FEMALE GENITAL SCHISTOSOMIASIS - NEW CHALLENGES FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE

Female genital schistosomiasis has been neglected as a disease entity during a period when considerable progress has been achieved for schis tosomiasis as such, The pathophysiology and immunology are imperfectly understood, appropriate diagnostic tools are not at hand, therapeutic rationales do not exist, the natural history is not well known and wo men's perception of their illness has never been studied, Based on the findings of a systematic analysis, made by an inventory of research n eeds on women and tropical diseases, it has been Possible to highlight individual and public health hazards of female genital schistosomiasi s, such as the disease being a possible cofactor for the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus. This paper gives an example of how a ge nder perspective on a well-known parasitic disease can bring new chall enges to the research community and the public health sector.