Pattern of sexually transmitted diseases in a Malagasy population.

ABSTRACT

PIP: Between November 1992 and April 1993, interviews were conducted with 400 patients (169 men, 231 women) aged 14-52 years at the sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic of the Institut d'Hygiene Sociale in Antananarivo, Madagascar, to determine the pattern of STDs and to improve treatment of the leading STDs. The 400 patients presented with 434 syndromes. 124 men had urethral discharge. 210 women had cervicovaginal discharge. 43 men and 18 women had genital ulcers. Clinicians could not establish a diagnosis in 33 patients. 171 patients had more than one infection. Chlamydia infection was the most common infection associated with another STD (gonorrhea in 22% of men and 11% of women with discharge, trichomoniasis in 2.4% of men and 13% of women, candidiasis in 1.6% of men and 9% of women, and bacterial vaginosis in 15% of women with discharge). Gonorrhea was the most common etiology for male discharge (69%) while chlamydia infection was for female discharge (52%). Women with discharge were more likely than men with discharge to have chlamydia infection (52% vs. 42%), trichomoniasis (30% vs. 9%; p 0.00001), and candidiasis (32% vs. 12%; p 0.00001). 37% of women with discharge had bacterial vaginosis. Chlamydia infection was the most common STD in this population (45%). 32% of male and 71% of female gonorrhea cases also had chlamydia infection. 70 patients had syphilis. 36 of them had secondary stage syphilis. No one had HIV-1 or HIV-2 infection. The most efficacious antibiotics for gonorrhea were ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, and spectinomycin (100% susceptibility). 31% and 26% of isolates were susceptible to tetracycline and cotrimoxazole, respectively. Public facilities in Madagascar do not have the capabilities to diagnosis chlamydia, resulting in many untreated chlamydia cases. These findings stress the need to improve combined treatment of gonorrhea and chlamydia infection and for educational efforts to increase awareness of genital ulcer disease.