Treponemal infection rates, risk factors and pregnancy outcome in a rural area of Senegal.

A rural population of east Senegal has been under demographic surveillance for more than 30 years and a high rate of infertility has been reported. The aim of the study is to describe HIV and treponemal infection epidemiology and association with outcome of pregnancy in a population of rural Senegal. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 952 randomly-selected adults of a rural community of Senegal. No participant was found to be infected with HIV, 11% had evidence of past syphilis and 5% of active syphilis. Active syphilis was associated among men with age, long-term mobility and having partners in an urban area in the last 12 months and among women with being divorced or widowed. No association was found between past or active syphilis and abortion or stillbirth but women aged 40 and more with past or active syphilis were significantly more likely to have had no history of gestation than women with no evidence of syphilis infection. In conclusion our results call for more research to understand the epidemiology of treponemal infection and to elucidate types of Treponema pallidum involved.