Title: Genital infections in Swaziland.

POPLINE Document Number: 018115

Author(s):

Meheus A
Van Dyck E
Friedman F

Source citation:

Annales de la Societe Belge de Medecine Tropicale, 1982 Dec;62(4):361-7.

Abstract:

The relative frequency of the sexually transmitted diseases (STD) problem presenting as urethral discharge, vaginal discharge, genital complaints, genital ulceration, and inguinal adenopathy (bubo) seen at outpatient departments of the Mbabane Government Hospital in Swaziland were estimated and their etiology was determined. Collection of this type of data is a 1st step towards the development of treatment and control strategies for STD in any country. The data of the STD presenting problems was recorded during the January-February 1978 period. During a 3-week period, in addition to a clinical examination a number of diagnostic tests were performed to establish the eitology of the STD problem. Over a 5-week period, 249 patients were seen with an STD problem--urethral discharge, vaginal discharge, or genital ulceration. No figures were obtained on patients who presented only inguinal adenopathies. In males, 42% presented with urethral discharge, 51% with genital ulceration, and 7% with both problems, showing clearing the high frequency of multiple STD in these patients. 71% of females presented with vaginal discharge and/or genital complaints, and 29% with genital ulcers, in some cases combined with vaginal discharge. 82% of the males with urethral discharge had gonorrhea, 14% had nongonococcal urethritis, and 4% had no urethritis. Of the 65 females with vaginal discharge and/or genital complaints, 21.5% had gonorrhea, 24.6% trichomoniasis, and 23.1% candidasis. In patients with genital ulceration the clinical diagnosis was syphilis in 26%, herpes in 4%, and the remaining 70% were diagnosed as chancroid. Lymphogranuloma venereum and probably also granuloma inguinale were seen, but as the distinction on clinical grounds is difficult all these cases were classified as chancroid. On the basis of these figures for a 5-week period, it can be estimated that at the outpatient department of the Mbabane Hospital (with catchment area of 40,000 population) between 2500 and 3000 patients are seen annually with STD problems. This illustrates the great burden imposed on the health services by STD control in African countries.

Keywords:

Swaziland
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Infections
Laboratory Examinations and Diagnoses
Communicable Disease Control
Public Health
Developing Countries
Africa, Southern
Africa, Sub Saharan
Africa
Reproductive Tract Infections
Diseases
Examinations and Diagnoses
Health Services
Delivery of Health Care
Health