Recommendation Statement Brief UpdateRelease Date: July 2004
Summary of Recommendations / Supporting Documents
Rating: A Recommendation.
Rationale: Although the USPSTF found no new direct evidence that screening for syphilis infection leads to improved health outcomes in persons at increased risk (see Clinical Considerations), there is adequate evidence that screening tests can accurately detect syphilis infection and that antibiotics can cure syphilis. Screening may result in potential harms (such as clinical evaluation of false-positive results, unnecessary anxiety to the patient, and harms of antibiotic use). The USPSTF concludes that the benefits of screening persons at increased risk for syphilis infection substantially outweigh the potential harms.
Rating: A Recommendation.
Rationale: The USPSTF found observational evidence that the universal screening of pregnant women decreases the proportion of infants with clinical manifestations of syphilis infection and those with positive serologies. The USPSTF concludes that the benefits of screening all pregnant women for syphilis infection substantially outweigh potential harms.
Rating: D Recommendation.
Rationale: Given the low incidence of syphilis infection in the general population and the consequent low yield of such screening, the USPSTF concludes that potential harms of screening (i.e., opportunity cost, false-positive tests, and labeling) in a low-incident population outweigh the benefits.
Screening for Syphilis Infection, July 2004
Recommendation Statement
Brief Update
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