title: The prevalence of trichomoniasis in young adults in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of trichomoniasis in the general population of the United States is unknown. This study provides the first population-based prevalence estimates of trichomoniasis among young adults in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) is an ongoing prospective cohort study. In a cross-sectional analysis of Wave III of Add Health (N = 12,449), we determined the prevalence of trichomoniasis using a polymerase chain reaction assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The estimated overall prevalence of trichomoniasis in U.S. young adults was 2.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-2.7%). The prevalence was slightly higher among women (2.8%; 95% CI, 2.2-3.6%) than men (1.7%; 95% CI, 1.3-2.2%). The prevalence increased with age and varied by region, with the south having the highest prevalence (2.8%; 95% CI, 2.2-3.5%). The prevalence was highest among black women (10.5%; 95% CI, 8.3-13.3%) and lowest among white women (1.1%; 95% CI, 0.8-1.6%). Among men, the prevalence was highest among Native Americans (4.1%; 95% CI, 0.4-29.3%) and blacks (3.3%; 95% CI, 2.2-4.9%), and lowest among white men (1.3%; 95% CI, 0.9-1.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trichomoniasis is moderately prevalent among the general U.S. population of young adults and disturbingly high among certain racial/ethnic groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516, USA. bill_miller@unc.edu
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Swygard
authors.forename: Marcia M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hobbs
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Handcock
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Myron S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Kathleen Mullan
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: J Richard
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Udry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D016497:Adolescent Health Services; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan