Skip to content
2000
Volume 22, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 1573-4048
  • E-ISSN: 1875-6581

Abstract

Introduction/Objective

Back pain is one of the main causes of disability, most of which is caused by non-specific factors. There is a relationship between infections and back pain. The present study was conducted to detect the association between the severity of back pain and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in women.

Methods

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among women with STDs referred to the selected clinics in Shahrekord city in 2022. After confirming the STD by a gynecologist, the questionnaire was completed by the clients in a private environment. The research tool consisted of a demographic questionnaire, a checklist related to medical and fertility records, and a disability questionnaire for low back pain. The pain intensity was categorized into four levels: no pain, mild, moderate, and severe. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 25) and the chi-square test and analysis of variance. <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 310 women were included in the study. The mean age of the women was 37.04 ± 7.88 years, and the mean number of pregnancies was 2.43 ± 1.40. The overall prevalence of back pain was 71.9%, with 28.1% reporting no pain, 22.9% reporting mild pain, 24.5% reporting moderate pain, and 24.5% reporting severe pain. There was a statistically significant association between the severity of back pain and the type of delivery, menstrual status, menstrual complications, history of medical illness, history of drug use, travel abroad by self or spouse alone, previous history of sexually transmitted infections, multiple sexual partners, type of sexual activity, the use of condoms, the number of sexual partners of the spouse, the history of sexually transmitted infection in the spouse, and job risk ( < 0.05). Also, significant associations were observed between the severity of back pain and the type of sexually transmitted disease, suffering from cervicitis, burning and frequent urination, vaginal discharge, unusual mass in the groin area, abdominal pain, pain during intercourse, pain in the perineum, and anal discharge ( < 0.05), while there was no significant association with post-coital bleeding, genital ulcer, or vulvovaginal itching ( > 0.05).

Conclusion

Health service providers should consider the examination and diagnosis of STDs when patients present with symptoms of back pain. In addition, policymakers and health care providers should work to prevent STDs and their consequences, including back pain, by adopting educational and support policies, thereby reducing the burden of disease on the health care system.

© 2026 Bentham Science Publishers
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/cwhr/10.2174/0115734048316222250709111958
2025-07-22
2026-02-04

