Knowledge Assessment of Nursing Personnel about Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Reproductive Duct Infections
Abstract
In India, Reproductive Tract Infection (RTI) including Sexually transmitted Diseases (STDs) produce a huge disease burden. Nursing staff plays a major role in prevention of STI/RTIs. So this study was conducted aimed to know the knowledge about STIs/RTIs of nursing personnel of a tertiary care hospital of Rajasthan. 100 nursing professionals were supervised for practice and interrogated for attitude and knowledge as per a semi- structured schedule. It was found that overall mean score of nurses was 56% and only 52% had scores passing marks (>50%). Although this knowledge about STI/RTI was not found to be associated religion, caste, type of family and socioeconomic status but it was found to be associated with sex, marital status and education of nurses. It was also found in this study that gap of training decreases the knowledge and number of training increases the knowledge. It was found to be associated with department where the nurses were working. So all the nurses irrespective of place of posting should be given refresher trainings at regular intervals.
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Introduction
The International Conference on Population and Development held at Cairo in 1994 can be considered as a milestone as it attracted attention on the issue of reproductive and sexual health. Sexually transmitted infections and Reproductive tract infections (STI/RTI) are an important public health problem in India. The 2002 ICMR community based prevalence study of STI/ RTI has shown that 5% to 6% of sexually active adult population are suffering from some form of STI/RTI.1 The 2005 ICMR multicentre rapid assessment survey (RAS)1 indicates that 12% of female clients and 6% of male clients attending the out-patient departments for complaints related to STI/RTI. Individuals with STI/RTI have a significantly higher chance of acquiring and transmitting HIV. STI prevalence is a good marker for HIV, as both share common modes of transmission. Moreover, STI/RTI are also known to cause infertility and reproductive morbidity.2 The incidence of RTIs has increased dramatically throughout the world2-5 . Globally, it is estimated that as many as 340 million new cases of curable STDs other than HIV/AIDS occur each year, most of which are occurring in developing countries. And every year, with 151 million of them occurring in Asia.2
RTIs are a significant public health problem as they cause widespread morbidity and mortality in men and women, especially of reproductive age4,5 . In developing countries, RTI/STIs are the second or third most common public health problem of young people. District Level Household Survey-3 survey reports 18.3% prevalence of symptoms of RTI/STI in India.6 A study conducted in Karnataka explored 34.4 % laboratory confirmed cases of STI/RTI in urban area of Hubli.3 Increased prevalence of RTIs/STIs constitutes a huge health and economic burden for developing countries and account for economic losses because of ill health.7
Conclusion
Nurses were lacking in knowledge about STI/RTI even so that about half of nurses could not get even 50% of scores. Although this knowledge about STI/RTI was not found to be associated religion, caste, type of family and socio-economic status but it was found to be associated with sex, marital status and education of nurses. It was also found in this study that gap of training decreases the knowledge and number of training increases the knowledge. It was found to be associated with department where the nurses were working. So all the nurses irrespective of place of posting should be given refresher trainings at regular intervals.