Variation in Patterns of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Primary and Secondary Syphilis Diagnosis Rates Among Heterosexually Active Women by Region and Age Group in the United States

Syphilis rates have increased substantially over the past decade. Women are an important population because of negative sequalae and adverse maternal outcomes including congenital syphilis. We assessed whether racial and ethnic disparities in primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis among heterosexually active women differ by region and age group. METHODS: We synthesized 4 national surveys to estimate numbers of heterosexually active women in the United States from 2014 to 2018 by region, race and ethnicity, and age group (18–24, 25–29, 30–44, and ≥45 years). We calculated annual P&S syphilis diagnosis rates, assessing disparities with rate differences and rate ratios comparing White, Hispanic, and Black heterosexually active women. RESULTS: Nationally, annual rates were 6.42 and 2.20 times as high among Black and Hispanic than among White heterosexually active women (10.99, 3.77, and 1.71 per 100,000, respectively). Younger women experienced a disproportionate burden of P&S syphilis and the highest disparities. Regionally, the Northeast had the highest Black-White and Hispanic-White disparities using a relative disparity measure (relative rate), and the West had the highest disparities using an absolute disparity measure (rate difference). CONCLUSIONS: To meet the racial and ethnic disparity goals of the Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan, tailored local interventions that address the social and structural factors associated with disparities are needed for different age groups.