A study was conducted to determine the prevalence rate and risk factors for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Haiti’s rural Artibonite Valley. Women attending antenatal services at Hospital Albert Schweitzer from October to December 1996 were tested for gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomonas, syphilis, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Of the 476 women tested, 121 (25.4%) had trichomonas, 11 (2.3%) had gonorrhea, 51 (10.7%) had chlamydia, 32 (6.8%) were seropositive for syphilis, 20 (4.3%) were seropositive for HIV, and 191 (40.1%) had at least one STD.
The study found that nearly 30% of the women reported having entered a sexual relationship out of economic necessity, and this group had increased odds of HIV infection, with an Odds Ratio (OR) of 6.3 (P < 0.001). The researchers postulated that due to recent economic hardship in rural Haiti, women are entering into sexual relationships out of economic necessity, and this trend is contributing to the growing HIV epidemic. The study recommended STD prevention and development programs that target young people and economically disadvantaged women.
The study population consisted of pregnant women attending their initial prenatal consultation at the community dispensaries of Deschapelles and Liancourt. A total of 507 pregnant women presented at the study dispensaries, and 476 (94%) were enrolled in the study. The women were interviewed using a structured study questionnaire and provided blood and urine samples for testing. The serum was tested for syphilis using the Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test, and the urine was tested for white blood cells using a leukocyte esterase dipstick.
Laboratory testing was conducted at Hospital Albert Schweitzer and at the Institut National de Laboratoire et de Recherche in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The serum HIV antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the urine samples were tested by Amplicor polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis. The data were analyzed using EPI INFO 6 and SAS, and the results were compared using chi-square, Fisher's exact test, Student's t-test, and the Wilcoxon rank sum test.
The study found that women who reported having entered a sexual relationship out of economic necessity had increased odds of HIV infection, with an Odds Ratio (OR) of 6.3 (P < 0.001). The study also found that women who reported having had multiple sexual partners had increased odds of HIV infection, with an Odds Ratio (OR) of 2.5 (P < 0.05). The study recommended STD prevention and development programs that target young people and economically disadvantaged women.
The study found that the prevalence of STDs was high among the study population, with 40.1% of the women having at least one STD. The study also found that the prevalence of HIV was 4.3%, which is higher than the national average in Haiti. The study recommended STD prevention and development programs that target young people and economically disadvantaged women.