Reproductive Tract Infections and Treatment Seeking Behaviour among Married Adolescent Women in India

Ranjan Kumar Prusty, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Sayeed Unisa, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

The present paper tries to understand prevalence of reproductive tract infection and sexually transmitted infection (RTI/STI) and treatment seeking behaviour among married adolescent women aged 15-19 years in India. District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS-RCH III, 2007-08) data is used for the purpose of analysis. Results show that around 15 percent of women reported to have any symptoms of RTI/STI. Lower abdominal pains, pain during intercourse and itching or irritation over vulva are the major symptoms reported by adolescent women. Twenty two percent of women aborted have any RTI/STI symptoms as compared to fourteen percent of women who not aborted. Factors analysis shows concentration of diseases in three huddles- lower tract infection, upper tract infection and abnormal discharge; and intercourse related problems. Multivariate analysis shows age, education, wealth, region and awareness about RTI/STI are major predictors of both symptoms and treatment seeking behaviour of the diseases.