Background. The prevalence of syphilis among HIV-infected people is a public health concern, but there is limited literature to\ndescribe the true burden of syphilis in resource-limited settings. We conducted this survey in 2013 to estimate the prevalence of\nsyphilis. Methods. A cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested for syphilis and HIV. Factors associated with syphilis infection\nwere identified. Results. The prevalence of syphilis was 0.9% (95% CI: 0.7ââ?¬â??1.1). This prevalence was higher in the 25ââ?¬â??49-year-old\nage (1.1% [95% CI: 0.8ââ?¬â??1.3]) than in the 15ââ?¬â??24-year-old age (0.6% (95% CI: 0.4ââ?¬â??0.9)). Women with lower education had a higher\nprevalence of syphilis (1.2% (95% CI: 0.9ââ?¬â??1.5)) compared to others (0.4% (95% CI: 0.2ââ?¬â??0.8)). This prevalence among HIV-infected\npeople was six times higher: 4.8% (95% CI: 2.9ââ?¬â??7.9) compared to HIV-negative people (0.8% (95% CI: 0.6ââ?¬â??1.0)). The prevalence\nof syphilis among HIV-infected females was 5.9% (95% CI: 3.4ââ?¬â??10.0). HIV-infected or concurrent sexual partners was associated\nwith increased syphilis prevalence with aOR = 4.2 (95% CI: 2.5ââ?¬â??7.2) and aOR = 4.2 (95% CI: 2.8ââ?¬â??6.5), respectively. Conclusions.\nThe prevalence of syphilis was significantly higher among HIV-infected patients. HIV infection and concurrent sexual partners are\nassociated with an increased prevalence of syphilis. Preventing HIV might help in preventing syphilis.
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