Table 2 Prevalence of STI at enrolment
N (%)95% CI
Genital tract symptoms and signs
    Women (n  =  339)
        Vaginal discharge100 (29.5)24.6 to 34.3
        Lower abdominal pain65 (19.2)15.0 to 23.4
        Genital ulceration25 (7.4)4.6 to 10.2
        Vaginal or vulval condylomata8 (2.4)0.7 to 4.0
    Men (n  =  500)
        Urethral discharge41 (8.2)5.8 to 10.6
        Dysuria57 (11.4)8.6 to 14.2
        Genital ulceration19 (3.8)2.1 to 5.5
        Genital condylomata9 (1.8)0.6 to 3.0
Laboratory-confirmed infections*
    Women (n  =  324)
        Vaginitis
            Any confirmed vaginitis180 (55.9)50.4 to 61.3
            T vaginalis32 (9.9)6.7 to 13.2
            C albicans82 (25.5)20.7 to 30.2
            Bacterial vaginosis†110 (34.2)29.0 to 39.3
        Cervicitis
            Non-specific cervicitis34 (10.6)7.2 to 13.9
            Gonococcal cervicitis0 (0)0 to 1.1‡
        HIV-1103 (32.0)26.9 to 37.1
        Syphilis11 (3.4)1.4 to 5.4
    Men (n  =  486)
        Urethritis
            Non-specific urethritis§27 (5.5)3.5 to 7.6
            Gonoccoccal urethritis5 (1.0)0.1 to 1.9
        HIV-1102 (21.0)17.4 to 24.6
        Syphilis16 (3.3)1.7 to 4.9
  • STI, sexually transmitted infection.

  • *Defined in Methods section. †29 Women had concurrent bacterial vaginosis and candidiasis; 12 had concurrent bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis; four had concurrent candidiasis and trichomoniasis. ‡One-sided p value (97.5). §223 Urethral smears were performed; eight men with urethral discharge had a missing urethral smear.