title: Prevalence and health-seeking behavior of reproductive tract infection/sexually transmitted infections symptomatics: a cross-sectional study of a rural community in the Hooghly district of West Bengal.
abstract: A community-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in Purushottampur village of the Singur block, Hooghly, using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire, to find out the prevalence of RTI / STI symptomatics among the general population aged 15 to 49 years, and to assess their profiles and health-seeking behaviors. Prevalence of (Reproductive tract infection) RTI / STI (Sexually transmitted infections) symptoms in the last 12 months was found to be 13.9 and 13.6% among males and females, respectively. The most common symptom was dysuria and vaginal discharge among males and females, respectively. Almost half of the STI symptomatics (52% male, 50% female) did nothing for their symptoms. Better health-seeking behavior was observed among females. About 9.4% of the males and 47% of the females sought advice from the clinic / hospital / health workers. Strengthening of activities of the existing national program among the general population is needed to build a positive health-seeking behavior that will ensure success of the syndromic management of RTI / STI.
authors: Department of Community Medicine, NRS Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, India. amritasmnt@yahoo.co.in
authors: Amrita
authors: A
authors: Samanta
authors: Santanu
authors: S
authors: Ghosh
authors: Shuvankar
authors: S
authors: Mukherjee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult