Clinico-epidemiological profile of Sexually Transmitted Infections in a tertiary hospital: A Cross- Sectional Study

Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are communicable diseases that occurs due to sexual contact. They are a major global health problem which affect quality of life of the patients. Knowledge on frequency and pattern of STIs help in early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. This study was done to determine the prevalence and pattern of various STIs in Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Hospital, Kathmandu. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among patients visiting Dermatology OPD of Nepal APF Hospital from 1st Dec 2019 to 30th Nov 2023. The data were recorded in preset proforma, entered in SPSS software and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 165 patients were included in the study among which 121 (73.33%) were males and 44 (26.67%) were females with male female ratio of 2.7:1. Most of the patients were married and in age group (26-35) years (76, 46.06%). Heterosexual contact was the most common mode of sexual contact. Most common STIs were condyloma acuminata (56, 33.95%) followed by urethral discharge syndrome (37, 22.43%), herpes genitalis (28, 16.97%), vaginal discharge syndrome (20, 12.12%), syphilis (18, 10.90%), molluscum contagiosum (3, 1.81%) and others (3, 1.81%). Conclusion: Viral infections were the most common STIs and were predominantly seen in males. Sexual education and awareness activities are more important to reduce the burden of infections and their proper treatment.