Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in symptomatic women of reproductive age group in a tertiary care centre
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20250180Keywords:
Sexually transmitted infections, Human immunodeficiency virus, TrichomoniasisAbstract
Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a significant global health challenge, affecting millions of individuals daily. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and causative organisms of common STIs in women aged 18-49 years who presented with symptomatic vaginal discharge at a tertiary care hospital in India. The primary objective was to assess the prevalence of common STIs, including syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and candidiasis, through the use of specific diagnostic tests.
Methods: A total of 100 non-pregnant women aged 18-49 years with vaginal discharge (excluding physiological discharge) were enrolled in the study. The research was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology LLRM Medical College, Meerut. Each participant was subjected to a detailed medical history and clinical examination. Vaginal and cervical swabs were taken for laboratory testing, and specific tests were performed for the detection of syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, HIV, and candida. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and statistical software such as GraphPad Prism 8.4.2 and statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 25.
Results: The study found that 15% of participants were diagnosed with an STI, with Candida infection being the most prevalent, affecting 66.67% of those with STIs. Chlamydia and Trichomonas infections each accounted for 13.33% of the cases, while one case of syphilis was reported. Significant correlations were observed between the type of vaginal discharge and the presence of STIs, with blood-stained and mucopurulent discharge being more common among STI-positive women.
Conclusions: The prevalence of STIs observed in this study was consistent with findings in the broader epidemiological literature. Candida infection was the most frequently diagnosed, underscoring the need for targeted interventions, early detection, and awareness among women of reproductive age in both urban and rural settings.
Metrics
References
Fu L, Sun Y, Han M, Wang B, Xiao F, Zhou Y, et al. Incidence Trends of Five Common Sexually Transmitted Infections Excluding HIV From 1990 to 2019 at the Global, Regional, and National Levels: Results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:851635. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.851635
World Health Organization. Global strategy on sexually transmitted infections 2021–2030. 2021. Available at: https://www.who.int/teams/global-hiv-hepatitis-and-stis-programmes/strategies/global-health-sector-strategies. Accessed on 19 October 2024.
Bala M, Kakran M, Singh V, Sood S, Ramesh V; Members of WHO GASP SEAR Network. Members of WHO GASP SEAR Network. Monitoring antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in selected countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region between 2009 and 2012: a retrospective analysis. Sex Transm Infect. 2013;89(4):iv28-35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2012-050904
James C, Harfouche M, Welton NJ, Turner KM, Abu-Raddad LJ, Gottlieb SL, et al. Herpes simplex virus: global infection prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016. Bull World Health Organ. 2020;98(5):315-29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.237149
Sexton J, Garnett G, Røttingen JA. Meta-analysis and metaregression in interpreting study variability in the impact of sexually transmitted diseases on susceptibility to HIV infection. Sex Transm Dis. 2005;32(6):351-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/01.olq.0000154504.54686.d1
Doley P, Yadav G, Muralidhar S, Gupta M. A Community-based Study on the Prevalence of Reproductive Tract Infections/Sexually Transmitted Infections and their Associated Factors among Married Women of Reproductive Age in Delhi. CHRISMED J Health Res. 2023;10(3):224-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/cjhr.cjhr_48_23
Chaudhary N, Kalyan R, Singh M, Agarwal J, Qureshi S. Prevalence of reproductive tract infections in women attending a tertiary care center in Northern India with special focus on associated risk factors. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2019;40(2):113-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/ijstd.IJSTD_17_16
Mittal G, Singh R, Rawat S, Kakati B, Pal R. Prevalence of Sexually transmitted infections in females attending community health centres in the rural area of Dehradun, India. Indian J Community Health. 2023;35(3):314-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47203/IJCH.2023.v35i03.011
Samanta A, Ghosh S, Mukherjee S. Prevalence and health-seeking behavior of reproductive tract infection/sexually transmitted infections symptomatics: a cross-sectional study of a rural community in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. Indian J Public Health. 2011;55(1):38-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-557X.82547
Ravi RP, Kulasekaran RA. Trends in reproductive tract infections and barriers to seeking treatment among young women: a community based cross sectional study in South India. Am J Epidemiol Infect Dis. 2013;1:53-8.
Gupta A. P3. 078 Prevalence of STI/STDs Among Women of Reproductive Age Group in Tribal District of North India. Sex Transm Infect. 2013;89(1):A172. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2013-051184.0538
Durga K, Karthika K. Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections at a tertiary hospital in Tamil Nadu. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 2017;6:3573-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20173487
Rathod DS, Shelke AD, Naik DB, Kesari PM. Prevalence of reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted infections among married women in the reproductive age group in urban slum of Bidar, Karnataka. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2017;4(11):4182-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20174825
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
