Knowledge, attitudes and practices of university adolescents about syphilis: a cross-sectional study in the Northeast

Prevalence and determinants associated with T. pallidum infection in adults from poor urban communities, Brazilian Amazon

BACKGROUND

In Brazil, despite the increase in coverage and access to rapid testing for syphilis in primary health care, no reduction in cases of syphilis and congenital syphilis was observed. Poor and low-educated populations are disproportionately affected by infection caused by T. pallidum. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of syphilis and associated factors among people aged 18 to 49 years old in the city of Belém, brazilian amazon.

METHODS

Observational, cross-sectional study carried out in a sanitary administrative district of a capital of the Brazilian Amazon, Belém, state of Pará, Brazil. Data collection was conducted from August 2021 to February 2022. The participantes consisted of residents of the Montese, Guamá and Condor neighborhoods. People aged 18 to 49 years were included. This variable was treated as dichotomous (reagent and non-reagent). The selected response event was 'reagent result'. The independent variables were the social factors and access to health services. To identify associated factors with the presence of markers of the bacteria studied, multiple logistic rules were performed.

RESULTS

178 people participated in the study; the median age was 35.0 years. The prevalence of IgG and/or IgM antibodies against T. pallidum was 7 % (13). In the final regression model, it was observed that participants who had sexual intercourse after using alcohol and drugs and those who did not know about the prevention of sexually transmitted infections were five times more likely to have tested positive for T. pallidum.

CONCLUSIONS

Aspects of individual vulnerability and access to health services must be managed to reduce the exposure of poor urban populations to T. pallidum.

Universitários e o Uso do Preservativo como Método de Prevenção das Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis

Introdução: O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o conhecimento, a atitude e a prática dos universitários da área da saúde que já tiveram relações sexuais, sobre o uso do preservativo como método de prevenção das infecções sexualmente transmissíveis (IST). Metodologia: Estudo descritivo do tipo inquérito sobre Conhecimento, Atitude e Prática, com delineamento transversal e abordagem quantitativa. Foi executada em formato on-line, cujas informações foram obtidas por meio da aplicação de um questionário durante o período de setembro a dezembro de 2021. A análise de dados foi realizada por meio dos softwares JASP 0.9.1.0 e BioEstat 5.0. Resultados: Dos 162 participantes, 64.8% possuíam conhecimento adequado; 52.5%, atitude adequada; e 98.1%, prática inadequada em relação à prevenção. O conhecimento esteve associado com a religião (p=0.015), frequência de realização de testes rápidos (p=0.016) e diagnóstico prévio de IST (p=0.029); a atitude esteve associada com a renda familiar (p=0.027), procedência (p=0.017) e sexo (p=0.000); houve associação da prática com o relacionamento (p=0.040). Discussão: O acesso apropriado a meios de prevenção e de informações favorece melhores atitudes e práticas em relação ao uso dos preservativos. Conclusão: Os universitários podem estar vulneráveis às IST, sendo importante ações educativas voltadas à adesão do preservativo.

Awareness, Knowledge and Risky Behaviors of Sexually Transmitted Diseases among Young People in Greece

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) affect mainly young individuals and cause health, social, and economic problems worldwide. The present study used a web questionnaire to assess the awareness, knowledge, sexual behaviors, and common practices regarding STDs in young Greek adults. The 1833 individuals, aged 18–30 years, who responded to the study seem to be particularly knowledgeable regarding STDs such as AIDS (97.7%), warts (97%), Chlamydia (92.2%), genital herpes (89.9%), syphilis (81.9%), and gonorrhea (72.1%), whereas lower percentages were noted for trichomoniasis (39.3%), Molluscum contagiosum (12.9%), mycoplasmosis (11.6%), and amoebiasis (7.4%). Regarding oral STD transmission, participants replied correctly for genital herpes (45%), warts (35.8%), and AIDS (HIV; 33.8%), whereas 30.2% were unfamiliar with oral sexual transmission. Of the participants, 52% were not aware that STDs might cause infertility. Only 40.4% of the respondents reported always using condoms during sexual intercourse, and 48.6% had never been tested for STDs. The majority of the young population (55%) presented a moderate knowledge STD score (41–60%) and was associated with demographic parameters such as age, gender, sexual preference, number of sexual partners, and residence (p < 0.05). These findings provide important information regarding the prevention of STDs and highlight the significance of developing more effective sex education programs for young people in Greece.