Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Sexual Health Sexual Health Society
Publishing on sexual health from the widest perspective
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Trichomoniasis among men presenting to a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia

Esha Abraham A B , Christopher K. Fairley https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9081-1664 A B , Ei T. Aung https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2560-3233 A B , Catriona S. Bradshaw https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6643-5678 A B C , Marcus Y. Chen https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8924-2043 A B , Tiffany R. Phillips https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6920-7710 A B # and Eric P. F. Chow https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1766-0657 A B C # *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Vic. 3053, Australia.

B Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.

C Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3053, Australia.

* Correspondence to: eric.chow@monash.edu
# These authors contributed equally to this paper

Handling Editor: Nittaya Phanuphak

Sexual Health 19(1) 70-73 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH21240
Submitted: 3 December 2021  Accepted: 29 January 2022   Published: 14 February 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

Background: This study aimed to examine the positivity of urethral Trichomonas vaginalis in men attending an urban sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of men who were tested for T. vaginalis using nucleic acid amplification test at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between August 2018 and May 2021, and calculated the positivity.

Results: Of the 893 men who were tested for T. vaginalis, 12 (1.3%; 95% CI 0.7–2.3) tested positive for T. vaginalis. The positivity of T. vaginalis among men who reported sexual contact with a female partner with T. vaginalis was significantly higher than men who were not contacts (18.6% [8/43] vs 0.5% [4/850], P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The positivity of T. vaginalis was low at our clinic. The high positivity among contacts highlights the importance of partner notification, testing and management.

Keywords: epidemiology, males, partner notification, prevalence, screening, sexual contacts, sexually transmitted infections, sexually transmitted diseases, testing, Trichomonas vaginalis, trichomoniasis.


References

[1]  Kissinger P. Trichomonas vaginalis: a review of epidemiologic, clinical and treatment issues. BMC Infect Dis 2015; 15 307
Trichomonas vaginalis: a review of epidemiologic, clinical and treatment issues.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26242185PubMed |

[2]  Rowley J, Vander Hoorn S, Korenromp E, Low N, Unemo M, Abu-Raddad LJ, et al. Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and syphilis: global prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016. Bull World Health Organ 2019; 97 548–62p.
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and syphilis: global prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 31384073PubMed |

[3]  Uddin RNN, Ryder N, McNulty AM, Wray L, Donovan B. Trichomonas vaginalis infection among women in a low prevalence setting. Sex Health 2011; 8 65–8.
Trichomonas vaginalis infection among women in a low prevalence setting.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[4]  Lusk MJ, Naing Z, Rayner B, Rismanto N, McIver CJ, Cumming RG, et al. Trichomonas vaginalis: underdiagnosis in urban Australia could facilitate re-emergence. Sex Transm Infect 2010; 86 227–30.
Trichomonas vaginalis: underdiagnosis in urban Australia could facilitate re-emergence.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19880969PubMed |

[5]  Tilley DM, Dubedat SM, Lowe P, Templeton DJ. Genital Trichomonas vaginalis is rare among female attendees at a Sydney metropolitan sexual health clinic. Aust N Z J Public Health 2016; 40 95–6.
Genital Trichomonas vaginalis is rare among female attendees at a Sydney metropolitan sexual health clinic.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26558330PubMed |

[6]  Marrone J, Fairley CK, Saville M, Bradshaw C, Bowden FJ, Horvath LB, et al. Temporal associations with declining Trichomonas vaginalis diagnosis rates among women in the state of Victoria, Australia, 1947 to 2005. Sex Transm Dis 2008; 35 572–6.
Temporal associations with declining Trichomonas vaginalis diagnosis rates among women in the state of Victoria, Australia, 1947 to 2005.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 18354342PubMed |

[7]  Bowden FJ, Paterson BA, Mein J, Savage J, Fairley CK, Garland SM, et al. Estimating the prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and human papillomavirus infection in indigenous women in northern Australia. Sex Trans Inf 1999; 75 431–34.
Estimating the prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and human papillomavirus infection in indigenous women in northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[8]  Petrin D, Delgaty K, Bhatt R, Garber G. Clinical and microbiological aspects of Trichomonas vaginalis. Clin Microbiol Rev 1998; 11 300–17.
Clinical and microbiological aspects of Trichomonas vaginalis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 9564565PubMed |

[9]  Australian Sexual Health Alliance. Trichomoniasis. Australian Sexual Health Alliance; 2018. Available at http://www.sti.guidelines.org.au/sexually-transmissible-infections/trichomoniasis

