Determinants of reproductive tract infection among fertile women in rural and urban areas of Eastern Gujarat: A community-based study

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) among fertile women in rural and urban areas. Methods: A systematic random sampling was conducted in women aged 15-49 years from rural and urban areas in Eastern Gujarat, India. They were surveyed using a structured pretested questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Chi -square tests were performed using IBM SPSS statistics 23 and Open Epi software for analysis. Results: Of 192 women of reproductive age included in this survey, 96 each were from rural and urban area. The prevalence of RTIs was 64.6% and 66.7% for women from rural and urban areas, respectively. Rural women had a high level of awareness about RTIs compared to urban women, while approximately half of the women lacked knowledge about transmission. After exposure, burning micturition was predominant among rural women (54.2%), while vaginal discharge was the most common systom (57.3%) in urban women. Urban women demonstrated a higher tendency to seek healthcare (98.4%) compared to rural women (75.8%). Age, education, occupation, family type, marital status, menstrual hygiene practices, years of marriage and parity were significantly associated with RTIs in urban areas. Non-barrier contraceptive methods were associated with a higher prevalence of RTIs in both rural (25.9%) and urban (31.7%) areas. Conclusions: The results indicate that urban and rural areas may be affected differently by various factors, with stronger associations observed in urban areas. Further contextual understanding analysis and in-depth research are required to gain more comprehensive insights.