Risk Factors Of Sexually-Transmitted Infections Stis Among Men And Women In A Mining Community In Western Ghana A Study Of Lifetime Occurrence

ABSTRACT The paper seeks to identify risk factors associated with STIs and its prevalence in western Ghana. This study explored the relationship between STI diagnosis and demographic factors as well as contraceptive use in a mining community in western Ghana. Selected hospitals in the district were surveyed. The sample consisted of 117 males and 253 female patients attending outpatient clinics. 92 of 400 individuals approached agreed to complete a questionnaire. The majority 72 of the respondents was between 20-39 years 14 were adolescents 94 had some form of education of which 43 had completed middle school 50 of males and about 80 of females were married. Use of contraceptives by married and never married was 57 and 43 respectively. The vast majority of males were engaged in small scale mining 42 of the women were into trading. About 11 had gonorrhea 27 had candidiasis and only 1 had chlamydia. Of the 150 respondents who had STIs 84 were females. The odds of an STI diagnosis significantly increased when respondents were female odds ratio OR 3.0 compared to males and younger respondents 19-24 years compared to older ones OR 3.68. Odds decreased with use of contraceptives OR 0.56 compared to non-users and with marital status OR 0.42 compared to never-married. The overall logistic model was statistically significant 269672 8 N370 56.19 p .001. Females younger individuals never-married and contraceptive non-users are at relatively high risk for STIs in a mining district in western Ghana.