{"id":23994,"date":"2026-05-19T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T04:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ices.on.ca\/?post_type=news_release&p=23994"},"modified":"2026-05-19T13:57:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:57:50","slug":"one-in-five-pregnancies-miss-timely-syphilis-screening-in-ontario","status":"publish","type":"news_release","link":"https:\/\/www.ices.on.ca\/fr\/news-releases\/one-in-five-pregnancies-miss-timely-syphilis-screening-in-ontario\/","title":{"rendered":"One\u202fin\u202ffive\u202fpregnancies\u202fmiss\u202ftimely\u202fsyphilis screening in\u202fOntario"},"content":{"rendered":"

Toronto, ON,\u202fMay\u202f19, 2026 <\/span><\/b>\u2014\u202fCongenital syphilis is entirely preventable\u2014yet new research shows critical gaps in prenatal screening that are leaving some infants at risk. With\u202f<\/span>funding<\/span><\/a>\u202ffrom the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Institute of Population and Public Health), researchers from <\/span>ICES<\/span><\/b>\u00a0and\u202f<\/span>Queen\u2019s University<\/span><\/b>\u202ffound that one in five pregnancies in Ontario did not receive syphilis screening in the first trimester. Furthermore, delayed screening was more common among equity-deserving populations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The study\u202fincluded\u202f551,706 pregnancies\u202ffrom January 2018 to December 2023 and found that 507,169 were screened for syphilis, 435,162 of which were screened in the first trimester. While most pregnancies included in the study underwent syphilis screening, approximately three per cent of these pregnancies were screened late (in the third trimester or at delivery).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Canada, the\u202frate\u202fof\u202fcongenital\u202fsyphilis\u202fin 2023<\/span>\u202f<\/span>was 14.5 cases per 100,000 live births\u2014an increase of\u202f220\u202fper cent\u202fsince\u202f2018\u2014indicating\u202fan evolving epidemiology of infectious syphilis among\u202fwomen. As untreated congenital syphilis can lead to severe outcomes, including infant death, these trends underscore the importance of prenatal screening as a key preventive strategy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCongenital syphilis should not be happening in a high-income country with universal healthcare,\u201d\u202f<\/span>says Dr. Sahar Saeed, Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University\u202fand senior author.<\/span>\u202f\u201cWhen\u202fone\u202fin\u202ffive\u202fpregnancies are not screened on time, it signals that our current systems are not reaching everyone equitably.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These findings highlight an urgent need to rethink how screening is delivered. \u201cRelying solely on traditional prenatal care models may not be sufficient to reach populations who face barriers to accessing care,\u201d says Amanda Featherstone, lead author of the study. \u201cProviding non-judgemental, comprehensive care in tandem with complementary strategies, such as opportunistic screening and community-based outreach programs with the use of point-of-care testing, is a critical next step.\u201d These approaches have shown promise in reaching underserved populations and closing access gaps.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The study \u201cUptake of prenatal syphilis screening and\u202fits\u202fdeterminants in Ontario, Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study\u201d\u202fis in the\u202fMay issue\u202fof\u202f<\/span>CMAJ<\/span><\/i>.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This work was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Catalyst Grant (STBBI Research in Canada: Beyond HIV\/AIDS and Hepatitis C) (no. SR7 – 196517).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ICES<\/span><\/b>\u202fis an independent, not-for-profit research and analytics institute that uses population-based health information to produce knowledge on a broad range of healthcare issues. ICES leads\u202fcutting-edge\u202fstudies and analyses evaluating healthcare policy, delivery, and population outcomes. Our knowledge is highly regarded in Canada and abroad and is widely used by government, hospitals, planners, and practitioners to make decisions about healthcare delivery and to develop policy. For the latest ICES news, follow us on BlueSky and LinkedIn: @ICESOntario\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span><\/p>\n

About Queen\u2019s University<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>
\nQueen\u2019s University<\/span><\/a>\u202fhas a long history of scholarship, discovery, and innovation that shapes our collective knowledge and helps address some of the world\u2019s most pressing concerns. Home to more than 28,000 students,\u202fQueen\u2019s\u202foffers a comprehensive research-intensive environment. Diverse perspectives and a wealth of experience enrich our students and faculty\u202fwhile\u202fa core part of our mission is to engage in international learning and research.\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2025, for the fifth year in a row, Queen\u2019s University has ranked in top 10 globally of the\u202f<\/span>Times Higher Education Impact Rankings<\/span><\/a>, securing the position of 6th worldwide and 1st in Canada. The rankings measured over 2,500 post-secondary institutions from 130 countries on their work to advance the United Nations\u2019 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f<\/span>FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>
\n<\/span>Charlotte Lam\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span>
\nCommunications Associate\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span>
\nICES\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span>
\nmedia@ices.on.ca<\/span><\/a>\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span>
\n437-317-8804\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Julie Brown<\/span>\u202f<\/span>
\nMedia Relations Manager<\/span>\u202f<\/span>
\nQueen\u2019s University<\/span>\u202f<\/span>
\nmediarelations@queensu.ca<\/span><\/a>\u202f<\/span>
\n613-533-2035<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One in five pregnancies in Ontario did not receive syphilis screening in the first trimester. Furthermore, delayed screening was more common among equity-deserving populations.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","migration-helper-automated":[],"migration-manual":[],"topic":[16,39,26,35],"class_list":["post-23994","news_release","type-news_release","status-publish","hentry","topic-children-and-young-people","topic-infectious-diseases","topic-maternity-and-neonatal-care","topic-public-health"],"acf":{"infographic":"","journal_article":[23995],"research_report":"","atlas":"","research_program":[6741],"site":[6736],"ices_scientist":[1114,1228],"announce_or_event":"","video":"","iitn_type":"Article","iitn_title":"1 in 5 pregnant people in Ontario not screened properly for syphilis: study","iitn_short_title":"","iitn_source_link_url":"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11854974\/1-in-5-pregnant-people-in-ontario-not-screened-properly-for-syphilis-study\/","iitn_source_link_text":"Global News","sitecore_item_id":"","sitecore_item_name":"","sitecore_field_values":"","previous_url":""},"yoast_head":"\nICES | One\u202fin\u202ffive\u202fpregnancies\u202fmiss\u202ftimely\u202fsyphilis screening in\u202fOntario<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One in five pregnancies in Ontario did not receive syphilis screening in the first trimester. 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