Characteristics of persons with syphilis in areas of persisting syphilis in the United States - Sustained transmission associated with concurrent partnerships

Background and Goal: In areas with persistent syphilis, to characterize per sons at higher risk for transmitting syphilis. Study Design: Cohort study. Structured interviews of persons with early syp hilis from four research centers were linked to outcomes of partner tracing . Results: Of 743 persons with syphilis, 229 (31%) reported two or more partn ers in the previous month, and 57 (8%) received money or drugs for sex in t he previous three months. Persons with at least one partner at an earlier s tage of syphilis than themselves were defined as transmitters; 63 (8.5%) of persons with early syphilis met this definition. Having concurrent partner s (two or more in one week in the last month) was independently associated with being a transmitter. Conclusion: Sexual network/behavioral characteristics of syphilis patients and their partners, such as concurrency, can help identify persons at highe r risk for transmitting syphilis who should receive emphasis in disease pre vention activities.