A study found that in Zimbabwe, as well as in Zambia and Uganda, people who were divorced, separated, or widowed were more likely to have active syph!lis compared to those who were married or living with a partner.
This trend was not observed in Tanzania.
The study, which looked at syphilis rates among people with and without HIV in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe from 2015 to 2018, showed that having multiple s3xual partners also increased the risk of syph!lis.
The Lancet journal reports that in Zimbabwe, the prevalence of active syph!lis was higher among people with two or more s3xual partners in the past year compared to those with only one partner.
Among people with HIV in Zimbabwe, those who used c0nd0ms had a lower prevalence of syph!lis compared to those who did not use c0nd0ms.
The study also found that the rate of syph!lis was lower in Zimbabwe (0.9%) compared to other countries like Zambia (3.0%) and Uganda (2.1%).
Overall, the researchers found that people with HIV were much more likely to have active syph!lis than those without HIV. The total number of people with active syphilis in the five countries was estimated at over a million, with a significant number being HIV positive.
To combat syphilis, the researchers recommended using combined HIV and syphilis tests, improving access to screening, especially in rural areas, and targeting high-risk groups such as pregnant women and those with economic challenges.
They also suggested promoting c0nd0m use and providing early treatment to prevent cong3nital syph!lis.
