Characterization of diagnosed syphilis from fast test technology in teresina capital reference service

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Syphilis is a Sexually Transmitted Infection that affects more than 12 million people worldwide and its elimination continues to challenge health systems globally. Brazil, in the last decade, had an increase in notifications of acquired syphilis. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of infection and to characterize the population diagnosed with syphilis using a rapid test performed at the Testing and Counseling Center in Teresina. METHODS: This is a descriptive, epidemiological, cross-sectional study carried out using data available at SI-CTA (CTA Information System), carried out based on a survey of the records of the population served at the service during 2018 RESULTS: 6,664 people who underwent rapid syphilis test were assisted, of which 1,083 had a confirmatory diagnosis of the disease, causing a prevalence of syphilis was 16.25%. 77% were male and 23% female. Predominance among self-reported browns (51%), aged between 18 to 28 years (39%), single (67%), with schooling between 8 to 11 years of study (56%). Regarding risk behavior, 62% performed the test for the first time. As for sexual practice, 59% said they had one to five sexual partners in the last year, only 6% reported always using condoms, 27% said they did not use condoms because they trusted their partner. Alcohol / drug use was reported by 57%. The majority of the population served was homosexual (52%), sexual risk exposure was reported by 44%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence found justifies the need to expand access to diagnosis and timely treatment in basic health units or other services with the implementation of the rapid test. The study makes it possible to deduce the importance of CTA, as it adds experience to the population most vulnerable to syphilis, and can be a reference for services in the promotion of educational campaigns and case detection.

KEYWORDS: Syphilis. Serodiagnosis of syphilis. Epidemiology.