Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    Background & Aim: In all societies, sexually transmitted infections(STIs) are among the most common infections. Approximately 90% of them occur in developing countries. Devastating consequences of these infections can threaten the society in different aspects such as health, economy and social. The above-mentioned infections are not always accompanied by the disease and most cases are asymptomatic or showing mild symptoms. Therefore, they can easily transmit to the others. The goal of this research is to assess the prevalence of STIs in women attending a family planning service. The specific goal is prevalence assessment on the basis of factors including age, parity, contraception, job, husband’s job, drug abuse and education. Patients & Method: This case study was done on 150 women referred to Vali-Asr Family Planning Center through continuous sampling. Background variables were collected by questionnaires. The subjects were tested for three organisms named N. gonorrhea, C.trachomatis and T.vaginalis. The lab tests included culture for N.gonorrhea, direct fluorescent antibody(DFA) for C.trachomatis, and both direct smear and culture for T.vaginalis. Results: The prevalence of STIs was found to be 11.3%(17 persons), which included N.gonorrhea 2%, C.trachomatis 5.3%, and T.vaginalis 4%. The highest rate of infection belonged to the following groups: women aged between 25 and 29, those with one or two deliveries, those whose husbands worked as drivers, and those who used other methods of contraception except condom. Conclusion: With regard to the high prevalence of these infections in the studied group and considering the large young population of Iran, more studies in this field seem quite necessary.