Sonoma health official warns of rising syphilis rate among women

SONOMA — Sonoma County is seeing an “alarming” increase in congenital syphilis and is urging pregnant residents to access prenatal care as soon as possible and asking healthcare providers to increase testing for the sexually transmitted disease.

According to a letter to “colleagues” written by Dr. Kismet Baldwin-Santana, the county’s acting public health officer, California has seen a sharp increase in female syphilis and congenital syphilis, or CS, c is when syphilis is passed from a mother to her baby.

If left untreated in babies, syphilis can cause organ damage, neurological damage and even death.

Baldwin-Santana also said there are “significant” racial disparities among syphilis cases in Sonoma County, with significantly higher disease rates among black/African American and Native American/Native American infants. Alaska than the statewide rate.

In 2020, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a study which indicated that higher rates of syphilis among certain groups were not due to “differences in sexual behavior” but rather a lack of access to sexual health care.

Prenatal screening is essential, Baldwin-Santana said, because CS can be prevented with timely testing and treatment. But that doesn’t just mean seeing an OB-GYN doctor.

“Syphilis testing and treatment must expand beyond antenatal care clinics to other facilities serving women at high risk for HIV and syphilis,” she wrote.

Baldwin-Santana asked county vendors to do several things to fix the problem. First, screen the syphilitic status of all pregnant women who receive care or services in emergency rooms, urgent care clinics, prisons, mental health and addiction treatment centers and programs service syringes. Awareness should also be done with homeless people and street medicine organisations.

Syphilis testing for pregnant women should be done at least three times during pregnancy, with the first test done as early as possible, such as in the first trimester. The second test should take place during the third trimester and the third test at delivery.

Pregnant women with syphilis can be treated with a penicillin regimen, Baldwin-Santana said.

According to data from the California Department of Public Health, in 2018 the state saw a 900% increase in the number of babies born with CS compared to 2012. From 2011 to 2020, cases of early syphilis among women increased by more than 1,181%, DPH officials said.