Prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among adolescents with suspected genital infection in the Ngiri-Ngiri health zone in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Adolescents are among the groups most exposed to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and most likely to resort to self-medication, which constitutes a threat to public health. This study aimed to assess self-medication practices for symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolesc...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IJARIT Research Foundation
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/IJARIT/article/view/82806/54079 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1839633920754188288 |
|---|---|
| author | Rosie N. Mubindukila Jean-Jacques D. Amogu Jean-Paul M. Nzundu Mireille K. Mbuyi Eric M. Mwalumba Serge A. Inia Odette N. Kabena Thierry T. Tangou |
| author_facet | Rosie N. Mubindukila Jean-Jacques D. Amogu Jean-Paul M. Nzundu Mireille K. Mbuyi Eric M. Mwalumba Serge A. Inia Odette N. Kabena Thierry T. Tangou |
| author_sort | Rosie N. Mubindukila |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Adolescents are among the groups most exposed to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and most likely to resort to self-medication, which constitutes a threat to public health. This study aimed to assess self-medication practices for symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescents in the commune of Ngiri-Ngiri in the City of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by interviewing 224 adolescents using ODK software. Data were processed with XLSTAT. Of the 224 adolescents, 34.3% admitted to having symptoms associated with STIs. The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics was 45.5%. Of those who self-medicated, 70% attended school, 47% were male, and 53% were female. Of all the drugs used, amoxicillin ranked first, followed by penicillin, vaginal ovules, and tetracycline. The study also showed that some women resorted to phytotherapy. As for the source of information, 70% of teenagers confirmed that they had obtained this information from pharmacy owners, 29% from the community, and 23% from healthcare providers. Given the considerable prevalence of self-medication for symptoms associated with STIs in this environment, health workers and political decision-makers are called upon to pool their efforts to raise awareness of the rational use of medicines to reduce or even eradicate this harmful practice. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a62fdba5c2ec491184d58cd2a98caf7c |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2224-0616 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | IJARIT Research Foundation |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-a62fdba5c2ec491184d58cd2a98caf7c2025-07-10T17:36:26ZengIJARIT Research FoundationInternational Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology2224-06162025-06-01151147154https://doi.org/10.3329/ijarit.v15i1.82806Prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among adolescents with suspected genital infection in the Ngiri-Ngiri health zone in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the CongoRosie N. Mubindukila0Jean-Jacques D. Amogu1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2658-154XJean-Paul M. Nzundu2https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9519-2193Mireille K. Mbuyi3Eric M. Mwalumba4Serge A. Inia5https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4758-8810Odette N. Kabena6https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8576-7613Thierry T. Tangou7https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2766-3060Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the CongoDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, P.O. Box 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the CongoDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, P.O. Box 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the CongoKokolo Camp Military Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the CongoChief Medical Officer for the Ngiri-Ngiri zone, Kinshasa Provincial Health Division, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the CongoCenters of Excellence in Nuclear, Radiological, Biological, and Chemical (CoE-NRBC), Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the CongoNational Committee for Protection against Ionizing Radiation (CNPRI), Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the CongoDepartment of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, P.O. Box 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the CongoAdolescents are among the groups most exposed to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and most likely to resort to self-medication, which constitutes a threat to public health. This study aimed to assess self-medication practices for symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescents in the commune of Ngiri-Ngiri in the City of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by interviewing 224 adolescents using ODK software. Data were processed with XLSTAT. Of the 224 adolescents, 34.3% admitted to having symptoms associated with STIs. The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics was 45.5%. Of those who self-medicated, 70% attended school, 47% were male, and 53% were female. Of all the drugs used, amoxicillin ranked first, followed by penicillin, vaginal ovules, and tetracycline. The study also showed that some women resorted to phytotherapy. As for the source of information, 70% of teenagers confirmed that they had obtained this information from pharmacy owners, 29% from the community, and 23% from healthcare providers. Given the considerable prevalence of self-medication for symptoms associated with STIs in this environment, health workers and political decision-makers are called upon to pool their efforts to raise awareness of the rational use of medicines to reduce or even eradicate this harmful practice.https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/IJARIT/article/view/82806/54079antibioticsbacterial resistanceself-medicationdr congo |
| spellingShingle | Rosie N. Mubindukila Jean-Jacques D. Amogu Jean-Paul M. Nzundu Mireille K. Mbuyi Eric M. Mwalumba Serge A. Inia Odette N. Kabena Thierry T. Tangou Prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among adolescents with suspected genital infection in the Ngiri-Ngiri health zone in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology antibiotics bacterial resistance self-medication dr congo |
| title | Prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among adolescents with suspected genital infection in the Ngiri-Ngiri health zone in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| title_full | Prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among adolescents with suspected genital infection in the Ngiri-Ngiri health zone in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among adolescents with suspected genital infection in the Ngiri-Ngiri health zone in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among adolescents with suspected genital infection in the Ngiri-Ngiri health zone in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| title_short | Prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among adolescents with suspected genital infection in the Ngiri-Ngiri health zone in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| title_sort | prevalence of self medication with antibiotics among adolescents with suspected genital infection in the ngiri ngiri health zone in kinshasa democratic republic of the congo |
| topic | antibiotics bacterial resistance self-medication dr congo |
| url | https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/IJARIT/article/view/82806/54079 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rosienmubindukila prevalenceofselfmedicationwithantibioticsamongadolescentswithsuspectedgenitalinfectioninthengiringirihealthzoneinkinshasademocraticrepublicofthecongo AT jeanjacquesdamogu prevalenceofselfmedicationwithantibioticsamongadolescentswithsuspectedgenitalinfectioninthengiringirihealthzoneinkinshasademocraticrepublicofthecongo AT jeanpaulmnzundu prevalenceofselfmedicationwithantibioticsamongadolescentswithsuspectedgenitalinfectioninthengiringirihealthzoneinkinshasademocraticrepublicofthecongo AT mireillekmbuyi prevalenceofselfmedicationwithantibioticsamongadolescentswithsuspectedgenitalinfectioninthengiringirihealthzoneinkinshasademocraticrepublicofthecongo AT ericmmwalumba prevalenceofselfmedicationwithantibioticsamongadolescentswithsuspectedgenitalinfectioninthengiringirihealthzoneinkinshasademocraticrepublicofthecongo AT sergeainia prevalenceofselfmedicationwithantibioticsamongadolescentswithsuspectedgenitalinfectioninthengiringirihealthzoneinkinshasademocraticrepublicofthecongo AT odettenkabena prevalenceofselfmedicationwithantibioticsamongadolescentswithsuspectedgenitalinfectioninthengiringirihealthzoneinkinshasademocraticrepublicofthecongo AT thierryttangou prevalenceofselfmedicationwithantibioticsamongadolescentswithsuspectedgenitalinfectioninthengiringirihealthzoneinkinshasademocraticrepublicofthecongo |