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MS WordPerinatologist Corner - C.E.U/C.M.E. Modules
Syphilis in Pregnancy
Sponsored by The Indian Health Service Clinical Support Center
2. Background
Public Health Emergency!
HIV and Syphilis Outbreak in Indian Country 2001 – 2003
This was a recent report to the Navajo Nation Health and Social Services Committee from the Navajo Area Indian Health Service. Please go through this module to learn more about syphilis in pregnancy.
This is not the first period that Americans Indians or Alaska Natives have been involved with outbreaks of sexually transmitted diseases. See any of the eight attached articles among Americans Indians or Alaska Natives.
Despite the long-standing practice of prenatal screening, congenital syphilis remains a problem in contemporary obstetric practice. Recurrent outbreaks continue to occur sporadically in different parts of the country. Maternal illicit drug use, lack of or late prenatal care, and the human immunodeficiency (HIV) epidemic, are significant factors contributing to this problem. In addition to neonatal infection, antenatal infection remains an important preventable cause of fetal demise and fetal non-immune hydrops.
Case Scenario 2
A.R.H. is an 18 y/o G1P0 at 10 weeks gestation whose new prenatal labs reveal a positive Rapid Plasma Reagin ( RPR) at a titer of <1:2 and a positive fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption ( FTA). She has no history of sexually transmitted disease (STD) but is at risk because she has had several recent partners prior to the current pregnancy. How should she be managed?
