A survey of female genital schistosomiasis of the lower reproductive tract in the volta basin of Ghana

Objective: To determine the prevalence of female genital schistosomiasis in riparian communities in the Volta basin of Ghana,Design: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted among women 15-49 years in the Volta Basin. Urinary schistosomiasis prevalence wasdetermined using microscopy. A structured questionnaire was also administered to collect information on the demography, obstetric history and reproductive health experiences. Cervical punch biopsywas collected from women who consented to be screened for FGS. Descriptive statistics was used to determine frequency of occurrence, chi squared and logistic regression to identify associated variablesResults: Urinary schistosomiasis prevalence among the women was 24.8% while 10.6% of them diagnosed with FGS. More FGS diagnosed women (57.7%, p value =0.04%) were observed to report copious discharge, vaginal itch (80.8%, p=0.042) and lower abdominal pain (66.7%, p= 0.041) compared to FGS negative women. The predominant abnormalobservation of the lower genital tract made was erythematous cervix (18.8%).Conclusion: The study confirms the reproductive health symptoms associated with FGS and recommends awareness creation on FGS amongwomen in endemic communities to facilitate early treatment