Original Research Article
Year: 2016 | Month: October | Volume: 6 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 16-22
A Cross-Sectional Study of Morbidity due to Sexually Transmitted Infections and Health Seeking Behavior in Male Migrants of Urban Slum of Mumbai
Vijay L Badge1*, Ravindra Kembhavi2**, Ratnendra R. Shinde3**
1Assistant Professor, 2Additional Professor, 3Professor & Head,
*Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Akola.
**Department of Community Medicine, Seth GSMC& KEMH, Mumbai.
Corresponding Author: Vijay L Badge
ABSTRACT
Background: Migrants come across a various problems at place of destinations due to poverty, illiteracy, different culture and language etc. Migrants are staying away from their native place which results in loneliness and emotional stress. All these factors along with peer pressure may indulge them in risky sexual behavior leading to Sexually Transmitted infections (STI) and HIV AIDS
Objectives:
- To estimate the prevalence of STI Symptomatics.
- To identify the most common reported symptoms of STI.
- To assess health seeking behavior for STI symptoms.
Materials and Methods: Community based Cross - sectional study was carried out in an urban slum of Mumbai from August 2013 to July 2014 for a period of one year. Data is collected by interview method using questionnaire. Total 210 study participants were included.
Results and Conclusions: Out of total 210 migrants, 25.2% had STI symptoms in last 12 months. The symptoms like sores on genitalia / Foda (9.5%), burning micturition (8.1%), and urethral discharge/ Safed pani (7.6%) were most common STI symptoms reported in last 12 months. Almost half of the migrants (45.3%) went to local private medical practitioners and only 22.6% migrants went to Government health facility. Thirteen percent of migrants did nothing for their STI symptoms.
Most common reasons cited for not visiting govt. health facility were long waiting hours (39%), Government health facility far away from home (39%) and non-availability of medicines (17.1%).
Key words: Migrant, STI, HIV AIDS, Health seeking behavior.