Evaluation of syphilis serostatus on the safety of IVF treatment

An increasing number of infertile syphilis-infected individuals have turned to assisted reproductive technology; however, the safety of syphilis carrier serostatus on IVF and embryo transfer outcomes has not been evaluated. Data from 482 patients who delivered singletons were analysed. In the retrospective study, the rate of IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection fertilization was 79.50% ± 17.57%/78.72% ± 16.66% in the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay negative (TPPA-negative) and rapid plasma reagin negative (RPR-negative) group, 76.12% ± 22.99%/74.05% ± 20.31% in the TPPA-positive and RPR-negative group, and 75.66% ± 21.72%/70.90% ± 16.11% in the TPPA-positive and RPR-positive group. The clinical pregnancy rate was 39.79% in the TPPA-negative and RPR-negative group, 46.30% in the TPPA-positive and RPR-negative group, and 36.59% in the TPPA-positive and RPR-positive group. No significant differences were found between the groups. The neonatal gestational age and mean birth weight were not significantly different between the TPPA-negative and TPPA-positive groups. Multiple linear regression analysis also showed no association between TPPA serostatus and newborn birth weight and gestational age. The present retrospective study showed that TPPA and RPR serostatus did not affect the outcomes of IVF and embryo transfer. Syphilis-infected individuals can undergo IVF and embryo transfer cycles after penicillin treatment.