title: Syphilis screening among 27,150 pregnant women in South Chinese rural areas using point-of-care tests.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and correlates of syphilis among pregnant women in rural areas of South China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Point-of-care syphilis testing was provided at 71 health facilities in less developed, rural areas of Guangdong Province. Positive samples were confirmed at a local referral center by toluidine red unheated serum tests (TRUST) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether 27,150 pregnant women in rural Guangdong were screened for syphilis. 106 (0.39%) syphilis cases were diagnosed, of which 78 (73.6%) received treatment for syphilis. Multivariate analysis revealed that older pregnant women (31-35 years old, aOR 2.7, 95% CI 0.99-7.32; older than 35 years old, aOR 5.9, 95% CI 2.13-16.34) and those with a history of adverse pregnant outcomes (aOR 3.64, 95% CI 2.30-5.76) were more likely to be infected with syphilis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high prevalence of syphilis exists among pregnant women living in rural areas of South China. Enhanced integration of syphilis screening with other routine women's health services (OB GYN, family planning) may be useful for controlling China's syphilis epidemic.
authors.affiliation: Division of STD Control, Guangdong Provincial Center for STI & Skin Diseases Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China. yanglg3@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Li-Gang
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Joseph D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Feng-Ying
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xu-Qi
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Megan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: Cedric H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bien
authors.forename: Xiang-Sheng
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult