Sífilis gestacional: características sociodemográficas e acesso ao tratamento em gestantes atendidas na atenção básica do Distrito IV, Recife-PE, 2023–2024

Abstract

Introduction. Gestational syphilis represents a serious public health problem in Brazil, driven by social inequalities and gaps in prenatal care. Despite the effective and free treatment available through the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), barriers to access and weaknesses in the management of pregnant women and their partners perpetuate the condition and its adverse outcomes. Examining how sociodemographic, economic, clinical and territorial characteristics relate to care is essential to inform health training and practice. Objective. To analyze the sociodemographic, economic, clinical and territorial characteristics of pregnant women with syphilis reported in Sanitary District IV of Recife, from 2023 to 2024, and to assess associations with partner treatment status, used as a proxy for access to and adherence to care. Methods. We conducted a quantitative, cross-sectional epidemiological study including 317 pregnant women with syphilis followed in primary health care. Variables included age, race/skin color, education level, neighborhood of residence, trimester of prenatal care initiation, clinical classification and partner treatment status. Data analysis comprised descriptive statistics (absolute and relative frequencies) and bivariate tests (Pearson’s chi-square test, 5% significance level) between sociodemographic, territorial and care variables and partner treatment status. Conclusion. Most participants were young, mixed-race women with low or unreported education levels, residing in neighborhoods with high social vulnerability. There were no significant associations between partner treatment and education, race/skin color, trimester of prenatal care or neighborhood; however, the combination of education and treatment showed a trend towards association. A significant association was observed between education and race/skin color, with a higher proportion of mixed-race and Black women in low education and “unknown” strata. These findings indicate that, although sociodemographic markers are not directly associated with partner treatment, the intersection of educational, racial and territorial vulnerabilities highlights the impact of social determinants on gestational syphilis. They underscore the urgency of strengthening prenatal care, improving health information systems and implementing integrated strategies to address racial, class and territorial inequalities in the care of pregnant women and their partners.