At a glance
Jurisdictions are leaning into targeted STI prevention and treatment strategies by focusing on the needs and interests of local communities and delivering partnerships invested in meeting people where they are.
October 2022
The California Department of Public Health is taking a proactive approach to addressing prenatal care equity by offering services through a new open access prenatal care clinic in San Joaquin County. Opened in January 2022, the Pregnancy Connections clinic offers prenatal care to pregnant people at increased risk for contracting syphilis—a strategy directly aimed at preventing and reducing congenital syphilis cases community-wide. Through a process created with input from potentially eligible patients, Pregnancy Connections also provides comprehensive prenatal care to help minimize or eliminate barriers to prenatal care entry and retention. This includes offering substance use treatment, transportation for appointments, and also providing access to a dedicated case manager who connects patients to resources such as hotel stays during a syphilis treatment series—all contributing to the overall goal of providing prenatal care that is logistically, economically, and culturally accessible. Pregnancy Connections is funded with a small congenital syphilis special project award supported by an increase in CDC STI funding.