Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey ... - Measure DHS

7.7 PREVALENCE OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONSIn the 2007-08 THMIS, respondents who had ever had sex were asked if they had contracteda sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the past 12 months or if they had exhibited either of twosymptoms associated with STIs (a bad-smelling, abnormal discharge from the vagina or penis, or agenital sore or ulcer). It is believed that if some STIs are not treated immediately, an individual’schances of becoming infected with HIV during unprotected sex with an HIV-positive partner increase.It is important to highlight that respondents’ self-reporting of STI symptoms is not the sameas clinical diagnosis. Additionally, if a respondent does not report symptoms of STI, it does notnecessarily mean that he or she does not have an STI. A substantial proportion of respondents withSTIs do not seek treatment because they have mild symptoms. Furthermore, it is possible to have anSTI with no symptoms, especially in women. Because of embarrassment or shame associated withSTIs, individuals may underreport the prevalence of STIs and their symptoms.As shown in Table 7.7, 6 percent of women and 7 percent of men who had ever had sexreported having an STI or a genital discharge or a genital sore or ulcer in the 12 months preceding thesurvey. This is a slight increase since 2003-04, when 5 percent of women and 6 percent of menreported having an STI or symptoms of an STI.Differences in the prevalence of STIs and their symptoms by background characteristics arenot large. By level of education, both women and men with incomplete primary education have ahigher prevalence of STIs and/or their symptoms than respondents with no education or those whohave completed primary or secondary and higher education (Figure 7.3).Respondents in the 2007-08 THMIS who reported having an STI and/or an STI symptom inthe 12 months preceding the survey were asked if they sought treatment. Figure 7.4 shows that themain source of advice or treatment was a clinic, a hospital, a private doctor, or some other healthprofessional (56 percent for women and 58 percent for men) as opposed to advice or medicine from ashop or pharmacy (8 percent for women and 14 percent for men). A substantial proportion of women(29 percent) and men (21 percent) did not seek medical advice for their reported STIs and/or STIsymptom. These high levels of untreated illness suggest that STIs may continue to spread in thepopulation.HIV/AIDS-Related Behaviour | 87