(572) Concerning trends in US pregnancies complicated by sexually transmitted infections during the COVID-19 pandemic

Thursday, February 9, 2023

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Objective: To determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs, i.e. gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis) during pregnancy in the United States (US).

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Natality Live Birth database (2016-2020). The study group included all births between 4/1/2020 and 12/31/20 (i.e. pandemic group), whereas the comparison group included all births between 1/1/16 and 2/29/20 (i.e. pre-pandemic group). Cases with missing data regarding the STIs were excluded. We compared the prevalence of each of these STIs between the two groups using Chi-squared test. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to adjust for potential confounders. Data were displayed as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

Results: 18,648,594 live births were included, of which 2,719,573 (14.6%) were in the pandemic group, and 15,929,021 (85.4%) in the pre-pandemic group. The prevalence of infection with either gonorrhea or syphilis was significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (increased by16% [aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.17-1.23], and 58% [aOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.53-1.64], respectively) (Table). The odds of chlamydial infections were practically identical in the two groups (Table).

Conclusion: We demonstrate a concerning increase in the prevalence of gonorrhea and syphilis infections in pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. Further research is needed to elucidate the potential underlying reasons for the recent surge in STIs during pregnancy and how it pertains to the social, behavioral, and medical challenges that were present during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Primary & Presenting Author(s)

Moti Gulersen, MD,MSc
Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Coauthor(s)

EL
Erez Lenchner, PhD
Biostatistics and Data Management
New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing
New York, New York, United States
AG
Amos Grunebaum, MD
Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra and Northwell, Department of OBGYN, Lenox Hill Hospital
New York, New York, United States
FC
Frank A. Chervenak, MD
Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra and Northwell
Hempstead, New York, United States
Eran Bornstein, MD
Vice Chair of Obstetrics
Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra and Northwell
Manhasset, New York, United States