Demographic, risk factors and motivations among blood donors with reactive serologic tests for syphilis in São Paulo, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the demographic characteristics, risk factors and motivations for donating among blood donors with reactive serologic tests for syphilis.


BACKGROUND
Post-donation interviews with syphilis seropositive blood donors improve recruitment and screening strategies.


METHODS
This case-control study compares 75 Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) > 8, EIA+ (enzyme immunoassay) and FTA-ABS+ (fluorescent treponemal antibody); 80 VDRL-, EIA+ and FTA-ABS+; and 34 VDRL- and EIA- donors between 2004 and 2009. Donors were assessed by their demographic characteristics, sexual behaviour, history of alcohol and illicit drugs use, and motivations to donate.


RESULTS
Donors with VDRL > 8 were more likely to be divorced [AOR = 12·53; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·30-120·81], to have had more than six sexual partners (AOR=7·1; 95% CI 1·12-44·62) and to report male-male-sex in the past 12 months (AOR=8·18; 95% CI 1·78-37·60). Donors with VDRL-, EIA+ and FTA-ABS+ were less likely to be female (AOR=0·26; 95% CI 0·07-0·96), more likely to be older (AOR=10·2; 95% CI 2·45-42·58 ≥ 39 and <60 years old) and to have had more than six sexual partners in the past 12 months (AOR = 8·37; 95% CI 1·49-46·91). There was no significant difference among groups regarding illicit drugs use; 30·7% (VDRL > 8) and 12·5% (VDRL-, EIA+ and FTA-ABS+) of donors reported that they had been at risk for HIV infection (P = 0·004). One-third of donors came to the blood bank to help a friend or a relative who needed blood.


CONCLUSIONS
Although donors exposed to syphilis reported and recognised some high risk behaviour, most were motivated by direct appeal to donate blood. Monitoring the risk profile of blood donors can benefit public health and improve blood safety.
Infectious Diseases Division, Federal University of São Paulo; Department of Molecular Biology, Fundação Pró-Sangue Hemocentro de São Paulo.
S C
SC
Ferreira
C
C
de Almeida-Neto
A S
AS
Nishiya
C D L
CD
Oliveira
J E
JE
Ferreira
C S
CS
Alencar
J E
JE
Levi
N A
NA
Salles
A
A
Mendrone
E C
EC
Sabino
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001782:Blood Donors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013587:Syphilis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology
blood donors; motivation; risk factors; risk-taking; syphilis serodiagnosis