Characteristics of Syphilis Patients at the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Clinic of the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial General Hospital

Abstract

Syphilis remains a global public health problem despite the availability of effective serological screening and antibiotic therapy. Caused by Treponema pallidum, syphilis is transmitted through sexual contact and vertical transmission from mother to fetus. The disease presents a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, a staged course, and an often asymptomatic latent phase, which contributes to underdiagnosis. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of patients with syphilis at the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Clinic of West Nusa Tenggara Provincial General Hospital, including demographic features, clinical diagnosis, ICD-10 classification, sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV coinfection, and serological test results. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted using secondary data from medical records of patients diagnosed with syphilis at the VCT Clinic during the 2024–2025 period. A total of 32 patients were included in the analysis. Most patients were young adults, with a slightly higher proportion of males than females. Most patients resided in Mataram City and West Lombok Regency. The most common clinical diagnosis was unspecified syphilis, reflected by the predominance of ICD-10 code A53.9. Some patients had coinfections with other STIs and HIV, while others had no documented coinfections. Serological examinations showed that most patients had reactive TPHA and/or VDRL results, although incomplete serological data were identified due to laboratory examinations performed outside the hospital facilities. These findings highlight the demographic profile and clinical characteristics of syphilis patients at the VCT Clinic and underscore the importance of comprehensive clinical and laboratory documentation in syphilis screening and management.