School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Ministry of Health, College of Nursing and Midwifery, Nalerigu, Northern Region, Ghana.
BMC Infect Dis. 2019 Apr 29;19(1):360. doi: 10.1186/s12879-019-3967-6.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. The disease affects all ages and both sexes but more prevalent among the sexually active age group of 15-49 years. The purpose of the current study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with syphilis infection among outpatients 15-49 years in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District of Ghana where high levels of infection were earlier reported among antenatal women.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 13 randomly selected health facilities. Blood samples were collected and tested for syphilis infection and a questionnaire administered to determine factors associated with the disease.
A total 277 patients aged 15-49 years participated in the study. The overall prevalence of syphilis infection was 3.2% (9/277), with 5.7% (6/105) and 1.7% (3/172) among males and females respectively. Significant factors associated with syphilis infection included sub-district of residence, (χ (4) = 31.20, p < 0.001) and history of coerced sexual intercourse (χ (1) =7.49, p = 0.006).
The prevalence of syphilis infection was high among male patients who lived in rural areas. Having a history of coerced sexual intercourse was a strong predictor for syphilis infection. Access to sexually transmitted infection control interventions in rural communities including health education may help control the disease.
梅毒是一种由苍白密螺旋体引起的性传播感染。这种疾病影响所有年龄段和性别，但在 15-49 岁的性活跃年龄段更为普遍。本研究的目的是确定加纳阿西库马-奥多本-布拉瓦地区 15-49 岁门诊患者中梅毒感染的流行率和相关因素，此前该地区报告了高比例的孕妇感染梅毒。
本研究采用描述性横断面研究，在 13 个随机选择的卫生机构中进行。采集血液样本进行梅毒感染检测，并进行问卷调查以确定与疾病相关的因素。
共有 277 名 15-49 岁的患者参加了这项研究。梅毒感染的总患病率为 3.2%（9/277），男性患病率为 5.7%（6/105），女性患病率为 1.7%（3/172）。与梅毒感染相关的显著因素包括居住的分区（χ (4) = 31.20，p < 0.001）和被迫发生性行为的历史（χ (1) =7.49，p = 0.006）。
男性患者和居住在农村地区的患者中梅毒感染的患病率较高。有被迫发生性行为的历史是梅毒感染的一个强有力的预测因素。在农村社区提供性传播感染控制干预措施，包括健康教育，可能有助于控制该疾病。
