The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Primary Care and Rural Health reminds rural providers to screen for congenital syphilis. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of infants born exposed to syphilis in Utah this past year. As a rural health provider, you play a critical role in testing, treating, and preventing the spread of this bacteria.
“Our clinic has a high birth rate, and so we do a significant amount of prenatal care,” says Dr. Benjamin Williams, DO, chief medical officer at Creek Valley Health Clinic. “We test our patients for syphilis, at the first trimester and again at the third trimester per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention screening guidelines. We also recommend testing after delivery, however this is often performed by the OB.”
Providers can help prevent the spread of congenital syphilis within rural communities with timely screening and treatment during pregnancy.
“The DHHS Division of Population Health recognizes the shortage of bicillin presents challenges to treating syphilis.” said Nikki Baer, STD/HIV prevention specialist. “We recommend you keep a supply of bicillin on hand, and hope the shortage will be resolved by December. In the meantime, a French drug, extencilline, can be used in place of bicillin, but it may be more expensive.”
The DHHS Division of Population Health recently released guidelines for providers in rural communities, including this important fact sheet. In addition, Dr. Leisha Nolan, state epidemiologist, DHHS will present about congenital syphilis at grand rounds on June 27, 2024.
Creek Valley Health Clinic’s mission is to provide exceptional healthcare for every patient, every time. The clinic has a goal to make the community strong, empowered, and healthy through delivering healthcare services, health education, and vital resources to all residents, regardless of ability to pay. Creek Valley offers many services including annual checkups, well-child exams, sports and kindergarten physicals, vaccinations, family planning, counseling and therapy, psychiatry services, immunizations, well-woman exams, cancer screenings, prenatal and postnatal care, and many other preventive medical services.
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