Self-reported reproductive tract infection/ sexually transmitted infection and health care seeking behavior among the women living in a slum of Kolkata

Background: Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) is a public health problem of significance in most parts of the world. It adversely affects reproductive health in both sexes but its impact on women's reproductive health is far devastating. Objectives: The study was conducted to know the prevalence of self-reported STI among the currently married women living in the slum area of Kolkata, the factors related with it and also to study their care seeking behavior following the infection. Materials and methods: This community based descriptive study was conducted by interviewing currently married women residing in a slum of Kolkata. Symptoms of STI and healthcare seeking behavior following the infection were enquired. Symptoms were grouped into complexes and presumptive diagnosis was made. Results: The prevalence of symptoms suggestive of STIs in the study population was found to be 47.8%.The most common symptoms reported by the sufferers were low backache (29.6%), burning micturition (25.2 %), and genital itching (23.5%). All symptoms were more common in the women living in the joint family, having one or more history of abortion. Symptoms of urinary tract infection was more in the age group of >30 years and those with >10 years of marriage. Whereas, vaginitis was more common in <30 years (p= 0.01). Only 49.0% of the sufferers consulted a health facility for treatment and most of them (62.9%) availed health service from the urban health training centre of the area. Conclusion: The present study found high prevalence of self-perceived reproductive morbidity among women in the slum setting. In the study there was no scope of laboratory investigation and was based on recall of the event in preceding three months.