Prevalence of syphilis and hiv co-infection, their associated risk factors in high risk group individuals presenting to a tertiary care centre in north india

Background: Many studies showed importance of high risk behaviour in transmission of HIV and syphilis. Commercial sex workers and their buyers, men having sex with men, long distance drivers, intra-venous drug users, sexually transmitted infections/ reproductive tract infection (STI/RTI) patients are important population for HIV/syphilis. However, exact data on seropositivity of HIV/syphilis, their co-infection, proper information on basic characteristics and associated risk factors is unavailable in this population. Therefore this study was designed to assess seroprevalence of syphilis/HIV, their co-infection and associated risk factors among high risk group individuals.
Methods: High risk behaviour individuals attending integrated counselling and testing centre and STI/RTI clinic over one year were included in study. Their socio-demographic data, medical & sexual history, physical examination, VDRL test, Treponema Pallidum Haemagglutination (TPHA) test & ELISA for syphilis, EIA for HIV were done and results were analyzed using binary logistic regression methods.
Results: Total of 119 patients were enrolled. Seroprevalence of syphilis, HIV and their co-infection was 26.9%, 18.5% and 6.7% respectively. Prevalence varied largely among different high risk groups. In this study, subjects who started sexual intercourse before age of 16 years, had more than 3 sex partners and never use safer sex practices showed greater risk of infection. Persons who screened regularly for HIV/ STI and know HIV/ STI status of their partners had less chance of transmission of infection.
Conclusions: This study provides important information regarding prevalence, sexual practices and risk factors associated with syphilis/HIV among high risk behaviour individuals in north India.