Prevalence of Most Common Reproductive Tract Infections among Women Attending Family Planning Clinics in Montazah-Alexandria

Abstract

Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) are infections of the genital tract. The categories of RTI are called endogenous, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and iatrogenic, reflecting how they are acquired and spread (WHO, 2005). The global burden of reproductive tract infections (RTI's) is enormous and of a major public health concern, particularly in developing countries where RTIs are endemic. The aim of study was to measure the prevalence of the most common Reproductive Tract Infections (Candida albicans, Trichomonas vaginalis and Bacterial vaginosis) among married women and identify some factors associated with them. The current study was a cross sectional descriptive study conducted in four health centers chosen randomly in El -Montazah health distract-Alexandria. It was conducted on women seeking family planning services (615) at these clinics. An interview questionnaire, clinical examination and laboratory diagnosis were implemented on studied participants. The study showed that although 20.5% visited family planning clinics to seek medical advice for RTIs, 484/615 (78.7%) studied women have at least one type of reproductive tract infections based on laboratory test against 73.5% based on the symptoms only with direct question to women and 89.8% based on the clinical examination only.