Description of the Level of Knowledge of Pregnant Women on Prevention of Syphilis in Newborns in the City of Surabaya

Background: Congenital syphilis in pregnant women is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum and is a chronic and communicable disease that can lead to stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight, neonatal death, or congenital syphilis (Darmawan et al., 2020). In the United States, between 2013 and 2017, there was a 72.2% rise in the occurrence of primary and secondary syphilis (De Voux et al., 2017). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) for syphilis, the incidence rate has increased by 0.32% in the Asia Pacific region (WHO, 2019). In Indonesia, syphilis cases have increased by 70% in the past five years. Unfortunately, high syphilis cases are still found in major cities in Indonesia, particularly Surabaya. The purpose of this study is to understand the level of knowledge of pregnant women regarding syphilis prevention in newborns in Surabaya. Methods: This study is an analytical observational study with a cross-section design. The number of respondents involved is 233 people. The inclusion criteria for this study are pregnant women in trimesters 1, 2, and 3 who receive antenatal care at Perak Timur Health Center, Pucang Sewu Health Center, Morokrembangan Health Center, Putat Jaya Health Center, Kalirungkut Health Center, and Tanah Kali Kedinding Health Center in Surabaya during September to October 2023. The exclusion criteria for this study are women with special needs. Data collection was carried out using purposive sampling techniques. Results: Based on bivariate analysis (Spearman), there is a relationship between education and knowledge with a p-value of 0.435. Bivariate analysis (chi-square) on the relationship between source of information and knowledge has a p-value of 0.669. Bivariate analysis (Spearman) on gravida and knowledge has a p value of 0.116. The relationship between age and knowledge has a p-value of 0.116. The relationship between occupation and knowledge was obtained with a chi-square test with a p-value of 0.535. Conclusion: There is no relationship between education, source of information, gravida, age, and occupation with knowledge.