Temporal trend of syphilis in pregnancy and congenital syphilis by race.

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the temporal trend in the incidence rate of syphilis during pregnancy and congenital syphilis in São Paulo between 2012 and 2021, according to race. A key focus of this analysis is to understand and highlight any racial differences in the incidence of syphilis.

METHODOLOGY: This ecological study used data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) and the Live Births Information System (SINASC). The incidence rate was calculated by dividing the number of cases by the number of live births. The independent variables were 2012 to 2021 and race (White, Black, East Asian, Indigenous). Trends were analyzed using linear regression with the Prais-Winsten correction at the 5% significance level.

RESULTS

The findings reveal an increase in syphilis incidence during pregnancy and in congenital syphilis in São Paulo, with a disproportionate impact on the Black population. Among the White pregnant population, the Annual Percentage Change (APC) was 17.84% (p < 0.005), while among the Black pregnant population, it was 16.86% (p < 0.005). For congenital syphilis, the incidence among White newborns rose with an APC of 7.6% (p < 0.005), while in the Black population it rose by 6.17% (p < 0.005).

CONCLUSION

In 2021, the number of cases among the Black population was 1.9-times higher than among the White population, underscoring persistent racial disparities and reinforcing the urgent need for equity-driven policies to prevent vertical transmission and control syphilis.