Abbai, Nathlee Samantha.Singh, Ravesh.Nundlall, Nikita.2023-07-192023-07-1920212021https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/21925Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Background: Genital mycoplasmas can be found amongst the normal human flora mostly in the respiratory, reproductive and urinary tracts as commensal or pathogenic organisms. These bacteria are sexually transmitted and can be linked to sexually transmitted diseases and other conditions. There are a limited number of studies conducted in South African pregnant women especially from KwaZulu-Natal which have assessed the prevalence, co-infection rates and risk factors for genital mycoplasmas. In this study, the prevalence, co-infection rates and risk factors for Mycoplasma genitalium, M. hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and U. parvum were investigated in a cohort of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected pregnant women. The data generated in this study, therefore adds to the growing body of knowledge on these pathogens. Methods: This study included 264 HIV infected pregnant women attending the King Edward VIII antenatal clinic in eThekwini, South Africa. The women were recruited between October 2020 and April 2021. Each enrolled women provided self-collected vaginal swabs (dry swabs) for detection of the vaginal infections. The consenting women had also completed a questionnaire on socio-demographic, behavioural and clinical factors. DNA was extracted from the vaginal samples using the PureLink Microbiome kit. The individual pathogens were detected using the TaqMan Real-time PCR assays using commercially available primers and probes on a QuantStudio 5 Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) platform. The statistical data analysis was conducted in a freely available Statistical Computing Environment, R software, version 3.6.3 using the RStudio platform. Results: The most prevalent infection in the study population was U. urealyticum, 236/264 (89.4%), followed by M. hominis, 215/264 (81.4%), U. parvum, 203/264 (76.9%) and lastly M. genitalium, 7/264 (2.70%). A total of five women (1.90%) were coinfected with all four microorganisms. Within the group of women who tested positive for Mycoplasma genitalium (M. genitalium), partner having other partners was the only significant behavioral factor in relation with being positive, p=0.031. However, a smaller proportion of positive women reported that their partner had other partners (28.6%) when compared to 57.1% who reported that their partner did not have other partners and 14.3% who did not know if their partner had other partners. Within the group of women who tested positive for Mycoplasma hominis (M. hominis), partner having STI symptoms was a significant clinical factor in relation with being positive, p=0.027. Women that experienced current symptoms of STIs was significantly associated with being positive, p<0.001. In addition, of the M. hominis positive women, a higher proportion, 80.5% tested positive for U. parvum infection compared to 19.5% who tested negative and this was significant, p=0.004. Partner being circumcised was a significant clinical factor in relation with being positive for Ureaplasma urealyticum (U. urealyticum), p=0.028. In addition, partner having symptoms of STIs was a significant clinical factor in relation with being positive, p=0.027. The majority of the positive women were in the third trimester of pregnancy and trimester of pregnancy was significantly associated with being positive for infection, p=0.040. Of the women who tested positive for U. urealyticum, a higher proportion of women also tested positive for M. hominis and this association was significant, p=0.051. Within the group of women who tested positive for Ureaplasma parvum (U. parvum), partners HIV status was significant in relation with being positive, p=0.049. Lifetime number of sex partners was significantly associated with being positive, p=0.012. Partner having other partners was also a significant factor in relation with being positive, p=0.023. Of the U. parvum positive women, a higher proportion of women (85.2%) tested positive for M. hominis. This association was significant, p=0.004. In the adjusted analysis, being employed increased the risk of getting infected with M. hominis p=0.012. In the adjusted analysis, current STI symptoms increased the risk for M. hominis by 95.27 fold, p<0.001. Being U. parvum positive increased the risk for M. hominis by 8.19 fold, p=0.001. Being U. urealyticum positive also increased the risk for M. hominis, p=0.039. In the adjusted analysis, having >4 lifetime sex partners increased the risk of infection with U. parvum by 88.02 fold. This factor was significant, p<0.001. Partner having other partners increased the risk of infection with U. parvum, p=0.008. In the adjusted analysis, being M. hominis positive increased the risk for U. parvum by 4.33 fold, p=0.008. Conclusion: The present study provides information on the risk factors associated with genital mycoplasma infections. The identification of risk factors provides the foundation for the development of prevention interventions. In this study, clinical and behavioral factors were shown to be significantly associated with the risk for infection. Based on this finding, it is evident that a single prevention strategy will not be sufficient, what will be needed is a combination prevention strategy for this vulnerable population.enMycoplasma genitalium.Mycoplasma hominis.Ureaplasma urealyticum.Ureaplasma parvum.HIV--infected pregnant women.Thesis