Determinants of Reproductive Tract Infections Among Women in Urban Slums of India

Globally, an estimated 340 million new cases of reproductive tract infections, including sexually transmitted infections, emerge each year; 151 million of them occur in Asia. A cross- sectional survey of 909 women living in an urban slum in Pune District, India was conducted on the proportion and determinants of reproductive tract infections (RTIs). Forty-nine percent of women self-reported an RTI. Factors associated with self-reported RTIs were young age, engagement in unskilled work, lower standard of living, poor menstrual hygiene, history of abortion, and place of childbirth. Raising awareness and building capacity of health volunteers to recognize symptoms, seek treatment, and maintain hygiene are recommended.