A profile of female in-patients with sexually transmitted diseases in a government psychiatric center

ABSTRACT

A study was done to describe sexually transmitted diseases among female psychiatric in-patients and to determine the psychiatric diagnosis of the female in-patients with sexually transmitted diseases at the National Center for Mental Health. In this study female in-patients with mental illness who underwent work-up for STD/HIV/AIDS were included. Deceased and discharged patients with STD/HIV were excluded from the study. Patients were given a set of questionnaires. Charts were also properly reviewed. The results showed that schizophrenic female patients with venereal warts were positive for VDRL and N. gonorrhea. The three patients positive for HIV had a psychiatric diagnosis of Mood Disorder and Schizophrenia. Most of the patients were formerly sex workers with the history of prohibited drug use. Strict surveillance and monitoring of female psychiatric patients is recommended.