EC Microbiology

Research Article Volume 21 Issue 11 - 2025

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum and HIV among Sexually Active Patients at the Family Guidance Association Clinic in Jimma, Ethiopia

Yohannes Alemu1*, Zewdineh Sahlemariam1, Rahel Tamrat1, Zerihun Assefa2 and Minale Fekadie Baye2

1Department of Clinical Laboratory, School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, of Health Science, Institute of Health Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

2Department of Biochemistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

*Corresponding Author: Yohannes Alemu, Department of Clinical Laboratory, School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, of Health Science, Institute of Health Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Received: June 12, 2025; Published: October 28, 2025



Background: Gonorrhea, syphilis and AIDS are the commonest sexually transmitted diseases caused by the obligate human pathogens such as Neisseria gonorrhea, Treponema pallidum and HIV, respectively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for N. gonorrhoeae, T. pallidum, and HIV-1/2 infections in patients who were suspected of having a STI and were attending the Family Guidance Association (FGA) Clinic in Jimma town, southwest Ethiopia.

Methods: 150 STI-suspected patients at the FGA Clinic participated in an institutional cross-sectional study. After collecting cervical/urethral swab specimens and inoculating them on Modified Thayer Martin medium, an antibiotic susceptibility test using the disc diffusion method was conducted. The FGA clinic laboratory obtained a blood sample for the purpose of diagnosing HIV and T. pallidum, and it was examined using quick syphilis and HIV test kits. Data were entered using Epi data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 27. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Result: Patients at the FGA Clinic in Jimma had a significant prevalence of STIs caused by HIV, T. pallidum, and N. gonorrhea. STIs were found to be significantly related with male gender, patients who had a new sexual partner within a year and patients who do not use condoms after using drugs. Thus, it is advised to raise knowledge about STI prevention, provide health education, and conduct routine surveillance on the antibiotic susceptibility of Gonococcal isolates.

 Keywords: HIV; STIs; Syphilis; Gonorrhea; Antibiotic Resistance

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Yohannes Alemu., et al. “Prevalence and Risk Factors of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum and HIV among Sexually Active Patients at the Family Guidance Association Clinic in Jimma, Ethiopia”. EC Microbiology  21.11 (2025): 01-17.

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