Trichomonas vaginalis: a point prevalence study in a high-risk population in Havana, Cuba

Abstract number: R2450

Justo Roll I., Yee Seuret S., Balcildes Acosta S., Mouton J.W., Klaassen C.H., Meis J.F.

Objectives: To estimate Trichomonas prevalence, risk factors and its association with past and current sexual transmitted diseases (STD's) in an urban, high risk population, in Havana City, Cuba.

Methods: A random, point prevalence study in a population with a high risk for STD's in urban areas of Havana City, Cuba. 375 healthy young adults, 294 females and 81 males, with an age range from 14 to 35 years old gave consent to participate and been tested for STD's. Participants older than 35 years, younger than 14 and without previous sexual intercourse and those who were under current broad spectrum antibiotics or in the last 4 weeks were excluded. A cervical smear in women and an urethral smear in men was used for molecular detection of Trichomonas using an established real-time PCR procedure.

Results: Prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis was 5.7%. Among the subjects positive for Trichomonas, females were mostly affected (95.2%;20/21). There was no relation with age and Trichomonas was equally found among all age groups. The current infection with Trichomonas was related with past STD infection(OR:3.3;p = 0.037). Previous vaginitis complaints (OR:2.2;p = 0.119) and pelvic inflammatory disease episodes (OR:1.8;p = 0.238) were not significantly related. The age of first sexual intercourse was highly associated(OR:2.9;p = 0.012) with the diagnosis of Trichomonas in the study group; similar as with having two or more sexual partners in the last five years (OR:2.9;p = 0.06). Trichomonas infection was a predictor for concurrent Chlamydia and gonorrhoea infection (OR:1.8 and 17.5, respectively).

Conclusion: Infection with T. vaginalis was found to be common in sexual active women, but age was not a significant factor of infection. Trichomonas was not associated with other gynaecological co-morbidities but was a marker of STD co-infections. Because positive samples were equally distributed among all age groups, strategies to approach the problem may greatly differ from other STD's.