Effect of Vaginal Discharge on Nurses Student’s Quality of Life

Abstract

Vaginal discharge is usually normal phenomenon; most women have vaginal discharge, especially those of childbearing age. The amount, consistency, color and smell of discharge vary among women. Glands in the cervix produce mucus. This may normally change its color to white or yellow on exposure to air. The amount of mucus changes throughout the menstrual cycle. Discharge would be more during ovulation or sexual arousal. The walls of the vagina may also make some secretions (Schrager, Paladine, and Cadwallader, 2011). Vaginal discharge may be normal or abnormal. Normal vaginal discharge is physiologic, such as occurs during pregnancy, sexual arousal or at specific period in the menstrual circle. Physiologic vaginal discharge in pregnant women is colorless or white, non irritating and odorless or has mild odor and is non-infective in nature with no squeals. Meanwhile, abnormal vaginal discharge often is associated with other symptoms, such as complaints of green, yellow, brown or red in color with foul smelling odor, pruritus, irritation, dysuria or dyspareunia depending on the type of infection (Khawaja et al, 2011). This study aimes at studing the effect VD on nurses student’s quality of life (QOL). To achieve the study objective, a descreptive study design is implemented at Faculty of Nursing Ain Shams University. A simple random sampling technique is used to recruit (142) student girls. So, the number of students that are selected in the first year (48) students, (39) students in the second year, (23) students in the third year and (32) students in the fourth year. Data collection has been carried out throughout the period from the beginning of September 2012 and finished at the end of May 2013. Two tools of data collection are used. First is structured interviewing questionnaire sheet to collect the demographic data, characteristics of vaginal discharge, students’ knowledge regarding care during menstrual care, and students’ knowledge about VD and QOL. Second is the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) adopted from Ware et al, 2002 to assess students’ QOL .