# Risk factors associated with syphilis among patients at a sexual health center in Brazil: A retrospective study

## TL;DR

This study identifies risk factors for syphilis among patients in Brazil, showing higher rates among younger, unmarried individuals and those with certain sexual and drug behaviors.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into syphilis risk factors in a Brazilian sexual health center population.

## Key findings

- Syphilis prevalence was 9.8% among patients at the CTC in Goiás.
- Homosexual relationships, prior STIs, and drug use were strongly associated with syphilis.
- MSM patients had higher co-infection rates with HIV and other STIs.

## Abstract

Syphilis has reemerged worldwide, and knowledge about at-risk populations can assist in disease prevention and control. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of syphilis among attendees at a Brazilian sexual health center and explore the association between sociodemographic and sexual behavioral factors with syphilis infection. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a Counselling and Testing Center (CTC) in Goiás, Brazil. We collected data from January to December 2018 to conduct a population-based study. Of 3526 patient records included in the analysis, 344 (9.8 %) belonged to participants who had syphilis, mainly at the age of 20 to 39 years old (63.1 %, p = 0.0683) and not married (62.1 %, p = 0.0042). Individuals who reported having homosexual relationships (Odds Ratio [OR = 2.93], p < 0.0001), previous sexually transmitted infections (OR = 2.36, p < 0.0001), and use of drugs (OR = 1.29, p < 0.0001) were more frequently diagnosed with the disease. Among patients with syphilis, MSM had a higher HIV co-infection rate (OR = 2.37, p = 0.0195) and also higher co-infection rates with other previous STIs (OR = 2.84, p = 0.00883). A high prevalence of syphilis among patients who attended the CTC in Goiás was revealed. Effective control of syphilis among populations at higher risk needs to be addressed to achieve disease control in Brazil.