Sexually transmitted infections (STI) symptoms (e.g., abnormal genital discharge and genital sores/ulcers) are a major public health concern in Bangladesh because the symptoms can indicate an STI and cause sexual and reproductive health complications in women of reproductive age. To our knowledge, no study examined the prevalence and risk factors of STI symptoms using a nationally representative sample. This study investigates the prevalence of STI symptoms among ever-married women in Bangladesh and the associations of STI symptoms with various demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral risk factors using the most recent available data (2007, 2011, and 2014) of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHS). The BDHS employs a two-stage stratified sampling technique. The analytic sample comprised 41,777 women of reproductive age (15–49 years). Outcome variables included STI symptoms: abnormal genital discharge and genital sores/ulcers. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to find the adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval to assess the associations of outcome measures with explanatory variables. The study found that the prevalence of abnormal genital discharge and genital sores/ulcers among ever-married women aged 15–49 years was 10% and 6%, respectively. Multivariable analysis revealed that for women aged 25–34 years, those who used contraceptives and married earlier had an increased likelihood of STI symptoms. Furthermore, women from the wealthiest wealth quintile and couple’s joint decision-making were less likely to have STI symptoms. Findings have implications for interventions efforts aiming to improve women’s sexual and reproductive health in Bangladesh.
We investigate the Dutch Disease impact of migrant's remittances and foreign aid using a yearly panel data of eight South Asian countries for the period of 1975-2013. An increase in per capita remittances erodes international competitiveness by appreciating the real effective exchange rate, also leading to a fall in traded to non-traded goods production ratio in the economy; hardly any statistically significant impact of foreign aid on these variables is detected. These point to premature deindustrialization consequences of large remittance inflows that could slow down structural transformation towards manufacturing. Although remittances and foreign aid may have a significant impact on poverty alleviation in this region, policy planners should pay attention to more effective utilization of remittances and foreign aid.
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