Prevalence of Venereal Diseases among Female Students of Abia State University Uturu, Abia State Nigeria

¹Etusim P.E., ­­ ¹Nwokoro A.O. and ²Ndom H.U. _­

¹Department of Medical Parasitology and Entomology, Abia State University Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria.

²Unit of Medical Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Abia State University Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria

E-mail: etusimp@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among female students of Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) was studied. Blood samples and High Vaginal Swab (HVS) samples were collected from four hundred and fifty (450) female undergraduate students and investigated for various agents of STIs including: Candida albicans, Neisseria gonorrhoea, Treponema pallidum, Staphylococcus aureus and Human Immuno Deficiency Virus, using standard microbiological methods. The HVS were analyzed using direct wet smear and culture techniques while blood samples were examined using standard proprietory agents. Out of the 450 female students sampled, Candida albicans had the highest prevalence rate of infection of 39.55%. It was followed by S. aureus (24.22%) and T. pallidum (4.0%). N. gonorrhoea and HIV was not isolated among the female students. There was a significant difference in the prevalence level of infection with age (x² cal 7.2616 P<0.05 df3), faculty based distribution (x² cal 3.887 P<0.05 df4). Increased screening for STIs is essential in preventing disease transmission and complicated health problems among these groups.