Analysis of the prevalence of diagnosis of syphilis during pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Syphilis is a chronic, infectious, and systemic disease, whose transmission occurs through direct contact with contaminated lesions, during childbirth and sexual intercourse, or via placenta. Despite having efficient forms of screening and treatment, there is still a growing increase of contamination during pregnancy, with high vertical transmission. Objective: To evaluate the level of maternal knowledge about congenital syphilis. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted through the analysis of a questionnaire that seeks to assess the level of maternal knowledge about congenital syphilis, associated with the analysis of medical records of these women. Results: 23 women were interviewed, with a mean age of 28.8 years and 69.5% had completed high school.About 52% of them had no previous knowledge about congenital syphilis and 39% received this information from the doctor, since 43% of the sample was diagnosed with syphilis, with 9 reported cases of congenital syphilis. 65% of the interviewees claimed that, in the last year, they had sexual intercourse with only one partner, 87% reported knowing how to prevent Syphilis contamination, but only 30% reported using condoms during sexual intercourse, among the interviewees who were diagnosed with STI, 60% reported that they contracted it from their spouse. Discussion: Even with the majority of the sample having completed high school, the participants did not know about this important sexually transmitted infection and its form of transmission, with a failure of the school in the transmission of this knowledge. Prenatal care proved to be an important moment for awareness, diagnosis and treatment. The patients who contracted syphilis reported that they were correctly treated, but even so most of them transmitted the disease congenitally to their children, which shows the high rate of vertical spread of the disease. The interviewees are not in the habit of using condoms during sexual intercourse, a common practice in the country, even knowing that this is the best form of prevention against STI, which causes the chain of transmission to be maintained. Conclusions: The lack of knowledge about sexually transmitted infections, associated with low maternal education, is possibly related to the higher rates of transmission and lower prevention of congenital syphilis.