The Syphilis infection Rate in Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic, Office of Disease Prevention and Control No.10

Abstract

         Syphilis is severe sexually transmitted infections that have many complications, if didn't treat. Patient can dead from Complicated Syphilis. Many of Syphilitic infections now are in late latent stage. Screening Syphilis by RPR may found only low titer or negative result if the infection of Syphilis is very prolong. This Cross-sectional study aim to point the benefit of more detection of Syphilis by using TPHA instead of RPR screening.1,880 clients were screen Syphilis by TPHA during October 2005 - October 2008. All of them were not repeated cases and follow up cases. 82 clients had positive TPHA(4.4%). Grouping found that 36 males were positive TPHA from 212 males (43.90%), 26 sexworkers were positive from 1,336 sexworkers (31.71%), 12 housewife were positive from 146 housewife (14.63%), 8 MSM (Men who have sex with men) were positive from 186 MSM (9.76%),respectively. 82 blood samples that TPHA positive were test again by RPR. 32 blood samples were RPR negative. Within 32 clients that TPHA positive and RPR negative, 27clients were treated Syphilis before.There are 5 clients that never know their Syphilitic status and never been treated. All of the 5 clients, 4 are male another one is sexworker. All of 5 clients were treated Syphilis in Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic. They will not be treated if the screening Syphilis is RPR and 2/3 of them will gone to be Tertiary Syphilis such as Cardiovascular Syphilis, Neurosyphilis or other complication in any organ in the body. Treatment of Tertiary Syphilis can't recover the organ function if Syphilis destroy a lot of that organ. Patient will dead if those organs are necessary to life ex.brain, heart, large blood vessel. When compare the cost of TPHA and RPR screening for 1,880 samples, TPHA screening have more expensive than RPR for 30,080 baths. This expense will cheaper than the expense of Tertiary Syphilis Treatment. If they have complication or dead from Syphilis, this expense

will be most cheapest expense to protect their life and complication from Syphilis. TPHA should be a proper screening method of Syphilis instead of RPR in the situation that price of TPHA and RPR is difference not much and majority of Syphilis infections were in chronic, latent stage.