Awareness and knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases among population in Georgia (epidemiological survey)

Abstract

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), often known as sexually transmitteddiseases, are still a major public health concern across the world. According to WHO estimates, sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) have an annual incidence of 357 million cases among which chlamydia (131 million), gonorrhoea (78 million), syphilis (5.6 million) and trichomoniasis (143 million), half of those among young people aged 15—24. Every day, almost one million people worldwide develop an STI, and the majority of them are ignorant of their infection status, making them a source of infection for others. The frequency and consequences of this on the health and socioeconomic condition of whole nations, particularly African countries, have long been regarded as a serious emergency. The epidemiology of STIs, the history and physical findings, screening standards, and the overall approach to combat STIs are all covered in this article. Infections covered in terms of causation, epidemiology, and risk factors include gonorrhea, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, syphilis and trichomoniasis. For a variety of reasons, the worldwide illness burden represented by STI remains unclear. First, many STIs are asymptomatic; second, diagnostic procedures are unavailable in some of the most affected nations; and finally, surveillance systems are non-existent or very poor in many parts of the world. According to the World Health Organization, there were 340 million new cases of syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia infection, and trichomoniasis in 1999. In the European Union, there has been an increase in the incidence of gonorrhoea and syphilis in recent years. The survey instrument was an online self-administered anonymous questionnaire conducted in Georgia using Google survey software, which automatically populates and saves digital responses to a secure database protecting participant confidentiality throughout the surveying process. The survey was conducted in 2019. The opportunity to participate in the questionnaire was one-time. The question naire for this study was developed based on a review of literature.Health education, early diagnosis and treatment, screening for asymptomatic infections, contact inquiry, and immunization for illnesses for which a vaccine is available should all be used in STI prevention and control. In general, the studies reported low levels of knowledge and awareness of sexually transmitted diseases. Although, as shown by some of the findings on condom use, knowledge does not always translate into behavior change, adolescents’ sex education is important for STD prevention, and the school setting plays an important role.