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Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviour, obstetric history, genital symptoms and point-of-care test results

From: A novel point-of-care testing strategy for sexually transmitted infections among pregnant women in high-burden settings: results of a feasibility study in Papua New Guinea

  

Total

≤24 years

≥25 years

p value

N (%)

N = 66 (%)

N = 59 (%)

 

Socio-demographic characteristics

Age, median (IQR:18-41years)

 

24 years

21 years

30 years

 

Province of birth

Milne Bay Province

100 (80.0)

54 (81.8)

46 (78.0)

 

Other province

25 (20.0)

12 (18.2)

13 (22.0)

 

Marital Status

Married

108 (86)

51 (77.3)

57 (96.6)

 

Single

17 (13.6)

15 (22.7)

2 (3.4)

p = 0.002

Level of education (N = 124)

Never attended school

4 (3.2)

0 (0)

4 (6.7)

p = 0.032

Only primary school

39 (31.2)

18 (27.3)

21 (35.6)

 

Secondary school

81 (65.3)

47 (71.2)

34 (57.6)

 

Tertiary education

24 (19.2)

9 (13.6)

15 (25.4)

 

Obstetric history

Parity (N = 124)

Primigravid

59 (47.6)

48 (72.8)

11 (18.6)

 

Para 1–3

46 (37.0)

17 (25.8)

29 (49.2)

p < 0.0001

Para 4 or more

19 (15.3)

0 (0.0)

19 (32.2)

p = 0.008

Previous miscarriage/stillbirth/perinatal/neonatal death (N = 125)

6 (4.8)

3 (4.5)

3 (5.1)

 

Estimated gestational age at enrolment based on LMP (N = 107)

12 weeks or less

13 (11.2)

5 (7.6)

8 (13.6)

 

13–26 weeks

68 (63.5)

38 (57.6)

30 (50.1)

 

27–36 weeks

24 (22.4)

9 (13.7)

15 (25.4)

 

More than 36 weeks

2 (1.9)

1 (1.5)

1 (1.7)

 

Sexual behaviour

Age at sexual debut, median (IQR: 13–31years)

19 years

18 years

20 years

 

Lifetime number of sexual partners (N = 119)

1 partner

37 (31.1)

20 (30.3)

17 (28.8)

 

2–3 partners

51 (42.9)

29 (43.9)

22 (37.2)

 

4–6 partners

21 (17.6)

11 (16.6)

10 (16.9)

 

7 or more partners

10 (8.4)

4 (6.1)

6 (10.2)

 

Sexual partners in previous month (N = 124)

0

31 (25.0)

18 (27.3)

13 (22.0)

 

1

80 (64.5)

41 (62.1)

39 (66.1)

 

2 or more partners

13 (10.5)

6 (9.1)

7 (11.9)

 

Number of times had vaginal sex in the last month (N = 122)

0

36 (29.5)

22 (33.3)

14 (23.7)

 

1–2 times

28 (23.0)

11 (16.7)

17 (28.8)

 

3 times or more

32 (26.2)

17 (25.6)

15 (25.4)

 

More than once/unknown

26 (21.3)

15 (22.7)

11 (18.6)

 

Condom use last sex (N = 124)

Yes

29 (23.4)

12 (18.2)

17 (28.8)

 

No

95 (76.6)

54 (81.8)

41 (69.5)

 

Ever had sex for gifts/favours/money

31 (24.8)

16 (24.2)

15 (25.4)

 

Reported genital symptoms at enrolment

Previous STI/genital infection

28 (22.4)

15 (22.8)

13 (22.0)

 

Current genital symptoms

Any symptom

34 (27.2)

20 (30.3)

14 (23.7)

 

Vaginal dischargea

24 (19.2)

16 (24.2)

8 (13.6)

 

Genital sores

1 (0.8)

1 (1.5)

0 (0.0)

 

Abdominal paina

8 (6.4)

4 (6.1)

4 (6.8)

 

Itchinga

19 (15.2)

10 (15.1)

9 (15.3)

 

Other symptomsb

6 (4.8)

4 (6.1)

2 (3.4)

 

STI test results

 

Any STI

67 (53.6)

42 (63.6)

25 (42.4)

p = 0.017

1 STI

39 (31.2)

22 (33.3)

17 (28.8)

 

2 or more STIs

28 (22.4)

20 (30.3)

8 (13.6)

p = 0.025

HIV

2 (1.6)

2 (3.0)

0 (0.0)

 

Active syphilisc

5 (4.0)

3 (4.5)

2 (3,4)

 

C. trachomatis (CT)

25 (20)

18 (27.3)

7 (11.9)

p = 0.032

N. gonorrhoeae (NG)

14 (11)

12 (18.2)

2 (3.4)

p = 0.009

T. vaginalis (TV)

47 (37.6)

31 (47.0)

16 (27.1)

p = 0.022

Bacterial vaginosis (BV)

22 (17.6)

11 (16.7)

11 (18.7)

 

Genital symptoms and 1 or more STI detected

19 (15.2)

16 (24.3)

3 (5.1)

p = 0.002

Genital symptoms but no STI detected

15 (12.0)

4 (6.1)

11 (18.6)

p = 0.031

  1. a14 women had multiple symptoms/b discharge, pus, “wetness”/canti-TP+ and RPR+, all titres