PREVALENCE OF HYPERTENSION, ANEMIA, ASYMPTOMATIC URINARY TRACT INFECTION, SYPHILIS, HIV AND HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING AN ANTENATAL CLINIC AT A RURAL HOSPITAL IN SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA.

Antenatal care (ANC) is provided to prevent, diagnose early and treat pregnant women for a variety of diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalences of syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HVB) and asymptomatic urinary tract infections and the prevalence of hypertension and anemia among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at Gambo Rural Hospital in southern Ethiopia. The following tests were conducted among study subjects: hemoglobin (Hgb) level, rapid plasma reagin (RPR) for syphilis, anti-HIV antibodies, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and urine analysis.