Pathogenic Effects of Genital Schistosomiasis on Men and Women Health

Genital Schistosomiasis (GS) is a disease condition of the genitalia caused by invasion of tissues of the reproductive system by Schistosoma ova. This health condition has been associated with reproductive health problems such as ectopic pregnancies, post coital bleeding, bleeding, low sperm count, cervical cancers and found to increase the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted disease(STD) including HIV/AIDS (1). The worldwide estimate of women with this condition, Female Genital Schistosomiasis(FGS) is between 2-13 million (2). Studies have shown that FGS is a common manifestation in S. haematobium infections and hence a strong association has been observed between urinary schistosomiasis and genital schistosomiasis (3). Genital schistosomiasis (GS), a clinical form of schistosomiasis is likely to occur in all adult cases of schistosomiasis with debilitating disease sequelae. Studies have shown a high prevalence of genital schistosomiasis in schistosomiasis endemic communities(3). Schistosomiais is prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical areas, especially in poor communities without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. It is estimated that at least 90% of those requiring treatment for schistosomiasis live in Africa (4).