Sexually transmitted infections in rural Madagascar at an early stage of the HIV epidemic: a 6-month community-based follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Madagascar have primarily been monitored in selected groups of patients attending STI clinics in major cities as part of the HIV surveillance program in Madagascar.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to provide complementary data related to STI prevalence in a general rural population.


METHODS
STIs were investigated in 643 subjects aged 15 to 49 years as part of a cross-sectional morbidity study of urogenital schistosomiasis. Infection rates were reassessed 3 weeks and 6 months after systematic STI treatment at baseline.


RESULTS
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng), Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), Mycoplasma genitalium (Mg), Trichomonas vaginalis (Tv), and/or antibodies to Treponema pallidum (Tp) were diagnosed in 125 (37.5%) of 333 women and in 83 (26.8%) of 310 men. In addition, 49% of the women and 28% of the men were infected with herpes simplex virus-2. Six (0.9%) subjects were found HIV-antibody positive. Between the 3-week and 6-month follow-up surveys Ng, Ct, and/or Mg prevalence increased most prominently in women aged 15 to 24 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Study findings suggest that rural areas in Madagascar should be as closely monitored and assisted in STI and HIV control as their urban counterparts. Following the current consensus, young adults should constitute a priority target group in the control programs.
Leutscher
Peter
P
Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar. pl@bilharziasis.dk
Jensen
Jorgen Skov
JS
Hoffmann
Steen
S
Berthelsen
Lene
L
Ramarakoto
Charles-Emile
CE
Ramaniraka
Vero
V
Randrianasolo
Bodo
B
Raharisolo
Clairette
C
Böttiger
Blenda
B
Rousset
Dominique
D
Grosjean
Pierre
P
McGrath
Moriah McSharry
MM
Christensen
Niels
N
Migliani
Rene
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008270:Madagascar / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012423:Rural Health; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors