TY - JOUR
T1 - Vaginal herb use and Chlamydia trachomatis infection: Cross-sectional study among women of various ethnic groups in Suriname
AU - van der Helm, Jannie J.
AU - Schim van der Loeff, Maarten Franciscus
AU - de Vries, Esther
AU - van der Veer, Charlotte
AU - Grünberg, Antoon W.
AU - Mans, Dennis
AU - de Vries, Henry J. C.
N1 - © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2018. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
PY - 2019/5/16
Y1 - 2019/5/16
N2 - Objective Vaginal steam baths with herb leaves (herb use) is practised by some Surinamese women. We assessed herb use among women from the five most prevalent ethnic groups, and if herb use is associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Setting Participants were recruited at a sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic and a family planning clinic (FP) in Paramaribo, Suriname. Participants 1040 women were included subsequently, comprising the following ethnic groups: Creole (26.7%), Hindustani (24.6%), Javanese (15.7%), Maroon (13.3%) and mixed descent (19.7%). Methods Nurses collected a questionnaire and vaginal swabs for nucleic acid amplification C. trachomatis testing. Primary outcomes Determinants of vaginal herb use and C. trachomatis infection via univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Results Herb use was most common among Maroon (68.8%) and Creole women (25.2%). In multivariable analysis including only Maroon and Creole women, determinants significantly associated with vaginal herb use were (OR; 95% CI): Maroon ethnic descent (5.33; 3.26 to 8.71 vs Creole), recruitment at the STI clinic (2.04; 1.24 to 3.36 vs FP), lower education levels (3.80; 1.68 to 8.57 lower vs higher, and 2.02; 0.90 to 4.51 middle vs higher). Lower age and recruitment at the STI clinic were associated with C. trachomatis infection, but not vaginal herb use. Conclusion In Suriname, vaginal herb use is common among Maroon and Creole women. Education, ethnic group and recruitment site were determinants for herb use. Vaginal herb use was not a determinant of C. trachomatis infection. Future research should focus on the effect of herb use on the vaginal microbiome and mucosal barrier.
AB - Objective Vaginal steam baths with herb leaves (herb use) is practised by some Surinamese women. We assessed herb use among women from the five most prevalent ethnic groups, and if herb use is associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Setting Participants were recruited at a sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic and a family planning clinic (FP) in Paramaribo, Suriname. Participants 1040 women were included subsequently, comprising the following ethnic groups: Creole (26.7%), Hindustani (24.6%), Javanese (15.7%), Maroon (13.3%) and mixed descent (19.7%). Methods Nurses collected a questionnaire and vaginal swabs for nucleic acid amplification C. trachomatis testing. Primary outcomes Determinants of vaginal herb use and C. trachomatis infection via univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Results Herb use was most common among Maroon (68.8%) and Creole women (25.2%). In multivariable analysis including only Maroon and Creole women, determinants significantly associated with vaginal herb use were (OR; 95% CI): Maroon ethnic descent (5.33; 3.26 to 8.71 vs Creole), recruitment at the STI clinic (2.04; 1.24 to 3.36 vs FP), lower education levels (3.80; 1.68 to 8.57 lower vs higher, and 2.02; 0.90 to 4.51 middle vs higher). Lower age and recruitment at the STI clinic were associated with C. trachomatis infection, but not vaginal herb use. Conclusion In Suriname, vaginal herb use is common among Maroon and Creole women. Education, ethnic group and recruitment site were determinants for herb use. Vaginal herb use was not a determinant of C. trachomatis infection. Future research should focus on the effect of herb use on the vaginal microbiome and mucosal barrier.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85065906349&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31101696
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025417
DO - https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025417
M3 - Article
C2 - 31101696
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 9
SP - e025417
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 5
M1 - e025417
ER -