“Female genital schistosomiasis is a sexually transmitted disease”
Gaps in healthcare workers’ knowledge about female genital schistosomiasis in Tanzania
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19593901 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Humphrey D Mazigo (0000-0001-5219-6234, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, corresponding author), Anna Samson (0000-0003-2153-2623, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences), Valencia J Lambert (0000-0002-1249-0700, Cornell University), Agnes L Kosia (Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences), Deogratias D Ngoma (London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research), Rachel Murphy (0000-0002-6609-9037), Rachel A Murphy (0000-0003-4383-5641, Crown Estate (United Kingdom)), Dunstan J Matungwa (0000-0002-4839-709X, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey) |
| Editors | Mphatso Kamndaya (0000-0002-7597-3339) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | e0000059 |
| Publication date | 2022-03-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | PLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375 |
| Publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000059 |
| PMID | 36962298 |
| OpenAlex | W4220801769 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 33 |
Female Genital Schistosomiasis is a gynecological disease that is a complication of parasitic Schistosoma haematobium infection and affects at least 40 million girls and women, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Little is known about how healthcare workers in endemic areas perceive and manage (diagnose and treat) Female Genital Schistosomiasis. We conducted cross-sectional focus group discussions and key informant interviews among healthcare workers in northwestern Tanzania. Healthcare workers, particularly those working in areas where S . haematobium is highly endemic, were purposively sampled to participate in the study. Discussions and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo version 12. Most healthcare workers lacked knowledge and skills to manage Female Genital Schistosomiasis. They also had multiple misconceptions about its aetiology, modes of transmission, symptoms, and management. Healthcare workers did not consider Female Genital Schistosomiasis in differential diagnoses of women presenting with gynecologic symptoms except sometimes in patients who did not respond to the initial therapy for sexually transmitted infections. Healthcare facilities had limited capacity to manage Female Genital Schistosomiasis. Our findings show critical gaps in both the knowledge of healthcare workers to manage Female Genital Schistosomiasis and in the capacity of healthcare facilities to manage it. To fill these gaps, two urgent needs must be fulfilled: first, training healthcare workers (particularly those working in schistosomiasis-endemic settings) on Female Genital Schistosomiasis, and second, stocking healthcare facilities with necessary medical equipment and supplies for managing this disease
Biology · Economic growth · Environmental health · Family medicine · Health care · Helminths · Schistosoma haematobium · Schistosomiasis · Sex organ · Socioeconomics · Tanzania · Global Health and Surgery · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine · Parasites and Host Interactions · Immunology
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| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2025 (2) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |