Syphilis cases are on the rise in Australia, with a 2023 report from the Kirby Institute revealing that rates have tripled over the past decade. Congenital syphilis has also re-emerged as a public health concern with 24 associated infant deaths between 2016 and 2023. For nurses and midwives, this concerning increase highlights the need for increased vigilance and the importance of opportunistic testing – particularly of pregnant women.

ASHM’s new ‘Could It Be Syphilis?’ clinical indicator tool is an invaluable tool for nurses and midwives, providing the guidance and tools needed to effectively and confidently manage syphilis.

Why Syphilis Testing Matters Now More Than Ever – Especially for Women

In the last decade, the rates of infectious syphilis in women have increased six-fold. Although the majority of syphilis cases are among males, this rise in cases among women is cause for concern due to the risk of congenital syphilis passing the infection onto newborns. Congenital syphilis can lead to severe outcomes including miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death in affected children. With congenital syphilis being entirely preventable, the role of nurses and midwives in early detection and treatment is critical

Approximately 50% of syphilis infections are asymptomatic, and in cases where symptoms are present, they can often mimic other infections. The only way to identify a syphilis infection is with testing, highlighting the need for increased vigilance and opportunistic testing – particularly in antenatal care.

Nurses and Midwives Vital to Syphilis Response

Syphilis is both preventable and curable. Nurses and midwives can play a central role in eliminating infectious syphilis and congenital syphilis in Australia by increasing opportunistic STI screening and providing ongoing management and follow-up for people and their partners.

To do so, it’s important for nurses and midwives to have the right training and resources to be confident in their knowledge of syphilis during Australia’s current epidemic. The new ‘Could It Be Syphilis?’ resource from ASHM offers quick, essential guidance on opportunistic testing for priority groups.

How the ‘Could It Be Syphilis?’ Resource Works

The ‘Could It Be Syphilis ?’ tool is an easily accessible one-page resource and can be incorporated into your daily practice to ensure you are implementing best practice to diagnose syphilis early and provide effective treatment.

The resource offers quick, essential guidance on opportunistic testing for priority groups.  The ‘Could It Be Syphilis?’ tool is simple to use, offering information on:

• At risk populations
• Who to offer testing to
• Symptoms and signs
• Effective treatment and management

Access the ‘Could It Be Syphilis?’ resource on the ASHM website.

More clinical syphilis resources

Alongside the Could it be Syphilis resource, ASHM’s Syphilis Learning Hub is a comprehensive collection of training and resources focused on syphilis testing and management — including clinical guidelines, CPD-accredited online learning modules and decision-making tools. Access the Syphilis Learning Hub on the ASHM website.

This article is supplied by ASHM