IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aph/ajpbhl/10.2105-ajph.71.2.160_0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Premarital syphilis screening: Weighing the benefits

Author

Listed:
  • Kingon, R.J.
  • Wiesner, P.J.

Abstract

The overall value of the routine use of serologic tests in the control of syphilis and reduction of complications has been clearly documented during the past four decades. This value in outpatient settings has recently been underscored by Chapel in an analysis of patients with secondary syphilis who were seen by physicians in community practice. His analysis found that one-third of these patients were diagnosed only on the basis of a routine serologic test. The specific contribution of premarital testing to the overall value of routine serologic testing is less certain and must be decided in each state. Decisions regarding premarital serologic tests must be made by responsible officials in light of epidemiologic factors in the community being served. Felman portrays the dilemma which state health officials must face in deciding the appropriatenes of mandated premarital syphilis serologic testing. Our hope is that the full range of benefits which may be derived from premarital examinations will be rigorously investigated by policymakers within each affected jurisdiction. We do not oppose a state's decision to repeal its premarital laws. We do oppose an over-simplified cost-effectiveness analysis leading to that decision.

Suggested Citation

  • Kingon, R.J. & Wiesner, P.J., 1981. "Premarital syphilis screening: Weighing the benefits," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 71(2), pages 160-162.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.71.2.160_0
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.71.2.160
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.2105/AJPH.71.2.160
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2105/AJPH.71.2.160?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.71.2.160_0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Christopher F Baum (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.apha.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.