• Fabia Lopes, Fernanda Kesselring Tso, and Neila Maria de Góis Speck.
• MD. Doctoral Student and Brazilian Army Medical Captain, Command of the 11th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo (SP), Brazil.
• Sao Paulo Med J. 2023 Jan 1; 142 (2): e2022557e2022557.

BackgroundGiven the characteristics of military missions, intense interpersonal contact, and wide variation in casual relationships, the military has long been recognized as a high-risk population for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence of STIs and socioepidemiological profile of women in the military garrison of Campinas.Design And SettingThis prospective, cross-sectional epidemiological study, assisted by the Health Fund in the military garrison of Campinas, assessed the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C, syphilis, human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, and gonococcus in military women or companions of soldiers with active or previously active sexual life.MethodsThis study included 647 women based on the non-inclusion criteria. They underwent clinical and laboratory tests for diagnosis of STIs. For statistical analysis, patients were divided into groups according to the presence or absence of STIs and into age groups.ResultsMost women were military dependents, and the majority were asymptomatic. The prevalence of STIs, in ascending order, was 0.3% for hepatitis B and C, 0.62% for syphilis, 0.62% for gonorrhea, 1.08% for chlamydia, and 2.63% for HPV. There were no cases of HIV infection.ConclusionsThe Brazilian Army has the most women-like dependents in the military, belonging to the hierarchical circle of the squares. Early onset of sexual activity favored STIs approximately twice, and younger women had approximately seven times more chlamydia infections. In the general population studied, the prevalence of STIs was lower than expected than in the armed forces of other nations.

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