Successful Scale-up of Syphilis Testing Linked to Routine HIV Viral Load Monitoring in British Columbia.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• HIV/AIDS Research

Background:

• Rising syphilis rates globally necessitate effective screening strategies.
• Inadequate syphilis testing poses a significant public health challenge, particularly among vulnerable populations.
• People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at increased risk for syphilis co-infection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine syphilis screening trends among people living with HIV in British Columbia between 2015 and 2019.
• To identify factors associated with the frequency of syphilis testing in this population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of syphilis screening data for individuals with HIV in British Columbia.
• Statistical analysis to determine trends and associations over the study period (2015-2019).

Main Results:

• Syphilis testing among people with HIV significantly increased between 2015 and 2019.
• Increased testing was strongly correlated with routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load monitoring.
• Frequent syphilis screening was associated with men who have sex with men, residence in Vancouver, and engagement with HIV-focused care.

Conclusions:

• Routine HIV viral load monitoring can be an effective strategy to increase syphilis screening frequency.
• Targeted interventions may be needed to ensure equitable syphilis screening for all people with HIV.
• Understanding demographic and care-related associations can inform public health strategies to combat syphilis co-infection.