clinico-etiological aspects of patients suffering from genital lesions: a cross-sectional study from india

Background: genital dermatoses can interfere with sexual functioning and self-image. sexually transmitted infections (stis) are among the top 10 diseases in india. objectives: this study aimed to document the burden, clinico-etiological, and demographic profile of patients presenting with genital lesions, determine the proportions of the pediatric and human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)-seropositive patients, and identify contributory factors. methods: this was a hospital-based cross-sectional observational study conducted at a tertiary hospital in pune, india, in the department of dermatology and pediatrics over a period of 2 months (july-august 2022). patients presenting with genital lesions were enrolled after obtaining written informed consent. relevant information was recorded using a predesigned proforma. results: a total of 83 patients comprised 77 adults, 3 (3.6%) pediatric patients and adolescents each, and 15 (18.1%) hiv-seropositive individuals. the adult male-to-female ratio was 1.2: 1. the mean age of adults was 37.01 ± 14.57 years. the most common sti and non-sti lesions were herpes genitalis and tinea cruris, respectively, with a similar trend in the hiv-seropositive group. all three pediatric cases had non-sti lesions; however, 66.7% of adolescents had stis (vulvovaginal candidiasis and genital warts). overall, there was a slightly higher preponderance of non-sti lesions (53.75%), and the majority of patients had lesions of infectious nature (86.25%). the most common identifiable risk factor was lack of circumcision (51.25%), followed by unprotected intercourse (22.5%). the presence of risk factors was significantly associated with male gender (p = 0.0001). conclusions: this study emphasizes that besides stis, non-stis contribute substantially to genital diseases.