Increased Methamphetamine, Injection Drug, and Heroin Use Among Women and Heterosexual Men with Primary and Secondary Syphilis — United States, 2013–2017 | MMWR (cdc.gov)Links to an external site.
Babies Are Dying of Syphilis. It’s 100% Preventable. — ProPublicaLinks to an external site.
Congenital syphilis Cooper SanchezLinks to an external site.
Optional:
Substance Use Among Persons with Syphilis During Pregnancy — Arizona and Georgia, 2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online–2021 | MMWR (cdc.gov) Links to an external site.Links to an external site.
Congenital Syphilis Diagnosed Beyond the Neonatal Period in the United States: 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay–2018: 2024 – Write My Essay For Me | Essay Writing Service For Your Papers Online | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org)Links to an external site.
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QUESTION #1: How is drug use associated with increased risk for acquiring syphilis and/or likely contributing to increasing syphilis incidence in communities and posing challenges to syphilis prevention and control efforts?
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QUESTION #2: Links to an external site.Congenital Syphilis (CS) is increasing in the United States. In their abstract, Copper and Sanchez state that “Every case of congenital syphilis must be seen as a failure of our public health system to provide optimal prenatal care to pregnant women, as congenital syphilis can be prevented by early and repeated prenatal serologic screening of mothers and penicillin treatment of infected women, their sexual partners, and their newborn infants.” Caroline Chen’s article outlines some of the ways our public health infrastructure may be failing to prevent syphilis. List some of the ways that increasing trends in congenital syphilis highlight weaknesses in the US health system. Then provide at least one possible solution to one of the problems you have listed.
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Links to an external site. Links to an external site.In addition, in preparation for the adult syphilis presentation and group activity, please familiarize yourself with the Adult Syphilis Surveillance Staging Algorithms Download Adult Syphilis Surveillance Staging Algorithms(in Canvas module).
Don’t worry – we will review the syphilis clinical manifestations, diagnostic tests, and staging together during class.
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Answer 1: Drug use, particularly the use of injection drugs, methamphetamine and heroin, has been associated with an increased risk for acquiring syphilis. Substance abuse can lead to high-risk sexual behaviors, and the sharing of needles can facilitate the transmission of infectious diseases, including syphilis. This can pose challenges to syphilis prevention and control efforts as individuals who use drugs may not access health services regularly or may engage in behaviors that put themselves and others at risk.
Answer 2: Increasing trends in congenital syphilis (CS) highlight weaknesses in the US health system, including inadequate access to healthcare services, inadequate prenatal care, and a lack of public health infrastructure in some communities. Additionally, there may be barriers to accessing care, such as poverty, homelessness, or stigma associated with substance abuse, which can make it difficult for individuals to receive timely diagnoses and treatment.
Possible solution: One of the ways to address the problem of congenital syphilis is to increase access to health care services, including prenatal care, for women who use drugs or are at risk of substance abuse. This can be achieved by providing incentives for healthcare providers to serve these communities, increasing funding for community health clinics, and implementing outreach and education programs to raise awareness about the importance of early and repeated prenatal serologic screening. Additionally, programs to address poverty and homelessness, which are closely linked to substance abuse, can also help to improve access to care and reduce the incidence of congenital syphilis.
