Screening for Syphilis among Third Trimester Pregnant Women in a Low Resource Setting: A Missed Opportunity?

Abstract

Syphilis accounts for a significant morbidity and mortality especially in the sub-Saharan Africa, where it remains a public health problem. Studies have demonstrated its deleterious effects on pregnancy and its association with HIV/AIDS. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of syphilis, its associated factors, and its relationship with HIV, among third trimester pregnant women in the Buea Health District (BHD), Cameroon. This was a cross-sectional study involving 250 third trimester pregnant women. Serum obtained from 5 ml of venous blood from each participant was tested for syphilis using VDRL antigen and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA). The data on some socio-demographic, clinical characteristics and the results of tests were collected using a pretest questionnaire and analysed using the statistical software Epi-info version 7. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The mean age of the participants was 26.9 (SD 5.2) years. There was a high prevalence of syphilis of 6.4% in Buea Health District. No risk factor was identified to have a significant association with syphilis but there was a significant difference between the prevalence of syphilis among HIV positive and the HIV negative groups (p<0.001). Apart from screening for syphilis during the first trimester; sensitization, screening, treatment and proper follow-up should also be encouraged in the third semester to prevent adverse foetal outcomes.