{"id":338125,"date":"2026-03-10T04:31:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T04:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/338125\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T04:31:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T04:31:15","slug":"case-study-highlights-critical-need-for-third-trimester-syphilis-screening-in-carceral-settings-to-prevent-congenital-syphilis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/338125\/","title":{"rendered":"Case Study Highlights Critical Need for Third\u2011Trimester Syphilis Screening in Carceral Settings to Prevent Congenital Syphilis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Newswise \u2014 Chapel Hill, NC\u2014 A newly published case study in the Journal of Correctional Health Care<\/a> urges immediate action to strengthen syphilis screening protocols for pregnant individuals in U.S. jails and prisons. Researchers at the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases recently published \u201cSyphilis Screening Among Pregnant Individuals in Carceral Settings: Near Misses and a Call to Action\u201d describing how a single third\u2011trimester syphilis test likely prevented congenital syphilis in an incarcerated pregnant patient\u2014underscoring a widespread and unaddressed gap in national screening guidelines. The authors include Lina Rosengren-Hovee, MD, MPH; Andrea K. Knittel, MD, PhD; Becky L. White, MD, MPH; and Joseph D. Tucker, MD, PhD.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are seeing preventable cases of congenital syphilis slip through the cracks simply because repeat screening isn\u2019t happening,\u201d said Dr. Rosengren, associate professor of medicine. \u201cA single third\u2011trimester test\u2014especially in carceral settings\u2014can make the difference between a healthy newborn and a life\u2011threatening infection. Universal screening is not just good medicine; it\u2019s an ethical imperative.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Rise of Congenital Syphilis Rates<\/p>\n

The U.S. has seen congenital syphilis cases climb from 12.4 per 100,000 live births in 2015 to 109.6 in 2024, marking the 12th consecutive year of increase, according to CDC surveillance data. In\u00a0North Carolina, congenital syphilis cases\u00a0were up 36% in 2022<\/a>. Pregnant individuals with histories of incarceration face significantly higher syphilis rates, making early and repeat screening a critical public health priority. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Third\u2011Trimester Test<\/p>\n

The study centers on a 35\u2011year\u2011old incarcerated pregnant patient who twice tested negative for syphilis early in pregnancy using routine nontreponemal tests. Only in the third trimester\u2014when she presented with a palmar rash\u2014did repeat screening reveal a new reactive infection requiring immediate treatment. Thanks to timely third\u2011trimester testing and treatment, the patient\u2019s infant avoided congenital syphilis, receiving preventive evaluation and care.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0The authors describe multiple similar cases in the statewide prison prenatal system in which third\u2011trimester screening could have prevented congenital syphilis but went undetected due to a lack of standardized repeat testing. No surveillance system currently documents these near\u2011misses, leaving the scope of the problem unknown.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Guideline Gaps<\/p>\n

Despite clear evidence that early serologic tests can miss recent infections or reinfections, there is no national consensus requiring universal third\u2011trimester screening:\u00a0<\/p>\n

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2024) recently adopted universal third\u2011trimester screening.The US Preventive Services Task Force\u00a0(2025) reaffirmed early screening only, citing insufficient evidence for universal repeat testing.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021) recommends third\u2011trimester testing\u00a0only for those deemed at elevated risk\u2014a category that explicitly includes incarcerated individuals.<\/p>\n

This patchwork of recommendations means that many carceral systems lack policies requiring routine third\u2011trimester syphilis tests, despite the population\u2019s elevated risk and limited access to consistent prenatal care.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Call for Action<\/p>\n

With evidence that 88% of congenital syphilis cases in 2022 were preventable, with timely testing and treatment, the authors argue that universal third\u2011trimester syphilis screening should be implemented across all U.S. jails and prisons\u00a0<\/p>\n

This case is a warning we can\u2019t afford to ignore,\u201d said Dr. Rosengren. \u201cWe are calling for universal third\u2011trimester syphilis screening in all carceral settings because too many mothers and infants are slipping through gaps in the system. The evidence is clear and the time to act is now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

About the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases<\/p>\n

Established in 2007, the UNC\u00a0Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases<\/a>\u00a0at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill started over 30 years ago with infectious disease physician researchers at the UNC School of Medicine, studying HIV in China and Malawi. Through the years, our work has expanded to include emerging pathogens, cancer, women\u2019s health and vector-borne disease like malaria\u2013shaping policy through evidence-based research around the world. At UNC-Chapel Hill, the Institute facilitates research excellence while nurturing emerging scientists to advance patient care and practice, addressing the most important global health issues of our time\u2013through research, training and service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Newswise \u2014 Chapel Hill, NC\u2014 A newly published case study in the Journal of Correctional Health Care urges…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":338126,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[155145,1380,103,396,155144,61,2757,60,1378,83685,155146,136502],"class_list":["post-338125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-aids-and-hiv","tag-all-journal-news","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-hivuncunc-chapel-hillsyphiliscongenital-syphilispregnancyinfectious-dieseasesyphilis-screeningprisonnorth-carolinauniveristy-of-north-carolinaglobal-healthcase-study","tag-ie","tag-infectious-diseases","tag-ireland","tag-newswise","tag-obgyn","tag-pregnancy-and-fertility","tag-unc-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=338125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338125\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/338126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=338125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=338125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=338125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}