Need for syphilis screening and counselling in HIV counselling and testing centres: a curtain raiser study from north India
Nag, V.L.; Dash, N.R.; Pathak, A.; Agarwal, S.K.
Australian Journal of Rural Health 17(2): 102-106
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 1440-1584 PMID: 19335601 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1584.2009.01045.xDocument Number: 206022
Voluntary counselling and testing centres (VCTC) are important HIV screening points for the population with suspicion or apprehension for HIV, because of high-risk exposures. Theoretically, these are also at the risk of having co-infections, commonest being syphilis. The present short-term study was aimed at knowing the sero-reactivity of syphilis among a study cohort attending the VCTC in King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India. During a 2.5-month period, 49 HIV-positive and 171 HIV-negative sera were tested for venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL). The positive sera were further tested for treponema pallidum haemagglutination (TPHA). Eleven (22.4%) HIV-positive sera and 104 (60.8%) HIV-negative sera were VDRL-reactive (>or=1:8 dilutions). Of these, TPHA was reactive in three (27.3%) and four (3.9%), respectively. The result might suggest the need for routine screening and counselling for syphilis at VCTC. Studies from other centres on larger population are required.
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