A survey of female genital schistosomiasis of the lower reproductive tract in the volta basin of Ghana

Abstract

The study confirms the reproductive health symptoms associated with FGS and recommends awareness creation on FGS among women in endemic communities to facilitate early treatment.

Female genital schistosomiasis is a neglected cause of reproductive ill-health

“…They can include otherwise unexplained infertility, ectopic pregnancy, irregular bleeding, or discharge, dyspareunia, pelvi-abdominal pain or tenderness, and/or tubo-ovarian masses. The signs and symptoms of chronically infested women may be minor or completely subclinical (Yirenya-Tawiah et al, 2011). Symptoms may mimic cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases (Yirenya-Tawiah et al, 2011).…”

“…The signs and symptoms of chronically infested women may be minor or completely subclinical (Yirenya-Tawiah et al, 2011). Symptoms may mimic cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases (Yirenya-Tawiah et al, 2011).…”

“…The standard of care for the treatment of FGS is a single dose of the antiparasitic drug praziquantel at a dose of 40 mg/kg (Yirenya-Tawiah et al, 2011). However, longstanding cases of FGS with adhesions may need surgery, with or without IVF treatment.…”

“…About 20 million women worldwide have this disease (Friedman et al, 2007;Yirenya-Tawiah et al, 2011). Some postmortem studies found histological evidence of female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) in 3-10% of the cases (Friedman et al, 2007).…”

“…The Gender Task Force of WHO's Tropical Diseases Program (2007) had included FGS in 'the list of scientific areas which deserve a high research priority.' The actual morbidity of FGS on maternal health and birth outcomes has still not been estimated properly (Yirenya-Tawiah et al, 2011). FGS represents a significant public health problem affecting sexual, reproductive, and maternal ill-health (World Health Organization (WHO), 2007).…”