[The fight against sexually transmitted diseases in Ivory Coast: what strategies can we use in the face of HIV/AIDS?]. / La lutte contre les maladies sexuellement transmissibles en Côte d'Ivoire: quelles stratégies face au VIH/sida?

In the AIDS era, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have become a major health problem in developing countries, particularly in Africa. Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of such infections may result in complications, many of which primarily affect women. Epidemiological studies in Abidjan have shown that more than 10% of the pregnant women attending antenatal clinics present STDs potentially serious for their own health or that of their infants (gonorrhea, chlamydia infection, genital ulcers or active syphilis). There is evidence that STDs increase the transmission of HIV and that improving the syndromic management of STDs reduces the incidence of HIV infection. This provides a strong argument in favor of controlling STDs in areas of high HIV prevalence. In Ivory Coast, as in other African countries, a STD control program has been integrated into the AIDS control program since 1992, as recommended by the World Health Organization. During the first six years of the STD program, considerable progress was made in some areas, but not without difficulty. Simple syndrome-based decision trees have been adopted for the management of STDs in primary health care. Clinical studies have shown these therapeutic algorithms to be effective. At the same time, effective and affordable drugs for treating STDs were added to the list of essential drugs in Ivory Coast, after an international invitation to tender. The entire staff of the public health sector in Abidjan has been trained in syndromic STD management. Training is now being extended to other parts of Ivory Coast, including the private health sector and, in particular, private nurses. The surveillance of syndromic STDs, mainly genital ulcers in both sexes and urethral discharge in men, facilitates monitoring and evaluation of the STD program, following health care activities and adapting orders for drugs for treating STDs to real needs. In the near future, some parts of the STD program will be strengthened, particularly the management of sexual partners of STD patients and reduction of the cost of STD treatment for pregnant women.

HIV counseling and testing: behavior and practices of women of childbearing age in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. DYSCER-CI Group.

We assessed factors associated with women's attitudes toward HIV test results in gynecology clinics in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. HIV testing was systematically offered to nonpregnant women attending two gynecology clinics in Abidjan. Individual pretest counseling was performed by trained midwives. Posttest counseling was given 2 weeks later to women who wished to know their HIV test results. HIV testing was offered to a total of 1482 women, of whom 1401 (94.5%) agreed to be screened. The prevalence of HIV infection was 21.3%. Of the women who participated, 10% failed to return. Youth, low educational level, and absence of genital infection were findings individually associated with failure by participants to return for their test results. Among the 1242 women who returned, 13.7% did not wish to know the results of their HIV test. A positive HIV test result, being native to Côte d'Ivoire, a high educational level, and knowing the existence of the asymptomatic stage of HIV infection were factors independently associated with declining to know the HIV test result. In conclusion, women who declined to know their HIV test results presented a specific profile at the time of HIV testing. This information can be used to improve pretest counseling and the efficacy of future HIV screening programs.

Nutritional status and dietary intakes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected outpatients in Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire, 1995.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate nutritional status and dietary intakes in HIV-outpatients in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: In the Outpatients and Counselling Unit in the University Hospital in Treichville, and in the follow-up Unit of Blood Donors. SUBJECTS: 100 HIV-infected patients at different stages of the infection recruited consecutively in the two consultation services. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical, biological and anthropometric data were collected: weight, baseline weight, height, triceps skinfold (TS), arm circumference (AC), body mass index (BMI), muscular circumference (MC) and weight loss (WL). Dietary intake was estimated by the 24 h recall method. RESULTS: The M:F sex ratio was 1.1:1. Mean age was 32.5 y (30.7-34.4); 64% of the patients were symptomatic (S+). Mean weight was 58.7 kg (56.8-60.6) and mean BMI, 20.9 k/m2 (20.7-21.1); 67% of the patients had a BMI < 21.5 kg/m2. S+ patients had mean weight, BMI, AC and MC significantly lower than asymptomatic patients (P < 0.0001 = 0.001, 0.0003 and 0.004 respectively) and had suffered a more important WL (P < 0.0001). Immunodepressed patients had mean weight, AC and MC significantly lower than patients with a CD4 count > or = 200/mm3 (P = 0.04, 0.005 and 0.04 respectively). WL was independent of CD4 count. Protein, carbohydrate and fat intakes were respectively 59 g/24 h (52-66), 266 g/24 h (240-292) and 59 g/24 h (51-66). Energy mean intake was 7.6 MJ/24 h (6.9-8.4) and lower than WHO recommended intakes. CONCLUSIONS: In Abidjan, anthropometric parameters and dietary intakes of HIV-infected patients are worsened by clinical events. Nutritional intakes are generally lower than recommendations. Further studies are needed to determine if, in the African context, a causal relationship could exist between dietary intakes and nutritional status in HIV-infected patients.