The prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis infection among patients that presented to hospitals in the Kermanshah district of Iran in 2006 and 2007

Authors: ABDOLALI CHALECHALE, ISAAC KARIMI

Abstract: To determine the prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis (Tv) among women that presented to hospitals in the Kermanshah district of Iran in 2006 and 2007. Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 33.690 women that presented to primary pathology laboratories in Kermanshah. Vaginal and cervical swabs were collected, and then stained with Papanicolaou (Pap) stain. Additionally, seasonal variations in the prevalence rate were compared to identify significant differences in the prevalence of Tv according to season. Results: Among the 33,690 women, 300 were infected with Tv (a prevalence rate of 0.9%). The 30-39-year-old age group had a significantly higher prevalence of infection (33.0%; P < 0.05) than the 20-29-year-old (29.0%) and 40-49-year-old age groups (21.0%; P > 0.05). The lowest rates of infection were observed in those <20 years of age (5.6%) and >50 years of age (11.4%; P > 0.05). According to the seasonal distribution of Tv, winter (22.0%), autumn (20.6%), and spring (26.0%) were similar. The prevalence rate of Tv in summer was significantly higher than during the other seasons (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of Tv positivity was low in the present study. The majority of infected individuals were aged 30-39 years and sexually active.

Keywords: Trichomoniasis, Pap smear, season, Iran

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