Reproductive Tract Infections in Rural Vietnam, Women's Knowledge, and Health-Seeking Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Study.
We interviewed 1,805 women in a rural setting in Vietnam with the aim of investigating women's knowledge regarding reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and their health-seeking behavior. We found that women's overall knowledge was poor. Furthermore, only one-third of the symptomatic women sought health care. RTIs affect millions of women globally each year. Most vulnerable are women in low- and middle-income countries where poverty and gender inequities affect their access to health care services. Findings from our study can be used in similar rural settings worldwide to understand and manage the widespread problem of RTIs.
a Division of Global Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
Anna
A
Nielsen
a Division of Global Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.|b Hanoi Medical University , Hanoi , Vietnam.
Pham Thi
PT
Lan
a Division of Global Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
Gaetano
G
Marrone
c Department of Probability and Mathematical Statistics , Institute of Mathematics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology , Hanoi , Vietnam.
Ho Dang
HD
Phuc
d Department of Public Health , Hanoi Medical University , Hanoi , Vietnam.
Nguyen Thi Kim
NT
Chuc
a Division of Global Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.
Cecilia
C
Stålsby Lundborg
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006296:Health Services; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D060737:Reproductive Tract Infections / Q000208:ethnology*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data