Infectious vaginitis among women seeking reproductive health services at a sexual and reproductive health facility in Kampala, Uganda.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Infectious vaginitis is one of the most prevalent conditions affecting women of reproductive age with significant clinical consequences. Bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvo-vaginal candidiasis (VVC), and trichomoniasis (TV) are the main etiologies. Unfortunately, there is limited data on the prevalence and associated risk factors, especially in sub-saharan Africa. This study, thus, determined the prevalence and risk factors of infectious vaginitis among women seeking reproductive health services at a Marie-stopes health facility in urban areas of Kampala, Uganda. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with 361 participants was conducted from July to October 2021. Data on risk factors and infection were collected via a structured questionnaire and laboratory analysis of vaginal swabs, respectively, with data analysis performed using Stata version 14.0 college station, Texas 77,845 US. RESULTS: The ages of participants ranged from 18 to 49 years, with a mean age of 29.53 years. Overall, 58.45% were infected, of whom 33.24% had VVC, 24.93% had BV, and 0.28% had TV. Bivariate analysis revealed that women with pruritus (COR 3.057, 95% CI 1.940-4.819), pregnancy (COR 4.914, 95% CI 1.248-19.36), antibiotic use (COR 1.592, 95% CI 1.016-2.494), douching (COR 1.719, 95% CI 1.079-2.740), and multiple partners (COR 1.844, 95% CI 1.079-2.904) were more likely to have VVC, whereas having higher education status (University; Vocational) (COR 0.325, 95% CI 0.134-0.890; COR 0.345, 95% CI 0.116-0.905) reduced the risk. On the other hand, women with a smelly discharge (COR 1.796, 95% CI 1.036-3.110), IUD use (COR 1.868, 95% CI 1.039-3.358), and antibiotic use (COR 1.731, 95% CI 1.066-2.811) were more likely to have BV. Multivariable analysis identified pruritus (AOR 2.861, 95% CI 1.684-4.863) as the only independent predictor for VVC. CONCLUSION: Results indicate a high prevalence of infection among these women; therefore regular screening and treatment is recommended to curb the high rate of infection. More studies on risk factors of infection are recommended.