clove and Genital-Diseases--Male

Madagascar is in the midst of a large HIV epidemic. Therefore, it is important to obtain relevant epidemiologic data that can be used to develop a preventive strategy.. The goal of the study was to assess sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men living in two coastal villages and one highland village with different levels of endemicity of urogenital schistosomiasis.. Data were obtained from cross-sectional studies on male reproductive health. All men aged 15 to 49 years were offered enrollment.. Of 401 men evaluated, 6.5% had used a condom and 45.6% reported having multiple partners in the previous 3 months. Symptoms of urethritis during the previous 7 days were reported by 128 men (31.9%). Urethritis was associated with the youngest age group (15-19 years) and the coastal villages, in which HIV antibodies were found in 0.9% and 2.5%, respectively. The prevalence of Schistosoma hematobium was 31.0% and 55.0% in these two villages, whereas none of the men in the highland village were infected. In bivariate analyses, urogenital schistosomiasis was associated with reported symptoms of urethritis, but it acted as a confounder in multivariate analyses.. Several risk factors for HIV propagation exist in these rural areas in Madagascar. Young men in particular should be targeted for HIV/STI prevention. Treatment of urogenital schistosomiasis could be considered part of the syndromic STI treatment in areas where S hematobium is endemic, for patients seeking primary care for urethritis.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Genital Diseases, Male; Humans; Madagascar; Male; Medically Underserved Area; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Rural Health; Schistosomiasis; Sexual Behavior; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Socioeconomic Factors

Detection of Schistosoma haematoblum eggs in 43% of semen samples with Increased levels of eosinophil cationic protein suggests that the genital organs of men are frequently affected with schistosomiasis.. This community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess the frequency of genital schistosomiasis among men in Androvakely, Madagascar, where Schistosoma haematobium is prevalent. Egg excretion and levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) were measured in paired urine and semen samples obtained from 44 males eligible for the study. Findings revealed that the eggs of S. haematobium were detected in 25 urine samples (57%) and in 19 semen samples (43%). The median egg output (range) in urine was 10 eggs/ml (1-950); in semen, 3 eggs/ejaculate (1-19). Median ECP concentration in urine was 2.2 mcg/l; in semen, 109.0 mcg/l. Moreover, the concentration of ECP in urine was positively correlated with the number of eggs excreted in urine, and increased levels of seminal ECP were significantly associated with the presence of eggs in semen. The presence of eggs in 43% of the semen samples indicated that genitals were common sites for oviposition in men with S. haematobium infection. Based on the findings, a similar effect of genital schistosomiasis on HIV shedding in men, with egg deposition in the genital organs, can lead to an inflammatory response, which may then increase the viral load in semen from HIV-positive people.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Blood Proteins; Cross-Sectional Studies; Eosinophil Granule Proteins; Eosinophils; Genital Diseases, Male; Humans; Madagascar; Male; Middle Aged; Ribonucleases; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosomiasis haematobia; Semen