ArticleSexually transmitted infections2016
Prevalence of reproductive tract infections and the predictive value of girls' symptom-based reporting: findings from a cross-sectional survey in rural western Kenya.
Article in Sexually transmitted infections, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 41 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence of genital and anorectal chlamydia trachomatis in Kenya by risk groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Gonorrhoea: a systematic review of prevalence reporting globally.BMC infectious diseases · 2021Pooled it
- Systematic review of menstrual hygiene management requirements, its barriers and strategies for disabled people.PloS one · 2019Pooled it
- Trial
- Cleanliness Grades as Clinical Indicators of Vaginal Infection Burden in Women from Northern Madagascar: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Determinants of urogenital tract infection symptoms among adolescent girls and young women in secondary schools and universities in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo: a cross-sectional study.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- Menstrual hygiene knowledge and practices among female senior high school students in the new Juaben North municipality of Ghana: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Contraceptives Association with Vaginal Microbiome and RTI: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Females of Jammu and Kashmir, India.Indian journal of microbiology · 2024Article
- Menstrual health among adolescents and young adults in rural Haiti.Reproductive health · 2022Article
- Prevalence of genitalJournal of public health in Africa · 2022Article
- Gender inequities in treatment-seeking for sexual and reproductive health amongst adolescents: Findings from a cross-sectional survey in India.SSM - population health · 2021Article
- Nanophotonic Sialidase Immunoassay for Bacterial Vaginosis Diagnosis.ACS pharmacology & translational science · 2021Article
- Menstrual hygiene management practices and associated health outcomes among school-going adolescents in rural Gambia.PloS one · 2021Article
- An outcome of educational intervention on the menstrual hygiene practices among school girls in Ogun State, Nigeria: a quasi-experimental study.The Pan African medical journal · 2021Article
- Article
- Production and characterization of a monoclonal antibody against the sialidase of Gardnerella vaginalis using a synthetic peptide in a MAP8 format.Applied microbiology and biotechnology · 2020Article
- Program implementation gaps and ethical issues in the prevention of HIV infection among infants, children, and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.Pediatric research · 2020Review
- Menstrual cups and cash transfer to reduce sexual and reproductive harm and school dropout in adolescent schoolgirls: study protocol of a cluster-randomised controlled trial in western Kenya.BMC public health · 2019Article
- Screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Mombasa, Kenya: Feasibility, Prevalence, and Correlates.Sexually transmitted diseases · 2017Article
- Molecular typing of Trichomonas vaginalis isolates by actin gene sequence analysis and carriage of T. vaginalis viruses.Parasites & vectors · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesReproductive tract infections (RTIs), including sexually acquired, among adolescent girls is a public health concern, but few studies have measured prevalence in low-middle-income countries. The objective of this study was to examine prevalence in rural schoolgirls in Kenya against their reported symptoms.
methodsIn 2013, a survey was conducted in 542 adolescent schoolgirls aged 14-17 years who were enrolled in a menstrual feasibility study. Vaginal self-swabbing was conducted after girls were interviewed face-to-face by trained nurses on symptoms. The prevalence of girls with symptoms and laboratory-confirmed infections, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of symptoms compared with laboratory results, were calculated.
resultsOf 515 girls agreeing to self-swab, 510 answered symptom questions. A quarter (24%) reported one or more symptoms; most commonly vaginal discharge (11%), pain (9%) or itching (4%). Laboratory tests confirmed 28% of girls had one or more RTI. Prevalence rose with age; among girls aged 16-17 years, 33% had infections. Bacterial vaginosis was the most common (18%), followed by Candida albicans (9%), Chlamydia trachomatis (3%), Trichomonas vaginalis (3%) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (1%). Reported symptoms had a low sensitivity and positive predictive value. Three-quarters of girls with bacterial vaginosis and C. albicans, and 50% with T. vaginalis were asymptomatic.
conclusionsThere is a high prevalence of adolescent schoolgirls with RTI in rural Kenya. Public efforts are required to identify and treat infections among girls to reduce longer-term sequelae but poor reliability of symptom reporting minimises utility of symptom-based diagnosis in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN17486946.
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