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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Burden of trichomoniasis among older adults in the United States: a systematic review

Alyssa R. Lindrose https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0952-1975 A * , Kyaw Zin Htet B , Samantha O’Connell C , James Marsh B and Patricia J. Kissinger A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.

B Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.

C Office of Academic Affairs & Provost, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.


Handling Editor: Matthew Hogben

Sexual Health 19(3) 151-156 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH22009
Submitted: 13 January 2022  Accepted: 28 April 2022   Published: 7 June 2022

© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Despite being one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States, the epidemiology of trichomoniasis remains understudied. One population that has been historically overlooked regarding STIs is that of older adults, despite many individuals remaining sexually active well into their older years. We investigated the reported prevalence and incidence of trichomoniasis in adults aged ≥45 years in the United States using a systematic literature review. Twelve articles were included in the review, all assessing prevalence of trichomoniasis in this age group. Notably, no included articles assessed trichomoniasis incidence. Data collected encompassed several decades, from 1993 to 2016. Estimates of infection prevalence varied widely and ranged from 0.2% to 21.4% in included populations, with the highest prevalence typically seen among individuals seeking diagnostic testing for STIs. Several studies found increased risk for trichomoniasis in older patients compared to younger age groups. This is the first review to examine the risk of trichomoniasis in older adults, and the surprisingly high prevalence suggests that older adults may merit increased screening for trichomoniasis and sexual health education.

Keywords: aging, epidemiology, infection, neglected infectious disease, protozoal infections, sexual health, STIs, trichomonas, trichomoniasis.


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