ABSTRACT
Background: Knowledge of the Sociodemoraphic factors associated with HSV-2 seroprevalence and identification of the associated patient-recognizable clinical features will enable informed preventive public health interventions. There’s yet no documented data on the clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with HSV 2 Seroprevalence among pregnant women in Nigeria. Objectives: To identify sociodemographic and clinical correlates of HSV-2 seroprevalence among pregnant women attending ante-natal clinics in Benin, Nigeria. Study Location, Design and Duration: All the participants were prospectively recruited from the two major hospitals in Benin: University of Benin Teaching Hospital and Central Hospital, Benin. The cross-sectional study took place between November 2011 and June 2012. Methodology: Participants were recruited on booking. Data on their sociodemographic profiles, clinical history and obstetric characteristics were obtained by the use of structured questionnaires and hospital case records. Their blood samples were also promptly collected on recruition. Each participant’s serum was analyzed for HSV-2 IgG antibodies by gG-based type-specific ELISA. Counselling and testing for HIV were also carried out. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Results: The average age of the 674 enrolled participants was 30.6±5.2 years and most of them were married and had complete secondary education. Seroprevalence of HSV-2 was 46.3%. Factors that was significantly associated with HSV-2 seropositivity included age, level of education, parity, HIV seropositivity and positive history of sexually transmitted infections. The HSV-2-infected were also significantly more likely to recall episodes of genital rashes (occurrence of rashes of any type in the external genitalia), vaginal discharge and urethral discharge. Conclusion: Risk factors for HSV-2 infection among pregnant women could include increasing age, higher parity, education below secondary level, HIV-positive status, and positive history of sexually transmitted infections. History of genital rashes, vaginal discharge and urethral discharge syndromes were associated with HSV-2 infection.
ABSTRACT
Teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to be a major health, social and financial problem across the country, and especially in Texas. While national research has shown that abstinence education is not working, the Texas Legislature, Texas School System and the Lubbock community still require Abstinence-Only education. The current paper is based on a community prevention evidence-based program in Lubbock, Texas entitled Teen Straight Talk (TST, 2007). TST is designed to educate and provide information on the topics of body image, teen and peer pressure, depression and suicide, along with understanding sexuality and how the body works, abstinence, contraception, teenage pregnancy, STDs, protection and sexual responsibility. The program reduces barriers between adults and parents and the youth they care for. TST is a joint effort among faculty, undergraduate and graduate students from Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and community partners. Empirical data has been collected since 2008 to fulfill the program main goals: a) Understand parents knowledge and attitudes on sexual development as well as increase awareness of needs and benefits of comprehensive sexual education programs for parents and adolescents; b) Train volunteer students to promote healthy teenage sexual development in the Lubbock Community, c) Deliver comprehensive, medically, psychologically and sociologically correct sexual education to families and teenagers concerning risk and protective factors related to sexual activity. Empirical and social implications of TST are discussed.
El embarazo juvenil y las infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS) continúan siendo un problema de salud, económico y social de índole mayor en Estados Unidos particularmente en Texas. Mientras evidencia empírica a nivel nacional demuestra que la educación basada en abstinencia no funciona, la legislatura en Texas, el sistema educativo en las escuelas y en las comunidades de Texas aun requieren que se utilicen los programas de Solo-Abstinencia. Este artículo esta basado en un programa comunitario de prevención basado en evidencia empírica en Lubbock, Texas llamado Teen Straight Talk (TST, 2007). TST fue diseñado para educar y proveer información sobre los temas de imagen corporal, presión de pares y adolescentes, depresión y suicidio, en conjunto con el desarrollo sexual y el entendimiento acerca de cómo funciona nuestro cuerpo, abstinencia, métodos anticonceptivos, embarazo juvenil, enfermedades de transmisión sexual, protección y responsabilidad sexual. El programa intenta reducir las barreras entre adultos y padres de familia y sus hijos adolescentes, y se ha implementado en ingles y español. TST es un esfuerzo conjunto entre investigadores, estudiantes de pregrado y postgrado en Texas Tech University y Texas Tech University Ciencias de la Salud y líderes comunitarios. Desde el 2008, datos empíricos han sido recolectados para evaluar las metas del proyecto: a) Entender el conocimiento y las actitudes de los padres acerca del desarrollo sexual y a la vez informar acerca de la necesidad y los beneficios de los programas comprensivos de educación sexual para padres y adolescentes, b) Entrenar estudiantes voluntarios para promover la salud y el desarrollo sexual de los adolescentes en la comunidad de Lubbock
Subject(s)
Humans , Pregnancy in Adolescence , Sexually Transmitted DiseasesABSTRACT
Background Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and HIV especially, are a major health problem in Malaysia. The emergence of HIV infection has increased the importance of early and effective treatment of STIs as any delay may lead to enhance transmission or acquisition of HIV infection. A proper understanding of the patterns of STIs is necessary for effective planning and control strategies. The present study is designed to determine the changing pattern of STIs in the Genito-urinary Medicine Clinic (GUM), Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL). Objective To study the sociodemographic characteristics of patients with STIs attending the GUM Clinic in HKL and to analyze any changes in the pattern of STIs seen between the 2 study periods of 1995-1999 and 2001-2005. Method A retrospective review of case notes of new patients with STIs attending the GUM clinic, HKL was done during two study periods of 1995-1999 (Poster presentation on “Pattern of STDs” at 14th RCD, Asia-Australasia, 26-30 July 2000, KL, Malaysia by HB Gangaram et al) and 2001-2005. Results In 1995-1999, a total of 3150 STI patients were studied. Among them, 2016 (64%) were males and 1134 (36%) were females. In 2001-2005, a total of 2909 STI patients were examined, of which 1862 (64%) were males and 1047 (36%) were female. There was a decrease of 8.3% in the total number of cases seen in 2001-2005 as compared to 1995-1999. The decline was more evident with bacterial STIs which included syphilis, gonorrhoea, NGU and chancroid. Viral STIs which consisted of herpes genitalis, genital warts and HIV showed an increasing trend. A younger age group (20-39 years old) appeared to be infected with STIs in 2001-2005. Males outnumbered females in the ratio of 1.8:1, which remained unchanged in both the study periods. Based on ethnicity, there was an increase in the percentage of Malays being infected in STIs in the later study period. Syphilis was the commonest STI seen in both the study periods. The second commonest STI seen in 1995-1999 was gonorrhoea and non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). In 2005, there were 184 patients with syphilis; 64% were heterosexuals; 39.6% homosexuals and 1.6% bisexuals. Majority (82%) were asymptomatic (latent syphilis with positive syphilis serology at presentation. Symptomatic patients with early infectious syphilis constituted 15% (Primary 8%; Secondary 7%). Screening for HIV was positive in 31 (16.8%) patients. HIV infection was noted to be the commonest STI associated with syphilis. Conclusion was an overall decline in the number of patients with STIs attending the GUM clinic, HKL. The decline was more evident with bacterial STIs; viral STIs however showed an increasing trend. Syphilis was still the commonest STI seen in the two study periods although the percentage has declined. Non specific urethritis has superseded gonorrhoea as the second commonest STI. HIV was found to be the commonest STI seen in association with syphilis.