Association of public versus private health care utilization and prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association of public versus private health care utilization and prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.


METHODS
A retrospective study on the results of 133,966 cytology examinations of patients from the Brazilian Public Health System (better socio-economic status, SES) and from the Private Network (low SES) done by the Souza Anatomy Laboratory in Maringá, Brazil, from 2004 to 2007.


RESULTS
In patients using the SUS, the prevalence of trichomoniasis was 1.44% (n = 782), higher (P < 0.0001) than for RP users (0.18%, n = 147). The infection predominated in age ranges of the 30-39 years and 40-49 years old from the SUS (P < 0.0001) and in ages ranges from 40 to 49 years old from the RP (P < 0.0001). The infection prevalence and age range did not vary among the 4 years (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of Trichomonas spp. was low and stable in both populations in the 4 years, indicating an equilibrium in terms of numbers of this agent in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. The results corroborate the hypothesis that SES may influence the epidemiology of trichomoniasis. The prevalence of the infection increases with age, a phenomenon not observed with other sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhoea or Chlamydia trachomatis.
Storti-Filho
A
A
Souza Laboratory of Pathology, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
Souza
P C
PC
Chassot
F
F
Pereira
M W
MW
Souza
R J S
RJ
Mello
I C J
IC
Svidizinski
T I E
TI
Consolaro
Marcia Edilaine Lopes
ME
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011331:Private Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015980:Public Health Practice; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014247:Trichomonas Vaginitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult