Current state of syphilis incidence in Lviv region

Abstract

Purpose: to analyze and summarize statistical data on syphilis incidence in Ukraine and the Lviv region over the past 10 years, considering age, gender, and place of residence to predict further and develop preventive measures to combat the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and syphilis in particular. Materials and methods. The study used medical statistical data on syphilis incidence and demographic data for the ten-year period from 2014 to 2023. It calculated prevalence rates, frequency, structure, and trends in morbidity. Bibliosemantic method and methods of structural and logical analysis, and medical and statistical analysis were applied. Results. Analysis of statistical data revealed the following patterns of syphilis incidence in the Lviv region: syphilis incidence rates in the Lviv region per 100 000 population over the past ten years are significantly (p < 0,001) lower than the national rates in Ukraine; in terms of age distribution of the incidence of syphilis, the 40–59 age group predominates among both men and women. Gender differences in the number of registered cases of syphilis are significantly higher in the Lviv region compared to Ukraine as a whole with a tendency to increase disparity over the last decade, rising from 1,2:1,0 in 2014 to 9,2:1,0 in 2022. Relative incidence rates of syphilis among men were significantly higher than among women (p < 0,001). The difference in syphilis incidence rates between urban and rural populations has shown a downward trend in recent years (2018–2022), reaching 1,14 cases per 100 000 rural residents versus 3,30 cases per 100 000 urban residents in 2022. Conclusions. The obtained data must be used to predict and develop preventive measures for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, particularly syphilis.