title: Trichomonas vaginalis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Coinfection Among Women Under Community Supervision: A Call for Expanded T. vaginalis Screening.
abstract: The United States has a large community supervision population, a growing number of whom are women. Trichomonas vaginalis infection is strongly associated with an increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition and transmission, particularly among women, but there is a paucity of research on HIV and T. vaginalis co-infection among women under community supervision.
  
  
  
  This article examines the prevalence of T. vaginalis infection and T. vaginalis and HIV coinfection at baseline among women under community supervision in New York City. It also examines the 12-month outcomes of women treated for T. vaginalis. Women received biological tests for HIV and T. vaginalis at baseline and 12 months follow-up.
  
  
  
  Of the 333 women tested for sexually transmitted infections, 77 women (23.1%) tested positive for T. vaginalis at baseline and 44 (13.3%) were HIV positive. Human immunodeficiency virus-positive women had significantly higher rates of T. vaginalis infection than HIV-negative women (36.4% vs 21.3%, P ≤ 0.05). Sixteen women (4.8%) were coinfected with T. vaginalis and HIV. Of the 77 women who were positive for T. vaginalis infection at baseline, 58 (75.3%) received treatment by a health care provider. Of those who received treatment, 17 (29.3%) tested positive for T. vaginalis at the 12-month follow-up.
  
  
  
  Given the high prevalence of T. vaginalis among this sample of women, particularly among HIV-positive women, and high levels of reinfection or persistent infection, screening for T. vaginalis among women under community supervision may have a substantial impact on reducing HIV acquisition and transmission among this high-risk population.
authors.affiliation: From the *HIV Center, Division of Gender, Sexuality, and Health, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Medical Center; and †Social Intervention Group, School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Alissa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Anindita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goddard-Eckrich
authors.forename: Nabila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El-Bassel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060085:Coinfection; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014247:Trichomonas Vaginitis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*