(P92) Withdrawn: ASSESSING THE CAPACITY OF JAILS TO SCREEN FOR AND TREAT SYPHILIS: RESULTS FROM A NEW YORK STATE SURVEY

Background:
Syphilis diagnoses are increasing nationally, and there is promising evidence jails are uniquely situated to screen and treat for syphilis.  However, a significant knowledge gap about healthcare services in jails exists. To address this gap, the New York State (NYS) Department of Health AIDS Institute conducted a survey of county jails in 2022 (excluding New York City) to develop a better understanding of screening, treatment, and discharge planning capacity for opioid use disorder, HCV, and syphilis. Though this was an integrated survey, results presented are restricted to questions about syphilis.

Methods:
An online questionnaire was distributed to 58 local jail facilities in New York State. Descriptive statistics were performed to analyze respondent demographics and frequency distributions of responses for each survey question.

Results:
Forty-six of 58 (79%) NYS jail facilities responded to the survey. Most facilities (about 62%) have had policies in place for syphilis screening and treatment for more than three years; however, 26% do not have policies in place. Over half of facilities offer syphilis screening upon admission (54%) or during initial medical appointments (49%), although none offer screening upon discharge. Most facilities (69%) offer screening to incarcerated individuals requesting to be tested, 46% offer routine opt-in screening, and 14% offer routine opt-out screening. Among jails reporting screening for syphilis in the past year (n=27), over 64% reported at least one positive/reactive result. Among jails reporting positive/reactive syphilis results in the past year (n=18), 78% reported successfully treating all individuals.

Conclusion:
Overall, while most jails reported partial capacity for screening and treating syphilis, the high proportion of jails identifying syphilis supports the need to increase availability of such services prior to transfer or discharge. Encouraging peer-to-peer education and technical assistance could be used to support policy development for syphilis testing and treatment.