Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Patients Attending Dermatovenereology Clinic at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State

Sexually transmitted infections remain a major public health and clinical burden in Nigeria, with dermatovenereology clinics serving as frontline diagnostic and treatment centres. At the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Edo State, South South Nigeria, the epidemiological profile of sexually transmitted infections and its evolution over recent years warrants systematic documentation. This study examines the prevalence and pattern of sexually transmitted infections among patients attending the dermatovenereology clinic over a three-year period from 2020 to 2022. A retrospective descriptive design is applied to clinic registers and diagnostic laboratory records. Variables analysed include patient age, sex, clinical diagnosis, laboratory confirmation method, co-infection patterns, HIV status, and treatment prescribed. SPSS is used for statistical analysis. Literature from comparable Nigerian tertiary clinics in southern states identifies gonorrhoea, syphilis, genital herpes, and HIV as the most prevalent diagnoses, with rising antimicrobial resistance patterns in gonococcal isolates. The WHO STI Surveillance Indicators framework guides the analysis of diagnostic and treatment quality. Findings will contribute to the clinic's internal audit database and inform updates to antibiotic prescribing protocols in light of evolving resistance data. Keywords: sexually transmitted infections, dermatovenereology, Benin City, Edo State, South South Nigeria.