Introduction:

mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV and congenital syphilis continues to pose a significant public health challenge in Mexico, particularly among populations without social security.

Objective:

to analyze the coverage of HIV and syphilis screening in pregnant women without social security, and to describe the trends in reported cases between 2018 and 2023 in Mexico.

Material and methods:

a descriptive study was conducted using official records from the Ministry of Health. We analyzed the coverage of HIV and syphilis screening, and reported cases of HIV MTCT and congenital syphilis, disaggregated by year and federal entity.

Results:

prenatal care coverage was 83%, while screening coverage for both infections was 60%. In 2020, a sharp decline in screening was observed, especially for syphilis (−63%). Between 1986 and 2023, 3,231 cases of HIV MTCT and 5,570 cases of congenital syphilis were reported. HIV MTCT showed a declining trend, whereas congenital syphilis cases increased by 800% since 2016.

Conclusions:

structural deficiencies persist in the timely detection of HIV and syphilis in pregnant women. It is necessary to strengthen both screening efforts -especially with rapid tests-, and efforts to reduce inequalities in access to prenatal care.

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