Prevalence of STI/HIV co-infections among special treatment clinic attendees in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are poorly recognised and inadequately treated in Nigeria despite the fact that they constitute a major risk factor for sexual transmission of HIV infection. This study was carried out to ascertain STI/HIV co-infection rates and also to obtain relevant socio-demographic and reproductive health data associated with STI/HIV infections among special treatment clinic (STC) attendees. This information is urgently needed for designing STI/HIV control strategies. All consenting patients who attended the STC clinic from March to November 2001 were interviewed to obtain their socio-demographic and reproductive health data. Urethral, high vaginal and endocervical swabs and urine specimens were obtained and processed by standard methods. HIV screening was done by double ELISA tests. Of the 210 patients seen, 98 (46.7%) were male and 112 (53.3%) were female (p>0.05). The majority, 171 (81.4%) were aged 20-39 years, while only ten (4.8%) were adolescents. One-hundred-and-eighty (85.7%) had an STI, of which 41 (22.8%) were co-infected with HIV. Thirty (16.7%) patients with nongonococcal urethritis/cervicitis and five (2.8%) with gonorrhoea were also positive for HIV. Five patients were HIV positive but had no other STI. Patients with gonorrhoea, non-gonococcal urethritis/cervicitis, trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis were more likely than those with warts, candidiasis and herpes to have co-infection (X2=12.5, p=0.04). The studyís HIV prevalence rate was 21.9%. STI/HIV co-infection rate was significantly higher among unskilled and unemployed patients compared with professional and skilled workers (p<0.05). This study shows a high STI/HIV co-infection rate indicating that there is need for proper management of STI, as this will help curb the spread of HIV infection in Nigeria.