Feasibility of one-stop antenatal syphilis screening in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: women and providers perspectives

Abstract

Congenital syphilis can be prevented by antenatal syphilis screening, however, the complexity of delivering prenatal service can result in low screening rates, and thus lower prevention and treatment rates. One-stop antenatal syphilis screening, which includes rapid testing and treatment, is the proposed method to overcome this problem. The feasibility of this type of screening needs to be tested to dertermine its effectiveness. In this study, the opinions and level of satisfaction of women undergoing antenatal care and their health care providers regarding a one-stop syphylis screening and treatment service at two antenatal clinics in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia were assessed. The majority of the 246 women studied were satisfied with the service. The mean aggregate satisfaction score derived from 12 questions regarding specific aspects of satisfaction was 3.2. Most providers were also satisfied, not reporting any significant problems interfering with routine antenatal care. However, all providers felt the one-stop service is time consuming and leads to high staff workloads and needs good clinical management. The provider preferred instead to treat husbands presumptively to avoid the possibility of diagnosing couples with discordant syphilis, which could lead to possible violence. A one-stop syphilis diagnosis and treatment service during antenatal care is feasible in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from both the women's and providers' perspectives.