A community-based study on the prevalence of reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections and their associated factors among married women of reproductive age in Delhi

Introduction: Reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections (RTIs/STIs) and their sequelae are an important public health problem, particularly among women. Although high prevalence of RTIs has been reported by community-based studies in India, very few of them have included asymptom...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Preety Doley, Geeta Yadav, Sumathi Muralidhar, Monika Gupta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2023-01-01
Series:CHRISMED Journal of Health and Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.cjhr.org/article.asp?issn=2348-3334;year=2023;volume=10;issue=3;spage=224;epage=229;aulast=Doley
_version_ 1797300080940679168
author Preety Doley
Geeta Yadav
Sumathi Muralidhar
Monika Gupta
author_facet Preety Doley
Geeta Yadav
Sumathi Muralidhar
Monika Gupta
author_sort Preety Doley
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections (RTIs/STIs) and their sequelae are an important public health problem, particularly among women. Although high prevalence of RTIs has been reported by community-based studies in India, very few of them have included asymptomatic women. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of RTIs/STIs based on symptoms, clinical examination, and laboratory investigations and factors associated with it among married women of reproductive age in an urbanized village in Delhi. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among married women in the age group of 15–49 years, residing in an urban field practice area of the Department of Community Medicine of VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital from November 2017 to April 2019. The study was carried out using an interviewer-administered questionnaire in the field followed by clinical examination and sample collection for investigations conducted at urban health training center. Statistical Data Analysis: Data were entered into MS Excel and analyzed using licensed the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0. Results: The prevalence of RTI/STI based on symptoms was 53.7%, clinical 39.2%, and laboratory confirmed 36.7%. The prevalence of laboratory-confirmed RTI/STI among asymptomatic women was 21.6%. Women using cloth during menstruation (odds ratio [OR] = 2.242), having a positive history of abortion (OR = 2.373), not using condoms during last sexual intercourse (OR = 1.998), and washing genital area with only water during menstruation (OR = 1.929) had higher odds of having RTI/STI. Conclusions: The prevalence of laboratory-confirmed RTI/STI among married women was quite high even among asymptomatic women indicating the need for opportunistic screening for RTI/STI among women visiting hospitals or health centers for other health problems for its early diagnosis and management.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T23:01:05Z
format Article
id doaj.art-581fb4466e1c4f87baaac5ad809ad220
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2348-3334
2348-506X
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T23:01:05Z
publishDate 2023-01-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series CHRISMED Journal of Health and Research
spelling doaj.art-581fb4466e1c4f87baaac5ad809ad2202024-02-22T14:40:58ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsCHRISMED Journal of Health and Research2348-33342348-506X2023-01-0110322422910.4103/cjhr.cjhr_48_23A community-based study on the prevalence of reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections and their associated factors among married women of reproductive age in DelhiPreety DoleyGeeta YadavSumathi MuralidharMonika GuptaIntroduction: Reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections (RTIs/STIs) and their sequelae are an important public health problem, particularly among women. Although high prevalence of RTIs has been reported by community-based studies in India, very few of them have included asymptomatic women. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of RTIs/STIs based on symptoms, clinical examination, and laboratory investigations and factors associated with it among married women of reproductive age in an urbanized village in Delhi. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among married women in the age group of 15–49 years, residing in an urban field practice area of the Department of Community Medicine of VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital from November 2017 to April 2019. The study was carried out using an interviewer-administered questionnaire in the field followed by clinical examination and sample collection for investigations conducted at urban health training center. Statistical Data Analysis: Data were entered into MS Excel and analyzed using licensed the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0. Results: The prevalence of RTI/STI based on symptoms was 53.7%, clinical 39.2%, and laboratory confirmed 36.7%. The prevalence of laboratory-confirmed RTI/STI among asymptomatic women was 21.6%. Women using cloth during menstruation (odds ratio [OR] = 2.242), having a positive history of abortion (OR = 2.373), not using condoms during last sexual intercourse (OR = 1.998), and washing genital area with only water during menstruation (OR = 1.929) had higher odds of having RTI/STI. Conclusions: The prevalence of laboratory-confirmed RTI/STI among married women was quite high even among asymptomatic women indicating the need for opportunistic screening for RTI/STI among women visiting hospitals or health centers for other health problems for its early diagnosis and management.http://www.cjhr.org/article.asp?issn=2348-3334;year=2023;volume=10;issue=3;spage=224;epage=229;aulast=Doleyasymptomaticlaboratory confirmedmarried womenreproductive tract infectionsrisk factorssexually transmitted infectionssymptomatic
spellingShingle Preety Doley
Geeta Yadav
Sumathi Muralidhar
Monika Gupta
A community-based study on the prevalence of reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections and their associated factors among married women of reproductive age in Delhi
CHRISMED Journal of Health and Research
asymptomatic
laboratory confirmed
married women
reproductive tract infections
risk factors
sexually transmitted infections
symptomatic
title A community-based study on the prevalence of reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections and their associated factors among married women of reproductive age in Delhi
title_full A community-based study on the prevalence of reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections and their associated factors among married women of reproductive age in Delhi
title_fullStr A community-based study on the prevalence of reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections and their associated factors among married women of reproductive age in Delhi
title_full_unstemmed A community-based study on the prevalence of reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections and their associated factors among married women of reproductive age in Delhi
title_short A community-based study on the prevalence of reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections and their associated factors among married women of reproductive age in Delhi
title_sort community based study on the prevalence of reproductive tract infections sexually transmitted infections and their associated factors among married women of reproductive age in delhi
topic asymptomatic
laboratory confirmed
married women
reproductive tract infections
risk factors
sexually transmitted infections
symptomatic
url http://www.cjhr.org/article.asp?issn=2348-3334;year=2023;volume=10;issue=3;spage=224;epage=229;aulast=Doley
work_keys_str_mv AT preetydoley acommunitybasedstudyontheprevalenceofreproductivetractinfectionssexuallytransmittedinfectionsandtheirassociatedfactorsamongmarriedwomenofreproductiveageindelhi
AT geetayadav acommunitybasedstudyontheprevalenceofreproductivetractinfectionssexuallytransmittedinfectionsandtheirassociatedfactorsamongmarriedwomenofreproductiveageindelhi
AT sumathimuralidhar acommunitybasedstudyontheprevalenceofreproductivetractinfectionssexuallytransmittedinfectionsandtheirassociatedfactorsamongmarriedwomenofreproductiveageindelhi
AT monikagupta acommunitybasedstudyontheprevalenceofreproductivetractinfectionssexuallytransmittedinfectionsandtheirassociatedfactorsamongmarriedwomenofreproductiveageindelhi
AT preetydoley communitybasedstudyontheprevalenceofreproductivetractinfectionssexuallytransmittedinfectionsandtheirassociatedfactorsamongmarriedwomenofreproductiveageindelhi
AT geetayadav communitybasedstudyontheprevalenceofreproductivetractinfectionssexuallytransmittedinfectionsandtheirassociatedfactorsamongmarriedwomenofreproductiveageindelhi
AT sumathimuralidhar communitybasedstudyontheprevalenceofreproductivetractinfectionssexuallytransmittedinfectionsandtheirassociatedfactorsamongmarriedwomenofreproductiveageindelhi
AT monikagupta communitybasedstudyontheprevalenceofreproductivetractinfectionssexuallytransmittedinfectionsandtheirassociatedfactorsamongmarriedwomenofreproductiveageindelhi