[10]  Bygott JM, Robson JM. The rarity of Trichomonas vaginalis in urban Australia. Sex Transm Inf 2013; 89 509–13.
The rarity of Trichomonas vaginalis in urban Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[11]  van der Veer C, van Rooijen MS, Himschoot M, de Vries HJC, Bruisten SM. Trichomonas vaginalis and Mycoplasma genitalium:age-specific prevalence and disease burden in men attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Sexually Transmitted Infections 2016; 92 83–5.
Trichomonas vaginalis and Mycoplasma genitalium:age-specific prevalence and disease burden in men attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26283740PubMed |

[12]  Schwebke J, Merriweather A, Massingale S, Scisney M, Hill C, Getman D. Screening for Trichomonas vaginalis in a large high-risk population: prevalence among men and women determined by nucleic acid amplification testing. Sex Transm Dis 2018; 45 e23–4.
Screening for Trichomonas vaginalis in a large high-risk population: prevalence among men and women determined by nucleic acid amplification testing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 29465684PubMed |

[13]  Patel EU, Gaydos CA, Packman ZR, Quinn TC, Tobian AAR. Prevalence and correlates of Trichomonas vaginalis infection among men and women in the United States. Clin Infect Dis 2018; 67 211–7.
Prevalence and correlates of Trichomonas vaginalis infection among men and women in the United States.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 29554238PubMed |

[14]  Guy R, Ward J, Wand H, Rumbold A, Garton L, Hengel B, et al. Coinfection with Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis: a cross-sectional analysis of positivity and risk factors in remote Australian Aboriginal communities. Sex Transm Infect 2015; 91 201–6.
Coinfection with Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis: a cross-sectional analysis of positivity and risk factors in remote Australian Aboriginal communities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25352691PubMed |

[15]  Causer LM, Guy RJ, Tabrizi SN, Whiley DM, Speers DJ, Ward J, et al. Molecular test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea used at point of care in remote primary healthcare settings: a diagnostic test evaluation. Sex Transm Inf 2018; 94 340–5.
Molecular test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea used at point of care in remote primary healthcare settings: a diagnostic test evaluation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[16]  Groos A, Peardon-Freeman S, McFarlane K, Braithwaite S, Gajjar D, Murch P, et al. Free online chlamydia and gonorrhoea urine test request in Queensland, Australia: convenience of home sample collection versus pathology collection centre attendance for faster results. Sexual Health 2021; 18 254–9.
Free online chlamydia and gonorrhoea urine test request in Queensland, Australia: convenience of home sample collection versus pathology collection centre attendance for faster results.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 34148563PubMed |

[17]  Seña AC, Miller WC, Hobbs MM, Schwebke JR, Leone PA, Swygard H, et al. Trichomonas vaginalis infection in male sexual partners: implications for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Clin Infect Dis 2007; 44 13–22.
Trichomonas vaginalis infection in male sexual partners: implications for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17143809PubMed |

[18]  Bilardi JE, Fairley CK, Hopkins CA, Hocking JS, Sze JK, Chen MY. Let Them Know: evaluation of an online partner notification service for chlamydia that offers e-mail and SMS messaging. Sex Transm Dis 2010; 37 563–5.
Let Them Know: evaluation of an online partner notification service for chlamydia that offers e-mail and SMS messaging.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20351621PubMed |

[19]  Htaik K, Fairley CK, Bilardi JE, Chow EPF, Ong JJ, Chen MY. Evaluation of the online partner messaging service for sexually transmitted infections let them know. Sex Transm Dis 2022; 49 12–4.
Evaluation of the online partner messaging service for sexually transmitted infections let them know.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 34618782PubMed |

[20]  Van Der Pol B, Kraft CS. Clinical and Laboratory Testing for Trichomonas vaginalis infection. J Clin Microbiol 2016; 54 7–12.
Clinical and Laboratory Testing for Trichomonas vaginalis infection.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26491181PubMed |

[21]  Nye MB, Schwebke JR, Body BA. Comparison of APTIMA Trichomonas vaginalis transcription-mediated amplification to wet mount microscopy, culture, and polymerase chain reaction for diagnosis of trichomoniasis in men and women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009; 200 188.e1–7.
Comparison of APTIMA Trichomonas vaginalis transcription-mediated amplification to wet mount microscopy, culture, and polymerase chain reaction for diagnosis of trichomoniasis in men and women.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[22]  Wiese W, Patel SR, Patel SC, Ohl CA, Estrada CA. A meta-analysis of the Papanicolaou smear and wet mount for the diagnosis of vaginal trichomoniasis. Am J Med 2000; 108 301–8.
A meta-analysis of the Papanicolaou smear and wet mount for the diagnosis of vaginal trichomoniasis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 11014723PubMed |