Effectiveness of Syndromic Management of Male Urethral Discharge

Sexually transmitted infections constitute a public health problem and an increased risk for transmission of human immunodeficiency virus worldwide. This study was to determine the effectiveness of the syndromic management of male urethral discharge.Two hundred male patients with urethral discharge were recruited from September 2004 to May 2006 in PHC centers of Jos north LGA Plateau State. There were two gonococcal isolates (1.1%) out of 176 urethral smears which were beta-lactamase producers and were only susceptible to ciprofloxacin and azithromycin with MICs of ≤0.39 μg/ml and ≤0.195 μg/ml respectively. By laboratory method of assessment 166 patients (94.3%) were effectively cured by first line syndromic drugs while 10 patients (5.7%) were not. (x2 = 15.714 P = 0.000df = 1). The data were analyzed in EPI INFO version 6.04. The cure rate of syndromic treatment was very effective (94.3%) by laboratory assessment.The target group includes adolescents and young adults.