What is female genital schistosomiasis?

Symptoms and complications of FGS

FGS occurs when the parasite eggs cause damage to the reproductive organs, which can result in gynaecological symptoms in women and adolescent girls, such as:

• Vaginal discharge
• Blood in urine
• Abdominal and pelvic pain

If left untreated, women living with FGS can experience a range of complications, including:

• Infertility
• Abortion or ectopic pregnancy
• Genital ulcers
• Increased risk of HIV and human papillomavirus infections

Schistosomiasis and HIV

FGS causes open sores, inflammation and exposure to blood, giving easy access for any virus to enter the body. As a result, women and girls with FGS are up to three times more likely to acquire HIV.

Is FGS a sexually transmitted infection?

FGS is not a sexually transmitted infection. FGS develops when someone has schistosomiasis, which is only caught through skin contact with contaminated freshwater sources. It cannot be passed from person to person directly.

How is FGS diagnosed?

FGS can be diagnosed by visual examination of the genitals and colposcopy, which is a procedure to take a closer look at someone’s vagina and cervix. Unfortunately the equipment required for this is expensive and requires lots of medical training, and this is not always available in the health facilities in all affected communities. Another challenge is that health professionals are often not familiar with FGS as it is typically not part of standard medical training. Therefore, it remains underreported, misdiagnosed and largely untreated.

This has serious consequences for women, who not only suffer physical symptoms but also mental health problems due to stigma surrounding infertility and because symptoms are often confused with those of sexually transmitted infections. The World Health Organization’s pocket atlas has been developed to aid healthcare professionals with diagnosis of the disease.

Raising awareness of FGS

It is evident that there are many factors at play, but in order to prevent new cases and reduce the morbidity associated with FGS, appropriate training must be provided to healthcare professionals. Through early diagnosis and regular treatment of schistosomiasis, girls and women will be protected from developing FGS, which in turn can lead to improvements in their quality of life. Increased awareness of the disease and how to prevent it is critical so that communities understand the risks and impact of FGS on individuals, including the stigma that surrounds it.

How is Unlimit Health tackling FGS?

Unlimit Health is working on various initiatives to tackle FGS, which you can find out more about below, and we have published a position paper.