VULNERABILITY AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AMONG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN WITH POSITIVE RAPID TESTING FOR SYPHILIS: A DOCUMENTARY STUDY

Syphilis has a high prevalence in the population of men who have sex with men and, as a sexually transmitted infection, is extremely associated with acquired immunodeficiency virus infection. Objective: To investigate the factors related to vulnerability, behavior, and sexual practice among men who have sex with men with rapid testing for syphilis. Outline: This is a documentary study, approved with registration no. 963,805, conducted from January to July 2015. It presents data from medical records of men who have sex with men, diagnosed with syphilis between 2013 and 2014. A standard form was used as a data source. Results: Among the 137 medical records, (61.3%) are single, (26.3%) with 12 years of schooling or more. A majority (80%) of the population that acquired infection continued the exposure through sexual intercourse and claimed to know the service through friends/professionals of the service, (88.6%) said that their partners had an infection, and (29.2%) declared using condoms. Implications: The data reinforce the need for disease control actions, as well as the dialogue with health policies, as the risks and vulnerable behaviors presented are the same as described in other studies.Descriptors: Vulnerability in Health; Treponema infections; Male Homosexuality; Sexual Behavior.