Perfil clínico-epidemiológico das doenças sexualmente transmissíveis em crianças atendidas em um centro de referência na cidade de Manaus

Abstract

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STI) in children remains a Public Health Problem poorly studied. In reality, what is known today about this problem in our society only represents the ring of the chain, since a lot has to be cleared, such as the magnitude of STI in this age group, how the Public Health needs to get organized in order to diagnose and treat these cases and the association between STI in children and sexual abuse. The present study is a descriptive explorative epidemiological investigation that aims to describe clinic-epidemiologic profile of STI in pediatric patients that seek for help spontaneously or are referred to the STI Sector of Fundação Alfredo da Matta (FUAM), National and State Reference Center in Leprosy and STI, in the city of Manaus. Children from 0 up to 12 years old having STI in the period of January 2003 to December 2007 are the object of this study. The frequencies are described and epidemiologic, clinic and laboratorial characteristics of STI at this age group are verified. The inquiry of variables described is done by direct consultation of patients files of the STI Sector, which contains standard information and data collected was stored and consolidated for analysis using the Epi-Info Program. In the study, 182 children are included, who represents bacterial, viral and parasite STI from a total of 296 children attended in the health service. The data obtained represents an important tool for medical and legal nature strategies embasement to define actions for the advancement in scientific knowledge, update of technical norms to provide qualified information and improve health services and also, in future interventions on health politics that turns into operational practices and have impact in a city, state and federal level