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High prevalence of syphilis in a female prison unit in Northeastern Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of syphilis and the associated risk factors in a female prison unit. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study including 113 women whom data were collected in two stages: first, blood test to check for syphilis seropositivity; and then collection of information...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Batista, Mara Ilka Holanda de Medeiros, Paulino, Marcília Ribeiro, Castro, Kaline Silva, Gueiros, Luiz Alcino Monteiro, Leão, Jair Carneiro, Carvalho, Alessandra Albuquerque Tavares
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7206982/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32428062
http://dx.doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2020AO4978
Descripción
Sumario:OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of syphilis and the associated risk factors in a female prison unit. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study including 113 women whom data were collected in two stages: first, blood test to check for syphilis seropositivity; and then collection of information through a form to assess risk situations for sexually transmitted infections. RESULTS: Overall, syphilis prevalence was found to be 22.1% among the female prison population (n=25) and 28.6% among pregnant women. A statistically significant relationship was found between syphilis infection and previous history of sexually transmitted infections (p=0.04). However, most participants diagnosed with the disease were unaware of a history of sexually transmitted infection in the last 12 months (n=20/80.0%). The use of condom with fixed partners was considered to be a protective factor (odds ratio of 0.76; 95% of confidence interval 0.68-0.85). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of syphilis among the female prison population was high, particularly among pregnant women. Preventive and therapeutic measures as well as appropriate prenatal care can minimize the impact of syphilis in prison systems and, consequently, improve such health outcomes nationwide.