Mathematical modeling and analysis of a sex-structured syphilis model with control measures
摘要
Syphilis remains a significant global public health challenge, with over seven million new adult infections each year despite the availability of effective treatment. Its continued persistence, particularly among high-risk and underserved populations, highlights the need for robust analytical models to understand transmission dynamics and inform targeted control strategies. This study presents a novel sex-structured compartmental model that captures the biological and behavioral complexity of syphilis transmission, incorporating multiple infection stages (primary, secondary, and latent), gender-specific progression, treatment, natural recovery, and reinfection. The population is stratified by sex and disease stage, allowing detailed analysis of transmission pathways between males and females. We established the positivity and boundedness of model solutions and derived the basic reproduction number (