Background: Syphilis remains a significant public health concern, particularly among the Latinx/Hispanic community in Georgia. However, discussing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and emphasizing the importance of prenatal care in this community is often limited. This presentation aims to investigate the influence of health education programs and community discussions on syphilis rates in the Latinx/Hispanic population.
Methods: Georgia's syphilis rates were obtained from the Georgia Department of Public Health's OASIS system, while nationwide syphilis rates were gathered from online interactive mapping. STI discussions within the Latinx/ Hispanic community were obtained from peer-reviewed articles. Tableau was used to analyze the data.
Results: Low-income Hispanics in the US have limited healthcare access and experience higher rates of STIs due to ethnic discrimination and acculturative stress. (Fernandez et al., 2023) Mexican Latinas prefer in-person interventions by Spanish-speaking staff with flexible scheduling and a multigenerational health focus. Barriers include fear of deportation, lack of insurance, and low wages. (Mann et al., 2016). According to OASIS data, syphilis stages of primary, secondary, early latent, late latent, and neurosyphilis infections have been increasing among Latinx/ Hispanic individuals in District 3-1 from 2016 to 2022 across all ages. Age-adjusted STI rates rose from 36 to 104.1 per 100,000 for men, and less than 10 to 29.3 per 100,000 for women. According to United et al. (n.d.), Georgia and Texas have the highest percentage of uninsured Latinx individuals, at 30% each. Meanwhile, the EnviroAtlas Interactive Map (n.d.) reports that at least 19,000 Latinx people in District 3-1 live below the poverty line. "Familismo" and "machismo" affect sex ed in Latinx communities. Women carrying condoms may be stigmatized (HRSA, 2023).
Conclusion: STI education, discussions, and syphilis rates in the Latinx community are interrelated. This presentation highlights the importance of customized education programs and community engagement strategies to address the syphilis burden in this population.
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