Lay people's perceptions of sexually transmitted infections in Uganda

In order to understand lay people's perceptions of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were held with community members and patients with STIs in Mbarara and Kampala, Uganda. Symptoms of common STIs and the modes of transmission methods were known. STIs were perceived as naturalistic diseases caused by a tiny insect called akakoko or akawutka, although female infertility, one of the common complications of STIs, was perceived as a supernatural ailment. There was no stigma towards people with AIDS, although stigma towards people with other STIs was high. There were also strong negative attitudes towards the use of condoms. More than 60% of the patients interviewed had received treatment from the informal sector which included self-treatment and traditional healers. To reduce the incidence and complications of STIs, there may be a need to collaborate with the informal sector, to further evaluate the beliefs and practices identified in this study and to target them for health education.