Work

Sexually transmitted infections in women in a rural hospital in Sierra Leone: a retrospective database study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: • Sexually transmitted infections are still a major public health concern. • A total of 5% of our study population tested positive for an obligate sexually transmitted infection pathogen. • A total of 3% of our study population tested positive for Neisseria gonorrhoea. • Loop-mediated isothermal amplification was the method of diagnosis. • A total of 11% of our study population was positive for HIV. This study aimed to determine the frequency of sexually transmitted infections among women of reproductive age in a rural hospital in Sierra Leone. This retrospective cross-sectional database study included vaginal and endocervical swabs from 104 women of childbearing age (March 2023-March 2024) in Masanga Teaching Hospital, rural Sierra Leone. Samples were screened by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (eazyplex STD complete) for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium , and Treponema pallidum. Demographic and medical data were obtained from medical records. The median age was 26 years (range: 21-33 years). HIV status was available for 84 women, of whom nine (11%) were HIV-positive. Of the 75 women with clinical information available, 73 (97%) were symptomatic. Vaginal discharge (n = 66 of 75, 88%) was the most frequently reported symptom. Tests were positive for at least one target organism in the test panel in 54 of 104 cases (52%). M. hominis was most often detected (n = 47 of 104, 45% ), followed by U. urealyticum (n = 18 of 104, 17%) and N. gonorrhoeae (n = 3 of 104, 3%), whereas C. trachomatis and T. pallidum were positive in one (1%) sample each. M. genitalium was not detected. The detection of obligate sexually transmitted infections pathogens (i.e. C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, T. pallidum ; n = 5 of 104, 5%) was rare in our study population and setting.

Source: IJID Regions

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2025.100652