Vulnerabilidade sobre a Sífilis Adquirida em idosos moradores de Presidente Prudente – SP

Abstract

Syphilis is considered one of the most prevalent Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in the world, with an estimated 7 million cases per year. It is a disease that presents a controversial public health problem, as its treatment is simple and can be cured with few resources. In Brazil, Syphilis is considered an important issue as detection rates have increased year by year. Despite the entire agenda of health actions targeting the young and adult population, the elderly population has been highlighted in recent research due to the increase in cases in the population over 60 years of age. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the vulnerabilities and population profile of adults and elderly people who underwent rapid tests for Syphilis in the municipality of Presidente Prudente – SP during the period from June 2020 to January 2021. This cross-sectional study used secondary data from 198 users above aged 60 who were tested in extramural campaigns, in the 'Fique Sabendo' campaign and in the municipal geriatric outpatient clinic of Presidente Prudente. Of the 198 individuals analyzed, 12 (5.5%) presented positive results for Syphilis, of which there was a predominance of women (83.3%, n=10) aged between 60 and 69 years (50%, n=6) , with self-declared white color (41.6%, n=5). Regarding education, 33.3% (n=4) of the respondents stated that they had studied for 4 to 7 years, 50% (N=6) stated that they were widowed. Regarding the accessibility of tests, 66.6% (n=8) denied a previous history of testing and 58.3% (n=7) discovered their positive results at the city's geriatric outpatient clinic. Despite the low percentage of people infected with Syphilis, it was observed that this population is highly vulnerable to STIs, mainly regarding the low perception of risk for Syphilis and non-use of condoms. Other data observed in the research were the different socio-spatial typologies in different municipal campaigns. It is concluded that Presidente Prudente follows national standards recommended for controlling Acquired Syphilis and that campaign profiles aimed at the elderly public can have effective impacts in combating the disease.