Leucorrhea Symptoms and Care Seeking Behavior among Women in Port-Said City

Reproductive tract infections form one of the major burdens of disease in developing countries, and it caused due to any (or combination) of the three factors: Iatrogenic, endogenous, and sexually transmitted. While there are many symptoms that define the disease, the most commonly reported among the women is that of abnormal vaginal discharge (or Leucorrhea). Leucorrhea is a flow of a whitish, yellowish, or greenish discharge from the vagina of the female that may be normal or that may be a sign of infection. It is mucous discharge which represents desquamation of vaginal epithelial cells because of the effects of estrogen on the vaginal mucosa. The study aimed to examine women s care seeking behavior regarding Leucorrhea. It was carried out at gynecological clinics in 5 health centers in Port-Said. The study subjects consisted of 500 users of gynecological care services. An interview schedule was designed and utilized to collect the necessary data.The study reports a high prevalence of leukorrhea 75.4% among the Port-Said women, and it also reports that a significant relation was found between the seeking treatment behavior and related independent variables personal characteristics among the studied women. It was also concluded that Leucorrhea has negative effects on women s quality of life and some women s responses may be harmful. Therefore, Efforts should be made in the direction to provide diagnosis and effective health-care. Particularly service provider must have awareness and thorough knowledge towards the problem, to bring down its prevalence rates.