Abstract

EVALUATION AND COMPARISON OF CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL METHODSFOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF CERVICALVAGINAL INFECTION

Abstract

One of the important problems in the public health and clinical Medicine is cervical-vaginal infections. Pap smear is one of the most widely accepted screening procedures for cervical cancer, and can prevent pre- invasive disease, cervical dysplasia, and invasive cervical cancer. This study aims to compare the clinical and pathological methods in the diagnosis of vaginal infections and determine whether clinical observation is sufficient in the absence of pathological methods. Method: This cross-sectional study was performed on 1448 non-pregnant women attended to12health centers in the Dasht-e- Azadegan city during 2007-2011.After taking the informed consent from participants and explaining the aim of study, questionnaires regarding demographic characteristics, and contraceptive methods used were completed by researcher. Then, the women were examined by a trained obstetrician and Pap smear tests were taken. Also, Pap smear samples were sent to the pathology laboratory. All data were analyzed using SPSS/ver 19.As well as descriptive and analytical statistics (chisquare test) were applied. Results: The results showed that most participant shad primary education, Majority of the women were in the age group 20-30 years. 55.9% and 44.1% of individuals were respectively in urban and rural areas. Most of the women were using LD as a contraceptive method (34.2%). Based on Pap smear results the prevalence of cervicalvaginal infections was 9% while in pathological method this rate was almost 32%.There were significant differences between clinical and pathological methods (p

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