents

Summary of Recommendations

• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) strongly recommends that clinicians screen persons at increased risk for syphilis infection.

  Rating: "A" recommendation.

  Rationale: Although the USPSTF found no new direct evidence that screening for syphilis infection leads to improved health outcomes in persons at increased risk (go to Clinical Considerations), there is adequate evidence that screening tests can accurately detect syphilis infection and that antibiotics can cure syphilis. Screening may result in potential harms (such as clinical evaluation of false-positive results, unnecessary anxiety to the patient, and harms of antibiotic use). The USPSTF concludes that the benefits of screening persons at increased risk for syphilis infection substantially outweigh the potential harms.

• The USPSTF strongly recommends that clinicians screen all pregnant women for syphilis infection.

  Rating: "A" recommendation.

  Rationale: The USPSTF found observational evidence that the universal screening of pregnant women decreases the proportion of infants with clinical manifestations of syphilis infection and those with positive serologies. The USPSTF concludes that the benefits of screening all pregnant women for syphilis infection substantially outweigh potential harms.

• The USPSTF recommends against routine screening of asymptomatic persons who are not at increased risk for syphilis infection.

  Rating: "D" recommendation.

  Rationale: Given the low incidence of syphilis infection in the general population and the consequent low yield of such screening, the USPSTF concludes that potential harms of screening (i.e., opportunity cost, false-positive tests, and labeling) in a low-incident population outweigh the benefits.

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Supporting Documents

Screening for Syphilis Infection, July 2004
Recommendation Statement (PDF File, 200 KB; PDF Help)
Brief Update (PDF File, 217 KB; PDF Help)

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Current as of July 2004

Internet Citation:

Screening for Syphilis Infection, Topic Page. July 2004. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspssyph.htm