Abstract :
Introduction: Syphilis, a curable and preventable sexually transmitted infection (STI), remains a public health concern due to its diverse clinical manifestations and increasing prevalence globally. In India, syphilis has re-emerged, particularly among high-risk groups such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and people living with HIV (PLHIV). This study aims to analyze the current clinical and epidemiological trends of Syphilis.
Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from December 2022 to September 2024 at the STI clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Pune, Maharashtra. The study enrolled 78 confirmed syphilis cases, representing 4.7% of the 1660 STI cases diagnosed during the study period. Diagnosis was based on clinical history, physical examination, Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test with a titre of ?1:8, and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA). Data on demographic characteristics, sexual behavior, and clinical staging were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: Of the 78 syphilis cases, 61 (78.2%) were male, 15 (19.2%) female, and 2 (2.6%) transgender. The majority were young adults aged 21-30 years (55.15). Most patients were married (65.4%) and literate, with 42.3% being graduates. Polygamous relationships were reported by 67.5% of the patients, and 87.0% did not use condoms regularly. HIV co-infection was observed in 26 (33.33%) cases. VDRL titres ranged from 1:8 to 1:640, with symptomatic patients showing higher titres. Eleven (14.1%) pregnant women were diagnosed with latent syphilis during routine antenatal checkups
Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for improved surveillance, especially in high-risk populations, and targeted interventions, including sex education, safe sex promotion, and rapid point-of-care testing. Strengthening antenatal syphilis screening and ensuring appropriate treatment can help control the resurgence of syphilis
Keyword :
HIV coinfection, Latent syphilis, Sexually transmitted infections, Syphilis, VDRL