Abstract:Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics and trends of syphilis in the elderly in Jinan and to provide scientific basis for formulating effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of syphilis. Methods Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the incidence data of syphilis in the elderly in Jinan from 2012 to 2018. Results From 2012 to 2018, a total of 1,791 cases of syphilis in the elderly were reported in Jinan, with an average annual incidence of 23.44/100,000. The overall incidence of syphilis in the elderly was on the rise, with a statistically significant difference (χ2tendency=118.227, ＜0.01). The male-to-female ratio was 1.26:1, with an average annual incidence of 27.67/100,000 in males and 190/100,000 in females, indicating a statistically significant difference (χ2=62.288, ＜0.01). Most of the patients were latent syphilis (78.67%), followed by stageⅠsyphilis (12.23%), stageⅡsyphilis (7.71%) and stageⅢsyphilis (1.40%). The occupation of the patients was mainly composed of retirees (778 cases, 43.44%), farmers (569 cases, 31.77%) and household workers and the unemployed (328 cases, 18.31%). Cases were reported in all districts and counties. Tianqiao district reported the most cases, with 313 cases accounting for 17.48%. Conclusion During 2012-2018, the incidence of syphilis in the elderly aged 60 and above in Jinan city showed an upward tendency, with the incidence of syphilis in males higher than that in females. The majority of syphilis patients were latent syphilis, and most of them were retirees. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the publicity and education of syphilis knowledge in the elderly, attach importance to the detection of syphilis in the elderly, and control the transmission and spread of syphilis.