Contact tracing of syphilis-seropositive pregnant women and syphilis-infection among their male partners in Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China

Abstract

Background: Untreated male partners are a critical source of maternal re-infection. Contact tracing is a good way to identify infection among partners and reduce risk of mother-to-child transmission related to maternal re-infection. This study aimed to analyze the current situation and related factors of contact tracing of syphilis-seropositive pregnant women and syphilis-infection among their male partners.Method: Data of syphilis-seropositive pregnant women and their male partners attending clinic for syphilis-screening were obtained from the Shenzhen Program for Prevention of Congenital Syphilis. Contact tracing rate of syphilis-seropositive pregnant women and syphilis prevalence among male partners were counted, and related factors were also analyzed using a random-effects logistic regression model.Result: Of the 1299 syphilis-seropositive pregnant women, 74.1% (963/1299) had their male partners receiving syphilis-screening and 19.1% (184/963) of male partners were syphilis-infected. For pregnant women, being divorced (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =0.39; 95%CI: 0.17-0.87), seeking for emergency services at their first antenatal clinics visits (AOR=0.58; 95%CI: 0.44-0.77), reporting willingness to notify partner(AOR=7.65; 95%CI: 4.69-12.49), multi-partners (AOR= 1.38; 95%CI:1.03-1.86) and having a history of drug abuse (AOR=0.37; 95%CI: 0.14-1.00)were independently associated with successful contact tracing. For male partners, of minority ethnicity (AOR=4.15; 95%CI: 1.66-10.34), age of first sex＞20(AOR=0.57; 95%CI: 0.37-0.87), reporting multi-partners (AOR = 1.60; 95%CI: 1.04-2.46), having a history of drug abuse (AOR=4.07; 95%CI: 1.31-12.64) were independently associated with syphilis-infection. In addition, pregnant women with TRUST titer ≥1:8 (AOR=2.81; 95%CI: 1.87-4.21), having a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes (AOR=1.70; 95%CI: 1.14-2.53), reporting multi-partners (AOR=0.43; 95%CI: 0.29-0.64) and reporting the current partner as the source of syphilis (AOR=5.05; 95%CI: 2.82-9.03) were independently associated with partners' syphilis-infection.Conclusion: Contact tracing is feasible and effective in identifying syphilis-infected partners among syphilis-seropositive pregnant women. Contact tracing is associated with many factors such as women's marital status, services at their first antenatal clinics visit and willingness of partner notification. Partners' ethnicity, age of first sex, multi-partners and history of drug abuse as well as women's levels of TRUST titer were associated with partners' syphilis-infection.

Seroprevalence of syphilis and its predictors among pregnant women in Buno Bedele zone, southwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

“…The husbands’ history of using psychoactive substances like chat and inhalants has an association with the prevalence of syphilis. This is supported by studies in China (1.9%) 36 and 1.7% of syphilis prevalence among pregnant mothers whose husbands use substances in Pakistan. 33 In contrast, the study conducted on the prevalence of syphilis in northeast Brazil indicates that 17.9% of syphilis prevalence in mothers whose partners use drugs was much higher than in this study and related studies.…”

“…1 Furthermore, substance use is associated with an increase in the risk of blood-borne infections causing STDs. 36 The odds of syphilis infection were three times higher in pregnant women who had poor knowledge of syphilis than those with good knowledge, which is supported by a study done in Sudan. 38 This is due to the fact that poor knowledge about syphilis may result from women's limited access to preventative interventions, education and mass media, as well as their socioeconomic vulnerabilities that might make them prone to acquiring the disease.…”

“…1 Furthermore, substance use is associated with an increase in the risk of blood-borne infections causing STDs. 36 …”