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Aug 4, 2023Keywords:
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Seroprevalence of syphilis among female commercial sex workers in Hawassa, Ethiopia: A crossectional study
Abstract
Introduction: Syphilis is an important public health problem worldwide. Female commercial sex workers are disproportionately affected by syphilis. There is scarce data on the prevalence of syphilis among female sex workers in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to identify the seroprevalence of syphilis and associated factors among female commercial sex workers.
Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Hawassa city among 381 female Commercial sex workers from July 5 to November 25, 2018. Background data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were collected from participants; plasma was prepared and tested for the antibody produced against T. pallidum using the syphilis test strip. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. A logistic regression model was used to assess factors associated with seroprevalence of syphilis.
Results: Most of the participants belong to the age group 20‒24 years; most of them were single and reside in an urban area, Seroprevalence of syphilis among female commercial sex workers was 4.2% ( 95% CI: 2.4-6.3). None of the factors assessed were significantly associated with the seroprevalence of syphilis.
Conclusions: Relatively low seroprevalence of syphilis was found in the present study requiring large-scale study to identify whether the low rate is a reflection of the global trend or program-related success involving this marginalized segment of society.