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/cwhr/10.2174/0115734048316222250709111958
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. HartvigsenJ. HancockM.J. KongstedA. LouwQ. FerreiraM.L. GenevayS. HoyD. KarppinenJ. PranskyG. SieperJ. SmeetsR.J. UnderwoodM. BuchbinderR. HartvigsenJ. CherkinD. FosterN.E. MaherC.G. UnderwoodM. van TulderM. AnemaJ.R. ChouR. CohenS.P. Menezes CostaL. CroftP. FerreiraM. FerreiraP.H. FritzJ.M. GenevayS. GrossD.P. HancockM.J. HoyD. KarppinenJ. KoesB.W. KongstedA. LouwQ. ÖbergB. PeulW.C. PranskyG. SchoeneM. SieperJ. SmeetsR.J. TurnerJ.A. WoolfA. What low back pain is and why we need to pay attention.Lancet2018391101372356236710.1016/S0140‑6736(18)30480‑X 29573870
     [Google Scholar]
  2. KoesB.W. van TulderM.W. ThomasS. Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain.BMJ200633275551430143410.1136/bmj.332.7555.1430 16777886
     [Google Scholar]
  3. LucasJ. QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged≥ 18 Years Who Had Lower Back Pain in the Past 3 Months, by Sex and AgeGroup—National Health Interview Survey: United States,2020
     [Google Scholar]
  4. HoyD.G. SmithE. CrossM. Sanchez-RieraL. BlythF.M. BuchbinderR. WoolfA.D. DriscollT. BrooksP. MarchL.M. Reflecting on the global burden of musculoskeletal conditions: Lessons learnt from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study and the next steps forward.Ann. Rheum. Dis.20157414710.1136/annrheumdis‑2014‑205393 24914071
     [Google Scholar]
  5. WuA. MarchL. ZhengX. HuangJ. WangX. ZhaoJ. BlythF.M. SmithE. BuchbinderR. HoyD. Global low back pain prevalence and years lived with disability from 1990 to 2017: Estimates from the global burden of disease study 2017.Ann. Transl. Med.20208629910.21037/atm.2020.02.175 32355743
     [Google Scholar]
  6. ManiadakisN. GrayA. The economic burden of back pain in the UK.Pain20008419510310.1016/S0304‑3959(99)00187‑6 10601677
     [Google Scholar]
  7. TraegerA. BuchbinderR. ElshaugA. CroftP. MaherC. Care for low back pain: Can health systems deliver?Bull. World Health Organ.201997642343310.2471/BLT.18.226050 31210680
     [Google Scholar]
  8. van TulderM. BeckerA. BekkeringT. BreenA. del RealM.T.G. HutchinsonA. KoesB. LaerumE. MalmivaaraA. Chapter 3 European guidelines for the management of acute nonspecific low back pain in primary care.Eur. Spine J.200615S2s169-s191.(Suppl. 2)10.1007/s00586‑006‑1071‑2 16550447
     [Google Scholar]
  9. UrquhartD.M. ZhengY. ChengA.C. RosenfeldJ.V. ChanP. LiewS. HussainS.M. CicuttiniF.M. Could low grade bacterial infection contribute to low back pain? A systematic review.BMC Med.20151311310.1186/s12916‑015‑0267‑x 25609421
     [Google Scholar]
  10. JöudA. PeterssonI.F. EnglundM. Low back pain: Epidemiology of consultations.Arthritis Care Res.20126471084108810.1002/acr.21642 22337573
     [Google Scholar]
  11. GalukandeM. MuwaziS. MugisaD.B. Aetiology of low back pain in Mulago Hospital, Uganda.Afr. Health Sci.200552164167 16006225
     [Google Scholar]
  12. ShaikhM. ÖstörA.J. Evaluating the patient with low back pain.Practitioner2015259178821-24, 2-3 26882775
     [Google Scholar]
  13. MwesigaE.K. KaddumukasaM. MugenyiL. NakasujjaN. Classification and description of chronic pain among HIV positive patients in Uganda.Afr. Health Sci.20191921978198710.4314/ahs.v19i2.20 31656480
     [Google Scholar]
  14. MerlinJ.S. ZinskiA. NortonW.E. RitchieC.S. SaagM.S. MugaveroM.J. TreismanG. HootenW.M. A conceptual framework for understanding chronic pain in patients with HIV.Pain Pract.201414320721610.1111/papr.12052 23551857
     [Google Scholar]
  15. CarterJ.D. EspinozaL.R. InmanR.D. SneedK.B. RiccaL.R. VaseyF.B. ValerianoJ. StanichJ.A. OszustC. GerardH.C. HudsonA.P. Combination antibiotics as a treatment for chronic Chlamydia ‐induced reactive arthritis: A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, prospective trial.Arthritis Rheum.20106251298130710.1002/art.27394 20155838
     [Google Scholar]
  16. ValizadehF. ChamanR. MotaghiZ. NazariA.M. Prevalence of sexual transmitted infections (STIS) and un-protected sex in temporary marriage in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Iran. J. Public Health20215061156116610.18502/ijph.v50i6.6414 34540736
     [Google Scholar]
  17. MajidiA. HiradasaR. AghdamH. ShirzadH. SikaroodiH. SamadiS. Assessment of disability effects of chronic low back pain in naja vali-e- asr (a) hospital patients before and after a period of medical treatment using oswestry disability questionnaire.J. Police Med.2013131610.30505/1.3.2
     [Google Scholar]
  18. FatoyeF. GebryeT. OdeyemiI. Real-world incidence and prevalence of low back pain using routinely collected data.Rheumatol. Int.201939461962610.1007/s00296‑019‑04273‑0 30848349
     [Google Scholar]
