SUAC0307 | OVERLOOKED AND MISDIAGNOSED: FEMALE GENITAL SCHISTOSOMIASIS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR HIV RISK IN ENDEMIC NIGERIAN COMMUNITIES

Oluwashola Balogun | Kids & Teens Resource Centre, Akure, Nigeria

Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS), a neglected tropical disease caused by Schistosoma haematobium, remains underdiagnosed in many Nigerian communities. Clinically mimicking sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and cervical pathologies, FGS is frequently mismanaged. Its genital manifestations, lesions, discharge, and bleeding heighten the risk of HIV acquisition by compromising mucosal integrity and delaying appropriate care. This study explores the diagnostic awareness of healthcare workers (HCWs) and the public health gap FGS presents in the context of HIV vulnerability. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 frontline HCWs—nurses, midwives, and community health officers—in two FGS-endemic local government areas in southern Nigeria. Transcripts were thematically analyzed to assess awareness, diagnostic approaches, and perceived linkages between FGS and HIV vulnerability. Only 15% of HCWs had received formal training on FGS, and 70% reported routinely misdiagnosing its symptoms as STIs or other reproductive tract infections. FGS was not included in 85% of participants’ formal training curricula, and no HCW had access to diagnostic tools specific to FGS. Most were unaware of its link to increased HIV susceptibility. More than 60% said that stigma-related delays in women seeking care made the risk of HIV even higher. Nearly all called for FGS to be integrated into HIV prevention and reproductive health frameworks. FGS is a silent amplifier of HIV vulnerability among women and girls in endemic regions. Misdiagnosis and stigma not only hinder treatment but increase the biological and behavioral risks for HIV acquisition. Addressing this issue requires: (1) incorporating FGS into national HIV/ STI guidelines and prevention messaging, (2) equipping primary health workers with diagnostic tools and training, and (3) scaling gender-sensitive community education. Tackling FGS in the HIV prevention agenda is essential for achieving ICASA 2025’s vision of integrated, sustainable health responses in Africa.