{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T21:57:23Z","timestamp":1763416643307,"version":"3.45.0"},"reference-count":11,"publisher":"CSIRO Publishing","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763337600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1071\/journalslicense"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Congenital syphilis is a preventable disease and a direct reflection of rates of syphilis in the population. Between 2013 and 2022, Australia\u2019s infectious syphilis notification rate increased six-fold in women. Between 2013 and 2022, 54% (n\u00a0=\u00a045) of congenital syphilis cases were reported in Aboriginal infants,\u00a0and 61% (n\u00a0=\u00a011) of congenital syphilis-associated deaths between 2016 and 2022 occurred in Aboriginal infants. In 2018, Communicable Diseases Network Australia National Guidelines were updated, recommending syphilis serology testing five times for women during the perinatal period in outbreak areas. The aim of the study was to gain an understanding of the rates of perinatal syphilis serology testing, and to formulate recommendations on how syphilis serology testing can be improved for pregnant Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A retrospective audit of antenatal and postpartum episodes of care and syphilis serology testing of Aboriginal women who birthed a live born or stillborn baby was undertaken at four sites including three Northern Territory Health remote clinics and one Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service. This was an audit of electronic medical records, between 1 May 2019 and 31 March 2021.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study found that 94% (n\u00a0=\u00a0358) and 93% (n\u00a0=\u00a0357) of Aboriginal women had a first antenatal episode of care and first antenatal syphilis test, respectively. The proportion receiving syphilis serology decreased to a greater extent than the number of women attending antenatal episodes of care with increase in gestational age. Postpartum episodes of care were attended by 27% (n\u00a0=\u00a0103) of Aboriginal women, with 29% (n\u00a0=\u00a0112) having a postpartum syphilis test.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Pregnant Aboriginal women are attending for antenatal care; however, the majority are not having syphilis tests as per current guidelines. It is recommended that the primary healthcare sector implement a prompt system for syphilis serology testing, provide more opportunistic syphilis serology testing and monitor adherence to syphilis serology testing guidelines in pregnancy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1071\/sh24236","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T03:21:28Z","timestamp":1763349688000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Detection of congenital syphilis in the Northern Territory: a look back at syphilis serology testing in pregnant Aboriginal women to formulate testing recommendations"],"prefix":"10.1071","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-7226-8312","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Maya","family":"Cherian","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"ASexual Health Blood Borne Virus Unit, Centre for Disease Control, Northern Territory Health, Darwin, NT, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Moore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BAboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Karen","family":"Dempsey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CMiwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Belinda","family":"Jennings","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"DFlinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Darwin, NT, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Manoji","family":"Gunathilake","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ASexual Health Blood Borne Virus Unit, Centre for Disease Control, Northern Territory Health, Darwin, NT, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"67","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025111716513212200_R1","unstructured":"King J, McManus H, Kwon J, Gray R, McGregor S. HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia: Annual surveillance report 2023. Sydney (NSW): The Kirby Institute, UNSW; 2023. 47p."},{"key":"2025111716513212200_R2"},{"key":"2025111716513212200_R3"},{"key":"2025111716513212200_R4","unstructured":"Communicable Diseases Network Australia. Syphilis: CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2018. Available at https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/resources\/publications\/syphilis-cdna-national-guidelines-for-public-health-units?language=en"},{"key":"2025111716513212200_R5"},{"key":"2025111716513212200_R6","unstructured":"Centre for Disease Control Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses Unit. Congenital syphilis guidelines for the Northern Territory. 3rd edn. Darwin: Northern Territory Government; 2015. Available at https:\/\/digitallibrary.health.nt.gov.au\/entities\/publication\/cd013338-0435-496f-b41d-46e1d6827e3b"},{"key":"2025111716513212200_R7","unstructured":"Sim S, Li L, Hill S, O\u2019Neil L. Mothers and Babies 2021: Northern Territory Midwives\u2019 Collection. Darwin: Department of Health; 2024. Available at https:\/\/digitallibrary.health.nt.gov.au\/nthealthserver\/api\/core\/bitstreams\/b99a839b-8f59-4e96-b231-fbf6acb2d729\/content"},{"issue":"1","key":"2025111716513212200_R8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wombi.2014.10.003","article-title":"Young Aboriginal women\u2019s voices on pregnancy care: factors encouraging antenatal engagement.","volume":"28","author":"Reibel","year":"2015","journal-title":"Women Birth"},{"issue":"5","key":"2025111716513212200_R9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"634","DOI":"10.1016\/j.midw.2010.05.009","article-title":"Niyith NiyithWatman [corrected] (the quiet story): exploring the experiences of Aboriginal women who give birth in their remote community.","volume":"27","author":"Ireland","year":"2011","journal-title":"Midwifery"},{"issue":"4","key":"2025111716513212200_R10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"330","DOI":"10.1071\/SH22193","article-title":"Syphilis in pregnancy: a qualitative investigation of healthcare provider perspectives on barriers to syphilis screening during pregnancy in south-east Queensland.","volume":"20","author":"Warzywoda","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sex Health"},{"key":"2025111716513212200_R11","unstructured":"Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Antenatal care during COVID-19, 2020. Canberra: Australian Government; 2021. Available at https:\/\/www.aihw.gov.au\/reports\/mothers-babies\/antenatal-care-during-covid-19\/contents\/summary"}],"container-title":["Sexual Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/connectsci.au\/sh\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1071\/SH24236\/1798732\/sh24236.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/connectsci.au\/sh\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1071\/SH24236\/1798732\/sh24236.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T21:51:41Z","timestamp":1763416301000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/connectsci.au\/sh\/article\/22\/6\/SH24236\/264627\/Detection-of-congenital-syphilis-in-the-Northern"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Angela","family":"Kelly-Hanku","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]]},"references-count":11,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1071\/sh24236","relation":{},"ISSN":["1448-5028","1449-8987"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"1448-5028"},{"type":"electronic","value":"1449-8987"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]]},"article-number":"SH24236"}}