Prevalence of Syphilis, Neurosyphilis and Associated Factors in A Cross-Sectional Analysis of HIV Infected Patients Attending Bugando Medical Centre Mwanza Tanzania
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Abstract:
Background: HIV-syphilis co infection is an important problem clinically. Co infected stand a high risk of rapid HIV progression, complicate into neurosyphilis with resistance to ordinary treatment among others. The prevalence of syphilis among HIV positive patients is substantially high and more that 23.5% of the untreated syphilis complicate in neurosyphilis.
Objective: This study was designed to determine the prevalence of syphilis and associated factors among adult HIV positive patients attending care and treatment at Bugando Medical Centre.
Methodology: A cross sectional hospital based study was done involving all diagnosed HV positive patients. Participants underwent syphilis screening using TPHA and other data including demographic, clinical and laboratory information were collected for analysis. Analysis was done using STATA version 13. The proportion of HIV patients with syphilis by TPHA was calculated and expressed as percentage and its logistic regression mode was performed to determine the factors associated with syphilis co-infection.
Results: A total of 1748 positive were screened for syphilis and 167 (9.6%) were found to be seropositive for Treponema pallidum. The odds of having positive test for syphilis were independently associated with low educational level, polygamist and previous history syphilis treatment.
Conclusion: This study indicates that syphilis is a common co-infection among HIV positive patients in our setting and it is independently predicted by low educational level and polygamist this supports the routine screening of syphilis among HIV positive patients.
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