title: The prevalence of trichomoniasis and associated factors among women treated at a university hospital in southern Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Trichomoniasis is the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the world; however, it remains a neglected parasitic disease. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of trichomoniasis and its associated epidemiological factors among women treated at a hospital in southern Brazil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A cross-sectional study was performed to determine the prevalence of this infection in women treated at Hospital Universitário (HU) in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between January 2012 and January 2015. This study consisted a self-administered questionnaire regarding demographic, clinical, and behavioural data and a molecular diagnosis with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the TVK3/7 primer set, which was confirmed with sequence analysis. Of the 345 women surveyed, the overall prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) was 4.1% (14/345). The prevalence rates were 5.9% among pregnant women, 8.5% among HIV-positive women, and 10.1% among HIV-positive pregnant women. The rates for groups with other significant demographic and clinical features were as follows: 6.6% among women with white skin, 12.3% among women with an income below the minimum monthly wage, 7.4% among women with a vaginal pH greater than or equal to 4.6, and 7.9% among women with a comorbid STD. The multivariate analysis confirmed that pregnant women who were HIV-positive (p = 0.001) and had low incomes (p = 0.026) were the most likely to have this infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A multivariate analysis confirmed that HIV-positive pregnant women with low incomes were the participants most likely to have trichomoniasis. These results are important because this Brazilian region presents a high prevalence of HIV-1 subtype C, which is associated with greater transmissibility. Additionally, low family income reveals a socioeconomic fragility that might favour the transmission of this STD.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Medical School, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiane Aguiar Dos Anjos
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1477-9022
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Medical School, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ceolan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Medical School, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando Salles Rodrigues
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Medical School, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula Costa
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Medical School, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriel Baracy
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Klafke
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Medical School, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gisele Rodrigues
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Medical School, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Von Groll
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Medical School, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Maria Barral
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Martinez
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynaecology Centre, University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla Vitola
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Medical School, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos James
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Scaini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014247:Trichomonas Vaginitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult