Is There a Seasonal Difference in the Detection of Trichomonas vaginalis by Cervical Cytology?

Abstract

This objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of a Trichomonas vaginalis diagnosis in routine Papanicolaou smears and whether it is seasonal. We reviewed the diagnosis rendered for 93,681 Papanicolaou smears evaluated at a medical school hospital laboratory between 1992 and 1997. The occurrence of a diagnosis of T. vaginalis was analyzed by year, by quarter, and by month using a generalized linear regression model. The prevalence of a T. vaginalis diagnosis during the 6-year study period was 3.1%. The between-month and between-quarter comparisons of prevalence were not statistically different. In the population reported here, the prevalence of a Papanicolaou smear diagnosis of T. vaginalis was low and no seasonal difference in making this diagnosis was identified.

Prevalência e fatores de risco independentes à tricomoníase em mulheres assistidas na atenção básica

“…(18) Although there are more sensitive and specific techniques for detecting Trichomonas vaginalis, (19) primary care in developing countries, such as Brazil, still utilize the Pap method, originally developed to be used as a screening test to detect precancerous lesions in the cervix, (20) despite the existence of scientific reports that disapprove of its use in isolation due to its inherent limitations, (19,21,22) such as sensitivity between 60 and 70% and a high rate of false positive results. (23) Therefore, it is essential to decide on a better method for checking women for Trichomonas vaginalis, especially in developing countries, such as Brazil, by developing more effective public policies to combat trichomoniasis and other STIs.…”

Prevalence and Genotype of Trichomonas vaginalis among Men in Xinxiang City, Henan Province, China

“…Patel et al conducted an epidemiological study on T. vaginalis infection in the United States, indicating that the number of sexual partners was positively correlated with the rate of male T. vaginalis infection [ 30 ]. In addition, some studies showed that the prevalence of T. vaginalis was correlated with seasons to some extent, and the prevalence rate of T. vaginalis in the autumn and winter was higher than that in spring and summer [ 23 , 33 ]. Samples collected in this study were also concentrated in autumn and winter.…”