Epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases in Río Cuarto, Argentina

Abstract

Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are a group of transmittable diseases acquired fundamentally through sexual contact. STD are a social problem resulting from demographic explosion and changes in sexual conduct, which affects teenagers and adults of all socioeconomic strata. The goal of this work was to establish the actual state of the different STD within the studied population. Samples of vaginal fluids, endocervical materials and urethral exudates taken from 2,630 patients during five years were processed. 1,341 samples tested positive to one or more of the microorganisms, 1,099 corresponding to female patients and 242 to male patients. The microorganisms found in women were: Gardnerella vaginalis (39.1%), Candida albicans (21.3%), Trichomonas vaginalis (16.8%), Chlamydia trachomatis (11.5%); Neisseria gonorrhoeae (3.4%), Mycoplasma hominis (2.6%); Ureaplasma urealyticum (4.1%) and Treponema pallidum (1.6%). Associations were: Gardnerella vaginalis with Trichomonas vaginalis (6%), Gardnerella vaginalis with Candida albicans (5.1%); Trichomonas vaginalis with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (2.2%) and Gardnerella vaginalis with Chlamydia trachomatis (2.1%). In men, gonococcic urethritis represented 37.8%, non-gonococcic urethritis 55.4% and Treponema pallidum 6.8%. A decrease in syphilis, gonococcic urethritis and gonococcic cervicitis was observed, increasing the prevalence of non-gonococcic urethritis and cervicitis. This study showed that in our environment the actual tendency of STD is still high.