The PREVALENCE OF SELECTED SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES In Adar-Yale Area

Abstract

To evaluate the prevalence of five selected sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), gonorrhoeae, trichomoniasis, syphilis, hepatitis B and HIV infection, in Adar-Yale area, which is located in the Upper Nile State, blood and urine samples were collected from two hundred and fifty subjects attended Adar Yale hospital and Balgook and Aljamam dispensary clinics. The age of the study population, ranged between 16 and 69 years old. Of this population, 85.6 % were men and 14.4 % were women. The four population subgroups examined were classified as company's employees (38.8 %), nomads (26.4 %), army personnel (18.8 %), and foreigners (16.0 %). Amongst all participants, half of them (51.2 %) they had sexual contact with prostitutes in last sex months. Out of 250 subjects, 115 (46.0 %) subjects were infected by one or more sexually transmitted diseases. Of these, 77 (30.8 %), 30 (12.0 %) and 8 (3.2 %) were infected with one, two and three pathogens, respectively. The commonest infected subgroup was company's employee (45.2 %) and low rate of infection was identified among foreigners (5.2 %), while the infection rates for nomad and army personnel were 28.7 % and 20.9% respectively Age group 16 – 24 years old was most (55.8 %) infected age group, followed by age group more than 45 years old, which had 52.6 % prevalence rate. Age group 24 – 34 years old and 35 – 44 years old prevalence rates were 40.3 % and 46.7 % respectively. Statistically, no significant difference in the prevalence between males and females and between married and single, their prevalence rates were 44.4 %, 55.6 %, 48.1% and 45.0 %. Also, there was no significant difference between uneducated (56.5 %) and high school-graduated (47.8 %) groups in their prevalence rates, while college-graduated participants were not infected by STD except one who infected by gonorrhoea. Clinical symptoms were seen in 77 (30.8 %) participants. These symptoms were vaginal or urethral discharge (12.8 %), pelvic pain (11.2 %), and genital ulcer (1.6 %). Gonorrhoeae showed high prevalence (16.4 %) followed by trichomoniasis (13.6 %), HIV infection (12.8 %), syphilis (11.6 %) and hepatitis B had low prevalence (10.0 %). T. vaginalis was significantly more prevalent in army (21.3 %, P < 0.02) and uneducated (19.3 %, P < 0.003) participants. T. pallidum significantly more prevalent among eldery more than 45 years old (31.6 %, P < 0.008) and uneducated (16.1 %, P < 0.01) participants. Other STDs, (N. gonorrhoea, HBV and HIV) showed no significant correlation with the population strata and subgroups.