Prevalence of Syphilis Cases and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections among University Students

Introduction: Syphilis, caused by Treponema pallidum, is considered one of the main causes of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), due to its easy sexual and congenital transmission. Objective: Knowing the importance of syphilis, this study aimed to perform a rapid test to identify the prevalence of syphilis among university students, as well as to analyze their behavior, knowledge and perception regarding this and other STIs. Material and Methods: Therefore, a questionnaire was applied in person and also online to 266 students aged between 18 and 48 years old, most of whom were women (72.18%), white (71.43%), and single (84.96%). Results and Discussion: Of this total, 52 students agreed to perform the Immuno-Rápido Sífilis test (WAMA Diagnóstica), presenting a non-reactive result in all samples. It was observed in the survey that: 6.0% had already had an STI; 20.7% used illicit drugs; 1.9% shared needles and syringes; 78.8% did not use condoms frequently with their regular partners and 55.5 % with their occasional partners, with these sexual behaviors being considered risky. Students had an average of 66.7% correct answers when assessing knowledge about syphilis, sexual practices and other STIs. Conclusion: The results show that although the students do not have syphilis, the behavior considered risky and the insufficient knowledge on the subject do not exclude other STIs and reinforces the need to perform awareness campaigns.