Every woman has had her experience with vaginal discharge; however, it seems that more and more women in Zimbabwe have had their experience with abnormal vaginal discharge, due to until now, unknown reasons. From the long list of potential causes, a study published in 2019 has finally pointed out the two most common causes of abnormal vaginal discharge in adult women in Zimbabwe.
What do you need to know about vaginal discharge?
Most women have experienced vaginal discharge at least once in their lifetime, and even more often than that, thinking about how vaginal discharge is considered to be a normal and regular occurrence among most women. There are different types of vaginal discharge that differ according to their color and consistency. For example, white, either watery or mucus-like, vaginal discharge, as well as brown colored vaginal discharge, is considered to be normal.
However, when a woman is experiencing either yellow or greenish vaginal discharge, especially if it is accompanied by a rather unpleasant smell that indicates that yeast or bacterial infection is probably present. Many common STDs and STIs often present themselves with vaginal discharge, among other symptoms. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are most commonly affected by a present vaginal discharge, but there are other potential causes as well.
What are the common causes of vaginal discharge in Zimbabwe?
A study published in November 2019 has investigated the common causes of vaginal discharge in Zimbabwe, which, as you may know, is one of the African centuries where there is a high STDs prevalence. Because many young people in Zimbabwe become sexually active at an early age without being fully aware of the risks that the common STDs may bring into their lives, as well as, the importance of how to properly practice safe sex, they are one of the especially vulnerable groups that are commonly affected by STDs.
The study has revealed that it is bacterial vaginosis that is the most common cause for abnormal vaginal discharge being present. Bacterial vaginosis is a type of vaginal inflammation that is caused by the overgrowth of the already present bacteria in the vagina. Other symptoms such as itching, foul-smelling odor, and a burning sensation during urination are present as well, due to bacterial vaginosis.
But vaginal discharge has also been commonly caused by Gonorrhea, which is suggested to be the STD that is most often diagnosed within the adult women in Zimbabwe. Studies have been showing a high rate of Gonorrhea cases among adult women, with approximately 6.6% of the adult women in Africa being affected by Gonorrhea.
Luckily, both bacterial vaginosis and Gonorrhea are easily treated by following certain guidelines. Metronidazole, Clindamycin, and Tinidazole are the usual treatment choices used to treat bacterial vaginosis, with high success rates among its patients.
Future of BV in Zimbawe
Every day, more and more women in Zimbabwe are facing the troubles that come with abnormal vaginal discharge, most commonly caused by bacterial vaginosis and Gonorrhea among the adult women in this country. Although proper treatment for both bacterial vaginosis and Gonorrhea has been made available, it is a shame for so many women to still struggle with these potentially dangerous conditions.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bacterial-vaginosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20352279
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6879447/
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0205863