Syphilis

SAN FRANCISCO — Targeted routine syphilis screening may help identify pregnant women in the first and third trimester in need of treatment compared with universal screening, researchers reported.

The CDC has published guidance recommending that providers counsel certain patients on the harms and benefits of doxycycline for post-exposure prophylaxis — or doxy-PEP — for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

Researchers found that a questionnaire successfully identified patients with STIs who can be safely evaluated for penicillin allergy by skin test or by a two-step graded oral challenge, according to a study.

WHO reported a “major” increase in STIs in 2022, specifically highlighting an increase in syphilis and an insufficient decline in new HIV and viral hepatitis infections.

BOSTON — In this video, Healio Primary Care Peer Perspective Board Member Alan Dow, MD, MSHA, FACP, highlights important takeaways from the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting.

Belize, Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines became the latest nations to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced.

Variations in receiving adequate and timely treatment for syphilis during pregnancy highlight the need to address missed opportunities in syphilis testing and treatment, according to results of a surveillance cohort study.

Patients with syphilis experienced higher rates of CV events like stroke, MI and death compared with a matched control group, according to a large-scale, real-world study published in European Heart Journal.

Multiple studies presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, or CROI, supported doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

DENVER — Syphilis is often asymptomatic. Increased testing of at-risk patients — especially if a new rash or welt is spotted on their body — could help catch more cases, an expert said here.