Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydial infection among women undergoing legal or illegal abortion in Maputo

Machungo, F ; Zanconato, G ; Persson, Kenneth LU ; Lind, I ; Jorgensen, B ; Herrmann, B and Bergstrom, S (2002) In International Journal of STD and AIDS 13(5). p.326-330
Abstract
Our objectives were to compare the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in 103 women undergoing induced legal abortion (LA) and in 101 women with confirmed, recent illegal abortion (IA), in Maputo, Mozambique. For the purpose of this study, LA was considered the abortion provided in the Maputo Central Hospital with the approval of the Ministry of Health, and IA the one not provided through the approved facility, mentioned above. Women with IA were recruited in the outpatient gynaecology ward and women with LA in the emergency gynaecology ward in the Maputo Central Hospital, during the same time period. Serological tests for syphilis (rapid plasma reagin, ELISA-IgC and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption), gonorrhoea... (More)
Our objectives were to compare the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in 103 women undergoing induced legal abortion (LA) and in 101 women with confirmed, recent illegal abortion (IA), in Maputo, Mozambique. For the purpose of this study, LA was considered the abortion provided in the Maputo Central Hospital with the approval of the Ministry of Health, and IA the one not provided through the approved facility, mentioned above. Women with IA were recruited in the outpatient gynaecology ward and women with LA in the emergency gynaecology ward in the Maputo Central Hospital, during the same time period. Serological tests for syphilis (rapid plasma reagin, ELISA-IgC and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption), gonorrhoea (indirect haemagglutination) and chlamydia (microimmunofluorescence) were carried out. Direct immuno-fluorescence for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis antigen was done on endocervical smears from all the women. The prevalence of syphilis seropositivity in IA women is twice that of LA women (odds ratio [OR] 2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-9.95), with 10.9% and 4.9%, respectively. Exposure to gonorrhoea in these 2 groups is similar (OR 1.18; 95% CI 0.63-2.20), with seroprevalence of 31.1% in the LA and 34.7% in the IA group. The high titres are also similar in both groups. Serology findings for C. trachomatis indicate prevalence of seropositivity of 40.6% in the LA and 44.4% in the IA group with no significant difference (OR 1.17; 95% CI 0.64-2.13). In conclusion, STIs are highly prevalent in both IA and LA groups in Maputo. Urgent interventions are needed to reduce their prevalence and consequently their adverse consequences. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
sexually transmitted infection, legal abortion, illegal abortion, Mozambique
in
International Journal of STD and AIDS
volume
13
issue
5
pages
326 - 330
publisher
Royal Society of Medicine Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000175390800006
  • pmid:11972937
  • scopus:0036250986
ISSN
0956-4624
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4ba996f2-392e-407a-a241-e6491c85d22a (old id 893431)
alternative location
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/rsm/std/2002/00000013/00000005/art00006
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:54:36
date last changed
2022-01-28 23:01:11
@article{4ba996f2-392e-407a-a241-e6491c85d22a,
  abstract     = {{Our objectives were to compare the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in 103 women undergoing induced legal abortion (LA) and in 101 women with confirmed, recent illegal abortion (IA), in Maputo, Mozambique. For the purpose of this study, LA was considered the abortion provided in the Maputo Central Hospital with the approval of the Ministry of Health, and IA the one not provided through the approved facility, mentioned above. Women with IA were recruited in the outpatient gynaecology ward and women with LA in the emergency gynaecology ward in the Maputo Central Hospital, during the same time period. Serological tests for syphilis (rapid plasma reagin, ELISA-IgC and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption), gonorrhoea (indirect haemagglutination) and chlamydia (microimmunofluorescence) were carried out. Direct immuno-fluorescence for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis antigen was done on endocervical smears from all the women. The prevalence of syphilis seropositivity in IA women is twice that of LA women (odds ratio [OR] 2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-9.95), with 10.9% and 4.9%, respectively. Exposure to gonorrhoea in these 2 groups is similar (OR 1.18; 95% CI 0.63-2.20), with seroprevalence of 31.1% in the LA and 34.7% in the IA group. The high titres are also similar in both groups. Serology findings for C. trachomatis indicate prevalence of seropositivity of 40.6% in the LA and 44.4% in the IA group with no significant difference (OR 1.17; 95% CI 0.64-2.13). In conclusion, STIs are highly prevalent in both IA and LA groups in Maputo. Urgent interventions are needed to reduce their prevalence and consequently their adverse consequences.}},
  author       = {{Machungo, F and Zanconato, G and Persson, Kenneth and Lind, I and Jorgensen, B and Herrmann, B and Bergstrom, S}},
  issn         = {{0956-4624}},
  keywords     = {{sexually transmitted infection; legal abortion; illegal abortion; Mozambique}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{326--330}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society of Medicine Press}},
  series       = {{International Journal of STD and AIDS}},
  title        = {{Syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydial infection among women undergoing legal or illegal abortion in Maputo}},
  url          = {{http://www.ingentaconnect.com/rsm/std/2002/00000013/00000005/art00006}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}