Background:
Lower reproductive tract infections in women are important causes of morbidity but can also lead to complications and sequelae. This study aimed to establish the prevalence and risk factors of lower genital tract infections among women of reproductive age in Dakar (Senegal).
Methods:
This was a prospective study conducted in 6 maternity hospitals from July to November 2015. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 49 years and presented at health facilities with signs and symptoms of genital infection. Consenting individuals who met the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study.
Results:
During the reporting period, 276 patients were enrolled. According to the laboratory results, the prevalence of any genital infection was 69.6% (192 of 276). The most common vaginal infections were bacterial vaginosis (39.5%) and vaginal candidiasis (29%), with the third most common cause, trichomoniasis, trailing behind in terms of prevalence (2.5%). Among the microorganisms responsible for cervical infections,
Ureaplasma urealyticum
was the most frequent (27.5%), followed by
Mycoplasma hominis
(14.5%),
Chlamydia trachomatis
(4.7%), and
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
(1.1%). Multivariate analysis showed that young women and women with low levels of education were at increased risk for vaginal/cervical infections.
Conclusions:
This study revealed a high prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and vaginal candidiasis and suggests that health care providers should increase awareness and communication to improve vaginal hygiene practices. If infection with
Trichomonas vaginalis, C trachomatis
or
N gonorrhoeae
is suspected, we also recommend systematically performing laboratory diagnostic confirmation.
This study highlights the limitations of the applicability of the WHO syndromic approach in settings with low prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and calls for affordable and accurate rapid tests for STIs.
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of female cancer deaths in Sé né gal which is ranked 17 th in incidence globally, however, the screening rate there is very low. Nuanced gendered perceptions and health behaviors of both women and men play a significant role in women's health. Our study analyzed gender differences on perceptions of gender roles, discrimination, cancer attitudes, cancer stigma, and influences in healthcare decision making within our study population to inform ongoing cervical cancer prevention work in the rural region of Ké dougou, Sé né gal. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 158 participants, 101 women and 57 men (ages 30-59) across nine non-probability-sampled communities from October 2018 through February 2019. Bivariate analysis was conducted to assess gender differences across all variables. We also conducted analyses to determine whether there were significant differences in beliefs and attitudes, by screening behavior and by education. We found significant gender differences regarding the perception of a woman's role (P < 0.001) and a man's role (P = 0.007) as well as in the everyday discrimination questions of "decreased respect by spouse" (P < 0.001). Regarding cancer stigma, among women, 18.00% disagreed and 10.00% strongly disagreed while among men, 3.6% disagreed and 1.8% strongly disagreed that "If I had cancer, I would want my family to know that I have it." When making decisions about one's healthcare, women are more likely than men to trust
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