Bacterial Flora of The Endocervix and Anorectum of Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women on The Jos Plateau, Nigeria.

Abstract

Out of the 14 organisms isolated from the endocervix of pregnant and non-pregnant women, Lactobacillus species had the highest prevalence rates of 18.33%, 20.0% respectively, followed by Candida species (6.67%, 20.0%), Staphylococcus aureus (13.33%, 11.43%) and Staphylococcus pyogenes (11.67%, 11.43%). From the anorectum, the most prevalent were Streptococcus agalatiae, Streptococcus mutans and Candida species with prevalence rates of20.0% among the pregnant women and 14.29% for the non-pregnant women.Hormone based contraceptives (i.e. oral contraceptive and injection) do have a positive influence on the growth and survival of microorganism more than the physical barrier contraceptives (i.e. condoms and intrauterine device). Antibiotic intake prior to the study affected negatively the growth and survival of microorganisms in the endocervix, but not the age of pregnancy. As a result of the numerous types of microorganisms growing in the endocervix and the anorectum of both pregnant and nonpregnant women, which portends some health hazards, a routine screening of asymtomatic individuals is therefore being proposed to forestall the attendant morbidity and mortality likely to arise from resultant disease conditions.