EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF REPORTED CASES OF GESTATIONAL SYPHILIS IN THE STATE OF ACRE FROM 2012 TO 2021 (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Syphilis is a disease classified as a sexually transmitted infection and is caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum. This disease represents a major public health problem in Brazil, since transmission of the etiological agent can occur vertically through the placenta in cases of gestational syphilis, triggering congenital syphilis. This situation highlights the need for adequate prenatal care, carried out early, with appropriate counseling, laboratory tests performed at the correct times, and effective treatment, in order to avoid negative outcomes for the mother-fetus binomial. This study aims to analyze gestational syphilis in the state of Acre from 2012 to 2021, with the intention of characterizing this pathology in its various notification nuances. Based on the results obtained in this study, it was noted that the state of Acre ranks third in the North region with the highest number of registered cases during the study period, a reality that reflects the limited coverage and low quality of prenatal care provided in the municipalities of Acre. The largest number of reported cases occurs in the health region called “Baixo Acre and Purus”. Rio Branco, the capital of Acre, is among the three capitals with the highest rates of syphilis in pregnant women per live birth for the year 2021, highlighting the complex public health reality of the municipality. The diagnosis of the disease must be performed using treponemal tests associated with the patient's clinical condition and treatment monitored using non-treponemal tests. There was a predominance of gestational syphilis among young women during the period studied, as well as the perception of the low rate of formal education among them, both factors that highlight the need to expand public policies that aim to disseminate knowledge about the need for adequate prenatal care and the use of condoms during sexual intercourse to avoid contagion by the etiological agent, thus preventing gestational syphilis.