Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Winter;3(1):28-32.

Schistosomiasis: health effects on women

Nawal M Nour  1
Affiliations

Schistosomiasis: health effects on women

Nawal M Nour. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Winter.

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection endemic in 74 resource-poor nations that affects approximately 200 million people. Schistosomes are water-borne flatworms or blood flukes that enter the human body through the skin. Some symptoms of schistosomiasis include fever, arthralgias, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, and hematuria. Ultimately, patients develop heptosplenomegaly, ascites, and lymphadenopathy. Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease, and its global health impact is grossly underestimated. Women suffer considerably from female genital schistosomiasis that causes infertility, preterm labor, anemia, menstrual disorders, and dyspareunia. More effort is needed to prevent schistosomiasis. Treating pregnant and lactating women decreases the disease burden and improves maternal and fetal outcome.

Keywords: Female genital schistosomiasis; Praziquantel; Schistosomiasis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Countries and areas at risk for schistosomiasis (2008). Available at http://gamapserver.who.int/mapLibrary/Files/Maps/Global_ShistoPrevalence_ITHRiskMap.png. Reprinted with permission.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Lifecycle of schistosomiasis. Available at http://med.stanford.edu/labs/michael-hsieh/images/Schistosomiasis_Life_Cycle.jpg. Reprinted with permission.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cercariae. Available at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ibes/research/int_phys/vector/. Reprinted with permission.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Male and female worm paired. Available at http://www.blessedherbs.com/images/pck-09.jpg. Reprinted with permission.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Maculopapular rash. Available at http://www.stanford.edu/group/parasites/ParaSites2006/Schistosomiasis/dermat.jpg. Reprinted with permission.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. World Health Organization, authors. Schistosomiasis, Fact Sheet No 115. 2010. Feb, [Accessed March 16, 2010]. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs115/en/index.html.
    1. Friedman JF, Mital P, Kanzaria HK, et al. Schistosomiasis and pregnancy. Trends Parasitol. 2007;23:159–164. - PubMed
    1. WHO-TDR.
    1. Schmitt I. Schistosomiasis—The burden of disease and trends of intervention. International Health Practice. 2006. Apr, [Accessed March 16, 2010]. http://www.case.edu/med/epidbio/mphp439/Schistosomiasis.htm.
    1. Behrman AJ. Schistosomiasis. Emedicine. 2008. [Accessed March 16, 2010]. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/788867-overview.

LinkOut - more resources