Praziquantel

Population

Family medicine

Marketing

Helminths

Business

Focus group

Immunology

Medicine

Nursing

Psychological intervention

Reproductive health

Schistosomiasis

Environmental health

PLoS neglected tropical diseases

Background Urogenital schistosomiasis is endemic throughout Ghana with elevated infection levels in certain areas e.g. Lake Volta Region. While the primary focus of the national control program is on mass drug administration of praziquantel to school-aged children, Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS), a disease-specific affliction of girls and women, has been largely overlooked. To better focus future actions, our study investigated the perceptions, knowledge and understanding of FGS amongst community members and health providers. Method/Principal findings We used qualitative methods including 12 focus group discussions and 34 in-depth interviews. We purposively selected 16 communities along the Lake Volta in the Shai-Osudoku District. Participant selection was based on gender, age and occupation; providing an opportunity to explore community understanding of FGS through participants own words and perceptions. Awareness of schistosomiasis was reported and is commonly experienced among children (12–17 years) ...

A major hurdle in the elimination of urogenital schistosomiasis revealed: Identifying key gaps in knowledge and understanding of female genital schistosomiasis within communities and local health workers