(P27) SYPHILIS SCREENING IN 18-49-YEAR-OLD PREGNANT WOMEN IN COMMERCIALLY INSURED MEDICAL CLAIMS, 2022

Background:
Rates of congenital syphilis continue to rise in the United States with 1,325 reported cases in 2018 and 3,755 reported cases in 2022. Similarly, reported syphilis cases in pregnant women increased 159% over the same timeframe. This dangerous trend can be reversed with adherence to recommended screening guidelines among pregnant women. Therefore, this analysis sought to determine rates of congenital syphilis screening among commercially-insured women in the US.

Methods:
We analyzed the 2022 Merative™ MarketScan® Research commercially-insured medical claims data to determine the proportion of 18–49-year-old, insured, pregnant women receiving adequate syphilis screening prior to childbirth. The dataset included 18-49-year-old pregnant women, having commercial health insurance for 8+ months, and experiencing a live birth. Screening events were classified into 3 categories, early (1-27 weeks), late (28-32 weeks), birth (33+ weeks). Percentages were calculated for pregnancy categories by age category and geographic regions. Additionally, we identified pregnant women screened multiple times during pregnancy.

Results:
Of the 144,052 patients in the sample, 70.9% were screened for syphilis early in pregnancy, < 1% in late pregnancy, and 72.5% at the time of birth. Of those receiving syphilis screening, 35–44-year-olds were screened early and at birth most often compared to other age categories, and for the 45-49 age category, 66.1%, were screened 2+times during pregnancy. Regionally, early syphilis screening ranged between 68.4% - 72.6%, with the Northeast having the highest rate at 72.6%.

Conclusion:
Despite recommended screening for syphilis, not all states have laws mandating screening of pregnant women and there is no uniform requirement across states. Approximately 79.8% received screening at least once in the insured population. Opportunities for improved screening rates remain and effective communication with both providers and patients about the rise in syphilis rates, and the importance of screening may be useful to decrease the incidence of CS.