Syphilis Trends in Thai Pregnant Women: 2011–2020
Titima Jirasawas, MD1, Kanpirom Krajangpong, BS1
Affiliation : 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand
Objective: To determine the prevalence of syphilis in Thai pregnant women and congenital syphilis from 2011 to 2020.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in Vajira Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, comprising 10 years from January 2011 to December 2020.
Results: A total of 23,503 pregnant women were enrolled in the present study. Two hundred three women had seropositivity to syphilis.
The mean age of the infected women was 22.3±6.7 years. The percentage of seropositive syphilis in pregnant women dramatically increased from 0.4% in 2011 to 2.22% in 2020. There were 31 cases (15.3%) of congenital syphilis. The percentage of congenital syphilis also followed the same trend, rising sharply from 0.03% in 2011 to about 0.21% in 2020.
Conclusion: Syphilis infection is a major public health problem that causes serious complications and sequelae in maternal and fetal conditions. During the past decade, the rate of seropositive syphilis increased notably in pregnant women, and the trends of congenital syphilis were correlated with gestational syphilis.
Received 16 May 2024 | Revised 18 October 2024 | Accepted 5 November 2024
Keywords : Congenital syphilis; Pregnant women; Prevalence; Syphilis
