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'Low male partner attendance after syphilis screening in pregnant women leads to worse birth outcomes; The Syphilis Treatment Of Partners (STOP) randomized controlled trial

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Parkes-Ratanshi, Rosalind  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9297-1311

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, 17 130 pregnant women were screened; 601 (3.5%) had a positive treponemal result, and 442 were enrolled in the study. Only 81 of 442 partners (18.3%; 23/152 (15.1%), 31/144 (21.5%) and 27/146 (18.5%) in the NS only, NS + SMS and NS + telephone call groups respectively) attended an ANC for follow-up; there were no significant differences between the groups. Twelve per cent of women attended the ANC with their male partner, and this proportion increased over time. Partner non-treatment was independently associated with adverse birth outcomes (odds ratio 2.75; 95% confidence interval 2.36–3.21; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Only 18.3% of partners of pregnant women who tested positive for syphilis received treatment. Female partners of non-attendant men had worse birth outcomes. Encouraging men to accompany women to the ANC and testing both may address the urgent need to treat partners of pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa to reduce poor fetal outcomes.

Description

Keywords

Adult, Contact Tracing, Female, Humans, Mass Screening, Point-of-Care Testing, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Infectious, Pregnancy Outcome, Pregnant Women, Prenatal Care, Sexual Partners, Syphilis, Uganda

Journal Title

Sexual Health

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1448-5028
1449-8987

Volume Title

17

Publisher

CSIRO
Sponsorship
This study was funded by Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. 5U54EB007958 to Professor Charlotte Gaydos