Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

New Efforts Aim To Support Testing, Treatment For Syphilis

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a $4 million initiative to expand access to rapid, point-of-care syphilis testing, including in emergency departments and other healthcare settings where testing is typically not part of routine care. Congenital syphilis cases have increased for 12 consecutive years, with nearly 4,000 cases reported in 2024, representing a nearly 700% increase over the past decade, according to HHS. In 2023, congenital syphilis contributed to 279 stillbirths …

Addressing Congenital Syphilis With Point-of-Care Testing in Urgent Care

Urgent Message: Urgent care centers can help prevent congenital syphilis by screening pregnant patients lacking prenatal records, confirming reactive point-of-care results, and administering penicillin when follow-up is uncertain. Amir Reza Tehrani, BS; Glenn E. Harnett, MD; Jeffrey D. Klausner, MD, MPH Keywords: syphilis screening; congenital syphilis; point-of-care testing; sexually transmitted infections; pregnant patients; urgent care; rapid diagnostics Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this review is to use clinical, operational, and economic evidence to support integrating …

Doxy-PEP Lowers Syphilis Cases, Directing More Care Toward Pregnant Women

An analysis of surveillance data from January 2017–June 2025 in Washington’s King County area found a health clinic program that offered doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy-PEP) starting in March 2023 was associated with substantial declines in syphilis diagnoses. Compared with projected trends, researchers found total cases decreased by 52.3% (3,031 fewer cases), as published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Reductions were greatest among cisgender men (−53.1%; 2,248 fewer cases) but were also observed in cisgender women (−46.9%; …

Florida Sees STIs Rise 42%

Sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates in Florida have surged by 42% over the past decade, surpassing levels from before the pandemic and reaching their highest point since 1990, according to Health News Florida. A leading expert in epidemiology at the University of South Florida College of Public Health attributes the rise to factors such as reduced condom use, the popularity of online dating platforms, and illicit drug use. However, it’s also possible that advancements in …

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