Prevalência da sífilis e factores de risco em mulheres grávidas atendidas no Centro de Saúde de Malhangalene na cidade de Maputo

Abstract

Syphilis is a chronic infectious disease transmitted sexually or vertically during pregnancy. Despite being a treatable disease, it remains a global health problem. The disease affects all genders and all age groups. In pregnant women who test positive, syphilis causes serious problems to the fetus when the woman does not receive treatment or when she receives inadequate treatment. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of syphilis and risk factors in pregnant women attending prenatal consultations at the Malhangalene Health Center. This was a cross-sectional study with a descriptive and quantitative approach, with prospective data collection. The study took place between September and October 2017 at the Malhangalene Health Center, in Maputo City. The sampling was non-probabilistic for convenience. All pregnant women who presented to the prenatal consultation room of the CSM were consecutively selected as they entered until the sample size was completed (99). The data collection instrument was a structured questionnaire consisting of three sections: sociodemographic data, medical history data and behavioural data. The data were organised in tables and graphs and analysed using the statistical package SPSS version 20. To test the association between the independent variables and the dependent variable (syphilis), the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used. The prevalence of syphilis in the CSM was 6.1%. The data showed a higher prevalence of syphilis in pregnant women aged 30 to 49 years (50%), single and married (50%), with secondary education (50%), housewives (66.7%), with only one sexual partner (100%), with age at first sexual intercourse between 15 and 20 years (83.3%), age at first pregnancy between 21 and 25 years (83.3%) and 50% of these women are HIV positive. The risk factor associated with seropositivity for syphilis that was statistically significant after univariate analysis was the level of education. It is concluded that sociodemographic factors are significantly associated with the maintenance of the seroprevalence of syphilis in the CSM and that there is a need for more in-depth studies and priority plans aimed at educational bodies and communities, and that there is investment so that testing for syphilis occurs routinely in health services, so that there is early diagnosis and treatment.