Genital Infections and Associated Risk Factors in Women on Contraception Monitored at the Bacteriology and Virology Laboratory of Aristide Le Dantec Hospital

Background: Contraception is a strategy of choice for spacing births but also for avoiding early and unwanted pregnancies. However, through hormonal modification, this contraception constitutes a favorable state for the proliferation in the genital tract of agents responsible for vaginal infections. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of genital infections in women on contraception followed up at the bacteriology-virology laboratory of Aristide Le Dantec Hospital. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study conducted over a one-year period between January 2019 and December 2020. Microbial assessemnets were performed on genital secretions according to standard bacteriology laboratory procedures. Sociodemographic data and bacteriological examination results obtained were entered using File Maker Pro Advanced (version 16) software. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 20). Results: This research studied 1771 women, of whom 1609 were on contraceptives. The most represented age group was over 40 years (27.06%). The majority of patients were women on oral contraceptives (32.07%). Women with secondary education (31.45%) and women with 1 to 3 children (43.03%) were most often on contraception. The germs most frequently detected in women on contraception were Gardnerella vaginalis (51.78%) and Candida albicans (24.19%) and the use of intrauterine device (IUD) as a means of contraception was statistically associated with vaginal infection (p=0.0004). Conclusion: This study showed a high frequency of vaginal infections in women on contraception and that the intrauterine device was significantly associated with the occurrence of these infections.