Impact of antenatal screening for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea on pregnancy outcomes in South African women
BMC Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12879-026-13967-3
- PMID
- 42481976
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W7169844332
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The findings suggest potential benefits of STI screening using diagnostic tests that enable timely treatment of curable STIs during pregnancy to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study evaluated whether diagnosing and treating chlamydia and gonorrhea during pregnancy affects adverse pregnancy outcomes in South African women.
Study design
Eligible pregnant women without HIV, attending their first antenatal care visit before 28 weeks gestation, received diagnostic testing at enrollment and either same-day or follow-up treatment using on-site GeneXpert or laboratory-based TaqMan qPCR assays. The study assessed STI prevalence, time to treatment, and frequency of poor pregnancy outcomes including miscarriage and stillbirth.
Population and setting
The study enrolled 1237 pregnant women aged 15 years or older without HIV in Cape Town, South Africa, who were attending their first antenatal care visit before 28 weeks gestation.
Main findings
Among 1237 pregnant women, 28% tested positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea at first antenatal care visit. Of those diagnosed, 54% received immediate treatment. Untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea during pregnancy increased the odds of experiencing a miscarriage or stillbirth.
Public-health relevance
The findings suggest potential benefits of STI screening using diagnostic tests that enable timely treatment of curable STIs during pregnancy to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Important limitations
The authors note that randomized trials are urgently needed to clarify the effects observed in this study. This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata; the original paper is required for decision-grade interpretation.
GIDS interpretation
This article was discovered through classifier links to gonorrhea, South Africa, diagnostics, and treatment. It provides evidence on antenatal screening approaches and their association with pregnancy outcomes in a high-burden setting.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 10 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.