Israel Eskinder, Hizkel Iskindir, Geta Temesgen, Feleke Tihun, Samuel Beniyam, Markos Desta
School of Public Health, College of Health Science and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia.
Department of Maternal and Child Health, Sawla Town Health Office, Gofa Zone, Sawla, Ethiopia.
Front Glob Womens Health. 2023 Jun 19;4:1190170. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2023.1190170. eCollection 2023.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) cause a wide range of public health problems if left untreated. They can lead to adverse birth outcomes, including stillbirth, fetal loss, neonatal death, preterm birth, and low birth weight. Although great efforts have been made to reduce STIs nationally, their incidence remains high in Ethiopia, and their co-infection calls for urgent action. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the determinants of three STIs among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) in the context of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission in public health facilities in Sawla Town, Gofa zone, Southern Ethiopia.
A cross-sectional study design was conducted among pregnant women attending antenatal care in public health facilities in Sawla Town, Southern Ethiopia, from May to July 2022. Data were collected from pregnant women's serum using an HIV rapid test, an HBsAg rapid test device, and a VDRL for HIV, HBV, and syphilis, respectively. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages, were used to describe each relevant variable. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the determinants of STIs.
A total of 484 pregnant women attending antenatal care were screened. The mean age of the women was 24.0 ± 4.6 years, and nearly half of the participants had completed secondary school or higher. The overall seroprevalence of three STIs (HIV, HBV, and syphilis) among pregnant women was 6.8%. These three sexually transmitted infections were shown to be more common among pregnant women who were not able to read and write, had tattoos, had previously had an abortion, and had a history of multiple sexual partners.
The seroprevalence found in this study was intermediate in comparison with the WHO standard. Efforts should be made to strengthen the existing health education and RH service integration on STI screening, and treatment that further eliminates vertical infection.
性传播感染（STIs）若不治疗会引发一系列公共卫生问题。它们可导致不良分娩结局，包括死产、胎儿丢失、新生儿死亡、早产和低出生体重。尽管在全国范围内已做出巨大努力来减少性传播感染，但在埃塞俄比亚其发病率仍然很高，且它们的合并感染需要紧急行动。因此，本研究旨在确定在埃塞俄比亚南部戈法地区索拉镇的公共卫生设施中，在消除母婴传播的背景下，产前护理（ANC）孕妇中三种性传播感染的决定因素。
2022年5月至7月，在埃塞俄比亚南部索拉镇的公共卫生设施中对接受产前护理的孕妇进行了一项横断面研究设计。分别使用艾滋病毒快速检测、乙肝表面抗原快速检测设备和性病研究实验室试验（VDRL）从孕妇血清中收集艾滋病毒、乙肝病毒和梅毒的数据。使用频率和百分比等描述性统计方法来描述每个相关变量。采用逻辑回归分析来确定性传播感染的决定因素。
总共对484名接受产前护理的孕妇进行了筛查。这些女性的平均年龄为24.0±4.6岁，近一半的参与者完成了中学或更高学历。孕妇中三种性传播感染（艾滋病毒、乙肝病毒和梅毒）的总体血清阳性率为6.8%。这三种性传播感染在无法读写、有纹身、曾有过流产以及有多个性伴侣史的孕妇中更为常见。
与世界卫生组织标准相比，本研究中发现的血清阳性率处于中等水平。应努力加强现有的关于性传播感染筛查以及进一步消除垂直感染的健康教育和生殖健康服务整合。
