Prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases among pregnant women in Ilorin, Nigeria

In a cross-sectional study, 230 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin, Nigeria from January 2000 to December 2000 were screened randomly to determine the prevalence of common STDs among them, using conventional methods. One hundred and fourteen (49.4%) of the subjects harboured various agents including Candida spp. (37.8%), Trichomonas vaginalis (4.7%), Gardnerella vaginalis (3.9%), syphilis (1.7%) and Neisseria gonorrhea (1.3%). Risk factors associated with significant infection were young age and level of education. The importance of routine STD screening in pregnancy especially among the young and illiterate is advocated. It is recommended that routine screening for STDs should be incorporated into antenatal care.