The prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis detected by wet mount and polymerase chain reaction in Sydney women
Ivy Kwon A , Anna McNulty B C and Phillip Read B D EA University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
B Sydney Sexual Health Centre, GPO Box 1614, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia.
C School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
D The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: phillip.read@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au
Sexual Health 10(4) 385-386 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH12201
Submitted: 29 November 2012 Accepted: 13 January 2013 Published: 24 April 2013
Abstract
Objectives: Although Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) has a low profile in urban Australia, local data has estimated the prevalence in women to be 10 times higher when using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) versus wet mount microscopy (4.8% v. 0.4%). Our aim was to determine the prevalence of TV in Sydney women using both wet mount and PCR. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted of women requiring sexually transmissible infection screening at the Sydney Sexual Health Centre. Vaginal swabs were examined for TV using PCR and wet mount microscopy. Results: In total, 781 of 1263 eligible women were tested; 3 out of 781 tested positive by PCR and 1 out of 781 by wet mount, giving a prevalence of 0.38% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14–1.12%) and 0.13% (95% CI: 0.03–0.71%) respectively. There was not enough power to compare PCR and wet mount. Conclusions: The results of this analysis indicate that in our female urban population, TV is a very rare sexually transmissible infection,with 0.38% prevalence, and routine screening by PCR is not indicated.
Additional keywords: Australia, epidemiology, microscopy.
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