Table 1.
Socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviour, obstetric history, genital symptoms and point-of-care test results
| Total | ≤24 years | ≥25 years | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | N = 66 (%) | N = 59 (%) | |||
| Socio-demographic characteristics | |||||
| Age, median (IQR:18-41years) | 24 years | 21 years | 30 years | ||
| Province of birth | Milne Bay Province | 100 (80.0) | 54 (81.8) | 46 (78.0) | |
| Other province | 25 (20.0) | 12 (18.2) | 13 (22.0) | ||
| Marital Status | Married | 108 (86) | 51 (77.3) | 57 (96.6) | |
| Single | 17 (13.6) | 15 (22.7) | 2 (3.4) | p = 0.002 | |
| Level of education (N = 124) | Never attended school | 4 (3.2) | 0 (0) | 4 (6.7) | p = 0.032 |
| Only primary school | 39 (31.2) | 18 (27.3) | 21 (35.6) | ||
| Secondary school | 81 (65.3) | 47 (71.2) | 34 (57.6) | ||
| Tertiary education | 24 (19.2) | 9 (13.6) | 15 (25.4) | ||
| Obstetric history | |||||
| Parity (N = 124) | Primigravid | 59 (47.6) | 48 (72.8) | 11 (18.6) | |
| Para 1–3 | 46 (37.0) | 17 (25.8) | 29 (49.2) | p < 0.0001 | |
| Para 4 or more | 19 (15.3) | 0 (0.0) | 19 (32.2) | p = 0.008 | |
| Previous miscarriage/stillbirth/perinatal/neonatal death (N = 125) | 6 (4.8) | 3 (4.5) | 3 (5.1) | ||
| Estimated gestational age at enrolment based on LMP (N = 107) | 12 weeks or less | 13 (11.2) | 5 (7.6) | 8 (13.6) | |
| 13–26 weeks | 68 (63.5) | 38 (57.6) | 30 (50.1) | ||
| 27–36 weeks | 24 (22.4) | 9 (13.7) | 15 (25.4) | ||
| More than 36 weeks | 2 (1.9) | 1 (1.5) | 1 (1.7) | ||
| Sexual behaviour | |||||
| Age at sexual debut, median (IQR: 13–31years) | 19 years | 18 years | 20 years | ||
| Lifetime number of sexual partners (N = 119) | 1 partner | 37 (31.1) | 20 (30.3) | 17 (28.8) | |
| 2–3 partners | 51 (42.9) | 29 (43.9) | 22 (37.2) | ||
| 4–6 partners | 21 (17.6) | 11 (16.6) | 10 (16.9) | ||
| 7 or more partners | 10 (8.4) | 4 (6.1) | 6 (10.2) | ||
| Sexual partners in previous month (N = 124) | 0 | 31 (25.0) | 18 (27.3) | 13 (22.0) | |
| 1 | 80 (64.5) | 41 (62.1) | 39 (66.1) | ||
| 2 or more partners | 13 (10.5) | 6 (9.1) | 7 (11.9) | ||
| Number of times had vaginal sex in the last month (N = 122) | 0 | 36 (29.5) | 22 (33.3) | 14 (23.7) | |
| 1–2 times | 28 (23.0) | 11 (16.7) | 17 (28.8) | ||
| 3 times or more | 32 (26.2) | 17 (25.6) | 15 (25.4) | ||
| More than once/unknown | 26 (21.3) | 15 (22.7) | 11 (18.6) | ||
| Condom use last sex (N = 124) | Yes | 29 (23.4) | 12 (18.2) | 17 (28.8) | |
| No | 95 (76.6) | 54 (81.8) | 41 (69.5) | ||
| Ever had sex for gifts/favours/money | 31 (24.8) | 16 (24.2) | 15 (25.4) | ||
| Reported genital symptoms at enrolment | |||||
| Previous STI/genital infection | 28 (22.4) | 15 (22.8) | 13 (22.0) | ||
| Current genital symptoms | Any symptom | 34 (27.2) | 20 (30.3) | 14 (23.7) | |
| Vaginal dischargea | 24 (19.2) | 16 (24.2) | 8 (13.6) | ||
| Genital sores | 1 (0.8) | 1 (1.5) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| Abdominal paina | 8 (6.4) | 4 (6.1) | 4 (6.8) | ||
| Itchinga | 19 (15.2) | 10 (15.1) | 9 (15.3) | ||
| Other symptomsb | 6 (4.8) | 4 (6.1) | 2 (3.4) | ||
| STI test results | |||||
| Any STI | 67 (53.6) | 42 (63.6) | 25 (42.4) | p = 0.017 | |
| 1 STI | 39 (31.2) | 22 (33.3) | 17 (28.8) | ||
| 2 or more STIs | 28 (22.4) | 20 (30.3) | 8 (13.6) | p = 0.025 | |
| HIV | 2 (1.6) | 2 (3.0) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| Active syphilisc | 5 (4.0) | 3 (4.5) | 2 (3,4) | ||
| C. trachomatis (CT) | 25 (20) | 18 (27.3) | 7 (11.9) | p = 0.032 | |
| N. gonorrhoeae (NG) | 14 (11) | 12 (18.2) | 2 (3.4) | p = 0.009 | |
| T. vaginalis (TV) | 47 (37.6) | 31 (47.0) | 16 (27.1) | p = 0.022 | |
| Bacterial vaginosis (BV) | 22 (17.6) | 11 (16.7) | 11 (18.7) | ||
| Genital symptoms and 1 or more STI detected | 19 (15.2) | 16 (24.3) | 3 (5.1) | p = 0.002 | |
| Genital symptoms but no STI detected | 15 (12.0) | 4 (6.1) | 11 (18.6) | p = 0.031 | |
a14 women had multiple symptoms/b discharge, pus, “wetness”/canti-TP+ and RPR+, all titres