Syphilis--an appraisal of the Groote Schuur Hospital antenatal screening programme

Syphilis is a major public health problem in pregnant women. Since congenital syphilis is preventable, an adequate screening programme is an essential facet of antenatal care. At Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory and Treponema, pallidum haemagglutination tests are employed for antenatal screening. A survey of the current literature on serological testing for syphilis does not reveal clear guidelines for an optimal antenatal screening programme. The high prevalence of syphilis in pregnant women is confirmed by this study, which shows the current programme to be very effective in excluding women without disease.