Background

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality among women in the child-bearing age. In order to institute appropriate preventive measures there is need to establish the profile of knowledge of the predisposing factors and causation of STDs, attitude to sexual practice and sexual patterns among the susceptible young people, such as university students.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), unwanted pregnancies and other problems resulting from sexual activity have increased among adolescents. In Uganda, STDs including HIV/AIDS are among the leading causes of the burden of disease1. In 1971 over 25 % of Maker ere University students reported STDs in one form or another; two-thirds contracted gonorrhea from casual contacts or prostitutes and one third from friends or continuing partners2. Whereas there is increasing success in preventing and controlling gonorrhoea and syphilis, other STDs (such as herpes simplex virus, human papilloma virus and HIV) for which no cure is available are gaining prominence. These STDs have devastating effects on the capacity to reproduce, prenatal infection rates and incidence of genital cancers3. Both ulcerative and non-ulcerative STDs enhance the transmission of HIV AIDS. While several workers have reported knowledge about STDs amongst university students, information from East Africa remains sketchy. In Cameroon4 seventy percent of the university students knew about STDs but only 16.1% could name the clinical features of common STDs. The same applied to knowledge about prevention and complications of STDs4. Elsewhere alcohol and peer influence were contributory factors5. While alcohol was thought to impair judgement6, there was a lack of perception of contracting HIV/AIDS7. Sexual practice patterns among university students lags behind knowledge and attitude towards prevention of STDs and condom use8. With the advent of STDs for which curative therapy is not available, primary prevention has assumed greater importance. Modifying selection of sexual partners and avoiding certain sexual practices theoretically reduces the risk of infection. The study was therefore designed to assess the level of awareness of university students about the problem of STDs. The specific objectives were to assess the level of knowledge about the clinical features suggestive of STDs with special emphasis on gonorrhea, syphilis and AIDS; assess awareness of the risk of and /or protection against STDs and the students' experiences on STDs, their treatment and prevention

STD(Philippine Study) Everyday nearly a million people acquire a sexually transmitted infection (STI), includ ing the human immunedeficiency virus (HIV). The infection can cause serious conseq uences such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, cervical cancer, and the untimely deaths of i nfants and adults. The presence in a person of other STI such as syphilis greatly increases th e risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV (WHO Global strategy for the prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections 20062015). Pregnant women with STI can transmit the in fection to their children, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Chlamydia trachomatis can cause neonatal pneumonitis and maternal endometritis. Neisseriagonor rhea can result in ophthalmia neonatorum, neonatal systemic infection, and maternal end ometritis. Syphilis is associated with maternal hydramnios, spontaneous abortion, preter m delivery, fetal hydrops, fetal distress, stillbirth, and neonatal syphilis. Trichomonas vaginalis has been linked to preterm delivery, low birth weight, maternal vaginitis, and poss ible increased risk for HIV transmission. Syphilis remains a global problem with an esti mated 12 million people infected each year, despite the existence of effective preventio n measures. Global estimates in 2003 from 215 studies with a total of 431,452 pregna nt women show seroprevalence ranging from 0.21% to 7.1%. There are no national figures fo r syphilis among pregnant women in the Philippines. There is however a local study done in the cities of Baguio, Cebu and Davao in the Philippines by Aplascadelos Reyes (1998) among 1,000 women seen in antenatal care facilities which reports a zero prevalence for syphilis at 0.3%. Congenital syphilis on the other hand has a global annua l incidence estimate ranging from 700,000 to 1.5 million cases (WHO 2007). In Philippines , to date, there is no reliable data on syphilis prevalence and incidence among pregna nt women in general. The Department of Health has been truly serious in its thrust of achie ving various Millennium Development Goals (MDG), i.e., reducing child mortality and i mproving maternal health (MDG 4&) AND halting or reversing HIV and other infectio us diseases (MGD6) in 2015. Related current policies and programmers developed and implemented by DOH includes the policy on Management of Asymptomatic Women withRTI/STD (A.O. Number 16, 1997, Annex 1). This policy recognizes that up to 90% of w omen with STI are asymptomatic with consequent adverse outcomes and complications. To improve case finding and management of asymptomatic women with STI, routine risk assessment (of STI including HIV) and universal syphilis screening of all pregnant women should be done. Provision of routine STI information including HIV will not only prevent occurrence of STI but could also promote recognition of symptoms related to S TI and early health seeking behavior. Syphilis and risk assessment and diagnosis are als o integral to the currently implemented Pregnancy, Childbirth, Postpartum and Newbo rn Care: A Guide for Essential Practice in Philippine Setting and the Mother, Newborn and Child Health AND Nutrition Strategy (2008).Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) in cluding syphilis are high risk factors for HIV transmission. Universal Screening for Syphilis provides a viable entry point into identifying risks among pregnant women an

d providing necessary prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care services. Rapid tests a re available for syphilis which are relatively inexpensive as compared to other tests for STI i ncluding HIV. It is also important to identify concurrent HIV infections among women with syphilis because the former