Sexual, healthcare seeking, and genital hygiene behaviour, HIV and HSV-2 status in men with selected STI and related signs and symptoms
| Behavioural attributes and HIV and HSV-2 status | GUD with ulcers seen | HSV-2 PCR-positive ulcer | GC and/or chlamydia PCR positive | Dysuria (spontaneous and/or direct complaint) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N = 165 (%) | N = 87 (%) | N = 194 (%) | N = 378 (%) | |
| GC, Gonorrhoea; GUD, genital ulcer disease; HSV-2, herpes simplex virus type 2; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; STI, sexually transmitted infection. | ||||
| *In those who returned after 14 days. | ||||
| Sex since symptoms | 55 (33.3) | 30 (34.5) | 74 (38.1) | 166 (43.9) |
| Unprotected sex since symptoms | 51 (30.9) | 28 (32.2) | 58 (29.9) | 140 (37.0) |
| No. of exposed contacts in above | n = 51, mean 1.23, SD 0.68 | n = 28, mean 1.21, SD 0.79 | n = 58, mean 1.22, SD 0.50 | n = 140, mean 1.24, SD 0.53 |
| Sex worker contact in past 3 months | 0/103 | 0/51 | 6/135 (4.4%) | 5/235 (2.1%) |
| HIV positive | 126/164 (76.8) | 67/87 (77.0) | 114/194 (58.8) | 208/374 (55.6) |
| HSV-2 positive | 140/162 (86.4) | 71/86 (82.6) | 144/194 (74.2) | 285/373 (76.4) |
| Previous treatment for current problem | ||||
| Public clinic | 24 | 13 | 29 | 62 |
| Private doctor | 6 | 3 | 7 | 18 |
| Traditional healer | 10 | 4 | 11 | 22 |
| Informal source | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Left over pills | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Antibiotics in past 2 weeks | 14/164 (8.5) | 8/87 (9.2) | 19/194 (9.8) | 36/377 (9.6) |
| Genital hygiene factors* | ||||
| Access to water | 97/125 (77.6) | 49/62 (79.0) | 117/139 (84.2) | 231/277 (83.4) |
| Frequency of washing ⩽1 per day | 55/125 (44.0) | 25/62 (40.3) | 62/139 (44.6) | 134/277 (48.3) |
| Wash after sex | 37/125 (29.6) | 18/62 (29.0) | 35/139 (25.2) | 84/277 (30.3) |