ABSTRACT: 

OBJECTIVE: Intravaginal practices are practise by some Cameroonian women. We assess the frequency of occurrence of certain STIs (Chlamydia) and Candidiasis and it association with the type and frequency of the vaginal practices done by these women of various ethnic groups living in the city of Yaoundé.
SETTING: The women were recruited as they came for the free medical screening campaign organized by the institute of medical research and medicinal plant studies to accompany the international day of the woman.
PARTICIPANTS: 125 women were included in the study comprising the following regions: West ( 34.4 %), Centre (32 %), Littoral and South (9.6 %),North west (4.8 %), Extreme North (4 %) and South west ( 2.4 %).
METHODS: Cervico-vaginal smears and blood were collected by the trained researchers, and the cervico-vaginal swabs samples were then cultured by standard laboratory methods for Candida spp. and then wet mounts and Gram-stained were analysed by microscopy at 40•and 100 magnifications to identify Candida spp. Blood sample were also centrifuged and it serum was used to test for C. trachomatis using the ELISA techniques according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
PRIMARY OUTCOMES: Determinants of IVPs use and C. trachomatis and candida albican infection via bivariable and multivariable logistic regression.
RESULTS: The majority of the females were single 58.4 % (73/125), and had a tertiary level of education 68.9% (86/125).Intimate vaginal hygiene was regularly practice by 72% (90/125) of the women, among them, (12) was diagnosed with chlamydia trachomatis, (15) with candida albican and (1) was diagnosed with both infections respectively. 37.6 % agreed to clean the inside of their vaginal cavity and 32.8% affirmed that they clean the inside of their vaginal cavity by scraping the vaginal walls with their fingers, while 68% agreed that they do practice vaginal douching and the majority affirmed to use simple water 60.8% while 13.6% agreed that they do insert traditional products into their vaginal and they have been doing that for more than 1 year now (7.2%) while 85.6%. affirmed that it was recommended to them by the traditional doctor
CONCLUSION: In city of Yaoundé, intravaginal practices are common among women. Those who regularly practiced intimate vaginal hygiene were more expose to chlamydia trachomatis and candida albican infections; (2) those who cleaned the inside of their vaginal cavity by scraping their vaginal walls with their fingers, had more of candida albicans infections than chlamydia trachomatis infections; (3) those who practise vaginal douching had more of both infections ; and those who used more of simple water for their vaginal douching, were more expose to chlamydia trachomatis and candida albicans infections than those who used hygienic water and other products. Therefore, intravaginal practices were a determinant of C. trachomatis and candida albican infection.

KEYWORDS:

Intraviginal practices, chlamydial , candidiasis and women.

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