Knowledge about syphilis in elderly people in a municipality in the state of São Paulo

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the knowledge about syphilis in the elderly in the city of ílvares Machado - SP and to characterize the sociodemographic aspects of this population. METHOD: Cross-sectional study, where elderly residents in ílvares Machado were included. Personal, behavioral, socio-demographic, and sexual behavior information were collected. Statistical analysis was simple descriptive and the association between the variables of interest was used chi-square or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: All elderly were heterosexual (100%), with a prevalence of elderly people who did not use condoms (62.63%) and 18.18% of respondents considered syphilis as a sexually transmitted infection and 15.15% reported how to prevent the disease. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of preparation and disinformation of the elderly regarding their sexual health and syphilis, its manifestation and prevention.