Exposure to ITreponema pallidum/I Infection among Adolescent and Young Adult Women in Roraima, Amazon Region of Brazil

• Published in: Microorganisms (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 10
• Main Authors: Avelino, Maria Eduarda de Sousa, Silva, Andrio Silva da, Figueiredo, Leonardo Gabriel Campelo Pinto de, Fonseca, Ricardo Roberto de Souza, Menezes, Cláudia Ribeiro, Lima, Sandra Souza, Mendes, Ana Luísa, Silva, Carla Hart Borges da, Reis, Isabela Vanessa Sampaio dos, Nunes, Huendel Batista de Figueiredo, Sequeira, Bianca Jorge, Machado, Luiz Fernando Almeida
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 01-09-2023
• Subjects: Health aspects; Risk factors; Statistics; Syphilis; Teenage girls; Young women; Brazil
• ISSN: 2076-2607; 2076-2607
• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102382

Background: Syphilis is a chronic infectious disease, and its prevalence has been described since the 15th century. Because of the high prevalence of this infection in Brazil, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of syphilis and its associated factors among adolescent and young women living in the city of Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil. Methods: The present study was cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical and quantitative. It involved 200 young and adolescent women. Laboratory tests were performed to diagnose syphilis, and a sociodemographic and epidemiological questionnaire was employed. Results: In the studied sample, 10 women had a positive result for syphilis, characterizing a prevalence of 5% for infection with Treponema pallidum. There was a statistically significant association between a monthly family income of less than 1 minimum wage and syphilis (p = 0.0449) and between illicit drug use and syphilis (p = 0.0234). Conclusions: These results indicate the need for public health interventions, action plans, and the implementation of risk reduction strategies focused on this population.