Abstract.

Introduction. Syphilis has been known to increase the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV infection. Epidemiologic studies showed that HIV transmission is 3-5 times higher in people with syphilis. Hence, in this current study, the factors associated with syphilis-seropositive and HIV infection were evaluated.

Methods: Cross sectional study was used. This study included inmates at Lubuk Pakam prison in November 2016.  After interviewing participants’ demographics and risk behaviors, blood samples were obtained to be tested for HIV and syphilis, using the Rapid Test tool of HIV 3 methods and One STEP Syphilis Anti TP-Test.

Results: A total number of 1,114 inmates were included in this study, consisted of 1,081 male (97%) and 33 female (3%). Ten inmates were HIV-positive (0.9%), whereas 70 inmates were syphilis-seropositive (6.3%). Based on multivariate-analyses, high-risk sexual behaviors was associated with the increase risk of syphilis-seropositive of up to 8.31 times (p=0.002). HIV status also portrayed higher risk of syphilis-seropositive compared to non-HIV participants (3.98 fold, p=0.019). In HIV incidence, found that high-risk sexual behaviors also significantly increased the risk of HIV (7.69 fold, p=0.003]. Syphilis-seropositive was also highly associated with HIV risk (5,09 fold, p=0.019).

Conclusions: Syphilis and HIV showed close association with several shared contributing factors.