ANALYSIS OF THE INCIDENCE OF GESTATIONAL SYPHILIS IN THE STATE OF CEARÁ

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.159432409017

• Palavras-chave: Syphilis, gestational, Ceará.

• Keywords: Syphilis, gestational, Ceará.

• Abstract:

  Syphilis, caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum, is a sexually transmitted disease that spreads quickly in the body after contact with mucous membranes or skin. Transmission can occur in up to 80% of cases when the mother is infected. The objective was to analyze the incidence of gestational syphilis in the State of Ceará. This research is a narrative bibliographical review and took place from August to November 2023 through medical books, scientific articles and an epidemiological bulletin. The bibliographic research was carried out in the Scielo, Lilacs and Bireme databases and had the following descriptors: syphilis, gestational and Ceará. The inclusion criteria took into consideration, articles published in the last 5 years in English, Portuguese and Spanish, complete and free, original, clinical cases and cross-sectional studies. Incomplete articles published before 2016, monographs, conference proceedings, review articles and master's and doctoral dissertation theses were excluded. Thus, of the 1210 found, 13 were included in the sample, given their relevance to the topic. The results showed that in Brazil, between 2005 and June 2022, there were more than 535 thousand cases of syphilis in pregnant women, with the majority in the age group of 20 to 29 years. The Southeast region had the highest incidence. Effective treatment, including administration of penicillin in the first trimester, is essential. However, there are challenges, such as high treatment dropout rates and lack of information. It appears from the study that it is essential to improve education about syphilis, promote testing during prenatal care and involve nurses in guiding pregnant women and caring for newborns with congenital syphilis. Furthermore, more effective public policies and well-equipped health structures are needed to combat this public health issue.