Demographic and behavioral predictors of Trichomonas vaginalis infection among pregnant women

Article Abstract:

Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoan that can infect the vagina and urethra of women. Infection may cause vaginitis and often has no symptoms. Detection of T.vaginalis is important as infection may adversely affect pregnancy. Nonculture methods for detecting this organism only identify 65 percent of infected women. Culture methods are very reliable, but are too expensive to be used in routine screening. Epidemiological factors predictive of infection would be useful for selecting high-risk patients who should have culture tests performed. This study used a questionnaire to examine the demographic and behavioral predictors of T. vaginalis infection in pregnant women between the 23rd and 26th week of gestation. A pelvic exam was also performed and specimens were cultured for T. vaginalis. Cultures were taken for 13,816 women; 12.6 percent were positive for T. vaginalis. Black women were significantly more likely (3.5 times) to test positive for this organism than were white or Hispanic women. Other factors associated with an increased risk for infection were unmarried status, lower educational attainment, multiple sex partners, and a history of gonorrhea. Smokers had a significantly higher rate of infection than nonsmokers. Although race, marital status, and smoking status, taken together, were highly predictive of risk for T. vaginalis infection, 76.5 percent of the study population had one or more of these risk factors. The presence of one risk factor would not significantly decrease the number of cultures required to screen the high-risk population, compared with routine screening of the general population. The results also indicate that pregnancy complications associated with T. vaginalis infection may actually be related to the risk factors associated with infection. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Causes of, Demographic aspects, Vaginitis

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Trichomonas vaginalis associated with low birth weight and preterm delivery

Article Abstract:

Pregnant women infected with Trichomonas vaginalis appear to be at increased risk for delivery complications. T. vaginalis infection and delivery complication rates were determined among 13,816 pregnant women. Overall, 12.6% of the women were infected with T. vaginalis mid-way through pregnancy. Infected women were 1.3 times more likely to deliver prematurely or to have a low birth weight infant. They were 1.4 times more likely to deliver a low-birth-weight infant prematurely. The highest infection rates were seen among black women who also had a higher risk of low-birth-weight infants than other ethnic groups.

Health aspects, Birth weight, Low, Low birth weight, Premature birth

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