Identify opportunities to improve syphilis screening by describing changes in patient characteristics and risk factors among individuals with syphilis and by comparing cases with and without an indication for syphilis screening.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study used Colorado public health surveillance data to identify 8326 syphilis diagnoses from 2011 to 2020. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and risk factors were compared across 2-year groups and between individuals with and without an indication for screening. Indications for screening were based on national guidelines and included men who have sex with men, persons living with HIV, pregnant individuals, those who test positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or HIV, and partners of those who test positive for syphilis.
Results
Across study years, there was a 234% increase in the proportion of syphilis cases that were females (5.3% to 17.7%; P