  19. StammT.A. PieberK. CrevennaR. DornerT.E. Impairment in the activities of daily living in older adults with and without osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and chronic back pain: A secondary analysis of population-based health survey data.BMC Musculoskelet. Disord.201617113910.1186/s12891‑016‑0994‑y 27020532
     [Google Scholar]
  20. LeveilleS.G. GuralnikJ.M. HochbergM. HirschR. FerrucciL. LangloisJ. RantanenT. LingS. Low back pain and disability in older women: Independent association with difficulty but not inability to perform daily activities.J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci.19995410M487M49310.1093/gerona/54.10.M487 10568530
     [Google Scholar]
  21. GrabovacI. DornerT.E. Association between low back pain and various everyday performances.Wien. Klin. Wochenschr.201913121-2254154910.1007/s00508‑019‑01542‑7 31493101
     [Google Scholar]
  22. MerlinJ.S. WestfallA.O. HeathS.L. GoodinB.R. StewartJ.C. SorgeR.E. YoungerJ. Brief report: IL-1β levels are associated with chronic multisite pain in people living with HIV.J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr.2017754e99e10310.1097/QAI.0000000000001377 28328552
     [Google Scholar]
  23. CostaM. MarshmanL.A.G. Sex life and the oswestry disability index.Spine J.20151561225123210.1016/j.spinee.2015.02.022 25708794
     [Google Scholar]
  24. ShiriR. Falah-HassaniK. HeliövaaraM. SolovievaS. AmiriS. LallukkaT. BurdorfA. Husgafvel-PursiainenK. Viikari-JunturaE. Risk factors for low back pain: A population‐based longitudinal study.Arthritis Care Res.201971229029910.1002/acr.23710 30044543
     [Google Scholar]
  25. SalariN. MohammadiA. HemmatiM. HasheminezhadR. KaniS. ShohaimiS. MohammadiM. The global prevalence of low back pain in pregnancy: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Preg.Childb.202323183010.1186/s12884‑023‑06151‑x 38042815
     [Google Scholar]
  26. RezaeiB. MousaviE. HeshmatiB. AsadiS. Low back pain and its related risk factors in health care providers at hospitals: A systematic review.Ann. Med. Surg.20217010290310.1016/j.amsu.2021.102903 34691437
     [Google Scholar]
  27. TjahyadiD. RopiiB. TjandraprawiraK.D. ParwatiI. DjuwantonoT. PermadiW. LiT. Female urogenital chlamydia: Epidemiology, chlamydia on pregnancy, current diagnosis, and treatment.Ann. Med. Surg.20227510344810.1016/j.amsu.2022.103448 35386801
     [Google Scholar]
  28. KoleA. RoyR. KoleD. Musculoskeletal and rheumatological disorders in HIV infection: Experience in a tertiary referral center.Indian J. Sex. Transm. Dis. AIDS201334210711210.4103/0253‑7184.120542 24339461
     [Google Scholar]
  29. TalibW.H. Ahmed Jum’AHD.A. AttallahZ.S. JalladM.S. Al KuryL.T. HadiR.W. MahmodA.I. Role of vitamins A, C, D, E in cancer prevention and therapy: Therapeutic potentials and mechanisms of action.Front. Nutr.202410128187910.3389/fnut.2023.1281879 38274206
     [Google Scholar]
  30. GuoZ. HuangM. FanD. HongY. ZhaoM. DingR. ChengY. DuanS. Association between vitamin D supplementation and cancer incidence and mortality: A trial sequential meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr.202363268428844210.1080/10408398.2022.2056574 35352965
     [Google Scholar]
  31. XinJ. JiangX. BenS. YuanQ. SuL. ZhangZ. ChristianiD.C. DuM. WangM. Association between circulating vitamin E and ten common cancers: Evidence from large-scale Mendelian randomization analysis and a longitudinal cohort study.BMC Med.202220116810.1186/s12916‑022‑02366‑5 35538486
     [Google Scholar]
  32. GengX. LiuL. TsaiK-J. LiuZ. Selenium: Roles in cancer prevention and therapies.Essential and Non-essential Metals. MudipalliA. ZelikoffJ. ChamHumana Press201710.1007/978‑3‑319‑55448‑8_3
     [Google Scholar]
  33. TheinelM.H. NucciM.P. AlvesA.H. DiasO.F.M. MamaniJ.B. GarrigósM.M. OliveiraF.A. RegoG.N.A. ValleN.M.E. CianciarulloG. GamarraL.F. The effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on breast cancer as a preventive measure or as an adjunct to conventional treatments.Nutrients2023156131010.3390/nu15061310 36986040
     [Google Scholar]
  34. MazziottaC. TognonM. MartiniF. TorreggianiE. RotondoJ.C. Probiotics mechanism of action on immune cells and beneficial effects on human health.Cells202312118410.3390/cells12010184
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/cwhr/10.2174/0115734048316222250709111958
Loading
Back Pain Severity in Women with Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study
Curr Womens Health Rev. 22, E15734048316222 (2026); https://doi.org/10.2174/0115734048316222250709111958
/content/journals/cwhr/10.2174/0115734048316222250709111958
/content/journals/cwhr/10.2174/0115734048316222250709111958
Loading

Data & Media loading...


  • Article Type:     Research Article
Keyword(s): abdominal pain; Back pain; cervicitis; genital ulcer; post coital bleeding; sexually transmitted diseases

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test