Low male partner attendance after syphilis screening in pregnant women leads to worse birth outcomes: the Syphilis Treatment of Partners (STOP) randomised control trial.

ABSTRACT: Background Maternal syphilis causes poor birth outcomes, including congenital syphilis. Testing and treatment of partners prevents reinfection, but strategies to improve partner attendance are failing. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of three partner notification strategies.

Methods

Pregnant women with a positive point-of-care treponemal test at three antenatal clinics (ANCs) in Kampala, Uganda, were randomised 1:1:1 to receive either notification slips (NS; standard of care), NS and a text messages (SMS) or NS and telephone calls. The primary outcome was the proportion of partners who attended the ANC and were treated for syphilis.

Results

Between 2015 and 2016, 17130 pregnant women were screened; 601 (3.5%) had a positive treponemal result, and 442

SUBMITTER: Parkes-Ratanshi R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7974021 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature