Nursing challenges in reducing syphilis in pregnant women

Abstract

Introduction: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema Pallidum. It is mainly transmitted sexually (orally, vaginally or anally), but can also be transmitted vertically, with a fetal mortality rate of over 40% (Freitas et al., 2021). Each year, 1.5 million pregnant women around the world are infected with syphilis, putting the health of their babies at risk (Araujo et al., 2019). The consequences for newborns can be devastating, including prematurity, fetal death, early or late congenital manifestations and even death (Torres et al., 2019). Objective: To describe as subject the challenge of nursing in reducing syphilis in pregnant women. Methodology: This is an integrative literature review, using the descriptors “Nursing” and “Syphilis” and “Pregnant women”. Data was searched in the Scielo, Lilacs and Medline databases, using 10 articles in Portuguese and available in full. Results: According to the researches carried out, challenges were found such as failure in the care offered in health services, it is also perceived in a unanimous way a lack of conformity regarding the knowledge of pregnant women about the cause, forms of transmission, clinical events and prevention. Thus, informing them about STIs, especially syphilis, can be a determining factor in preventing gestational syphilis, and consequently congenital syphilis, neonatal death, miscarriage and premature birth (Gomes et al., 2020). Conclusion: In summary, when analyzing the challenges present in this work, a link between educational, social and economic factors stands out. The nursing team plays a fundamental role in the early identification, prevention and treatment of syphilis, but faces significant barriers. Therefore, the performance of nursing professionals is fundamental to promoting health education, ensuring adequate treatment, providing effective prenatal care, and carrying out adequate testing.

Keywords: Nursing; Syphilis; Pregnant Women.