Abstract:

Luo Zhenzhou, Lin Jia, Li Zhen, Tian Lishan, Yuan Jun, Zhou Guomao, Chen Sihan, Yang Tubao, Feng Tiejian, Chen Xiangsheng Department of Skin Disease and STD Prevention and Control, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen 518054, China （Luo ZZ, Lin J, Li Z, Tian LS, Yuan J, Zhou GM, Chen SH）; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China （Yang TB）; Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen 518019, China （Feng TJ）; Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College; Reference Laboratory， National Center for Sexually Transmitted Disease Control, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210042, China （Chen XS） Corresponding author: Zhou Guomao, Email: 453351637@qq.com 【Abstract】 Objective To evaluate willingness to notify sexual partners in syphilitic patients, and to explore its influencing factors. Methods Social-demographic and clinical data were collected from 594 patients with syphilis administrated by Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control between April 2011 and June 2014, and medical records were established for them. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors influencing willingness to notify sexual partners. Results Univariate analysis showed that many factors affected willingness to notify sexual partners in syphilitic patients, including gender, marital status, educational levels, working status, ways to learn of the illness, absence or presence of male homosexual behavior, having or not having HIV co-infection, self-reported sources of infection, having or not having casual sexual partners. Multivariate analysis further confirmed that gender （female: adjusted odds ratio ［AOR］ = 2.579, P = 0.005）, marital status （married: AOR = 4.864, P < 0.05; divorced/widowed: AOR = 0.360, P = 0.016）, ways to learn of the illness （seeking medical care for disorders: AOR = 0.316, P = 0.003; passive screening: AOR = 0.358, P = 0.013）, absence or presence of male homosexual behavior （AOR = 7.952, P = 0.024）, having or not having casual sexual partners （AOR = 0.303, P < 0.001） were significantly associated with willingness to notify sexual partners. Conclusion Female, being married, actively seeking medical care, absence of male homosexual behavior, and not having casual sexual partners are associated with stronger willingness to notify sexual partners in syphilitic patients, and standardized medical care services are helpful to improve willingness to notify sexual partners in syphilitic patients.