Abstract
We present the characteristics of the commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STI) at a clinic of Monkey Bay community hospital by a retrospective study. We conducted an audit of patients’ hospital records from a STIs clinic at Monkey Bay community hospital in Mangochi District (Malawi) covering a period from January 2019 to June 2019 (18 months). Data was tabulated in excel and analyses were made based on sex, age, male circumcision status, pregnancy and the pattern of STIs diagnosed within the chosen study period. A total number of 659 clients presented at STI clinic of Monkey Bay community hospital between January 2018 and June 2019. Out these clients, 409 (62%) were females and 250 (38%) were males. Most of the patients were in the age range of 25 years or above (447, 68%). Majority of the patients were HIV negative (523, 79%). Out of the 250 males, 113 (45%) were circumcised. Among female patients 56 of the 409 (14%) were pregnant. The most common presentations for all cases put together were lower abdominal pain (253, 38%), then urethral discharge (189, 29%), abnormal vaginal discharge (141, 21%), genital ulcer disease (64, 10%), in that order. Syphilis, genital warts, inguinal bubo and scrotal swelling were less common. The most common presentation in males was urethral discharge (178, 71%), while in females it was lower abdominal pain (214, 52%). Our audit showed that in Mangochi (Malawi) sexually transmitted diseases of various types are more common among young adults, females and uncircumcised men. There was no much difference in the percentage of STI’s between HIV positive and HIV negative people. These results point to an alarmingly high level of risky sexual behaviors among sexually active age groups in this part of Malawi, a country which still has one of the highest HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. This calls for continued and better research and control for transmission of STIs in the district.
Highlights
Transmitted diseases (STDs) are among the most frequently occurring infections worldwide
We present the characteristics of the commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STI) at a clinic of Monkey Bay community hospital by a retrospective study
The study was done in STI clinic at Monkey Bay community hospital in Mangochi (Malawi) which is a referral center to many other health centers and clinics in the district with close to 1 million inhabitants
Summary
Transmitted diseases (STDs) are among the most frequently occurring infections worldwide. In developing countries like Malawi, laboratory diagnosis of every sexually transmitted infection is not feasible due to limited resources at clinic level. Due to this challenge Malawi adopted a syndromic approach to STI management in 1993 under the John Snow Incorporated/support to AIDS and Family Health (JSU-STAFH) project. The syndromic management implies an approach in which clinical algorithms, such as decision trees, for commonly presenting signs and symptoms (e.g. urethral discharge or genital ulcer) are used in case management [14]. We conducted a clinical audit with an aim of assessing characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases among clients presenting at one of rural hospitals in Malawi (Monkey Bay Hospital in Mangochi)
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