Prevalence and Risk Factors for Trichomonas vaginalis Infection among Pregnant Women Seeking Primary Health Care in Sana'a City, Yemen

• Main Authors: Abdulsalam M. Al-Mekhlafi, Samira M. A. Al-Eryani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Science and Technology, Yemen 2017-11-01
• Series: Yemeni Journal for Medical Sciences
• Subjects: Trichomonas vaginalis; Risk factor; Pregnancy; Health care; Vaginal discharge; Yemen
• Online Access: https://ust.edu/ojs/index.php/yjmp/article/view/1127
• ISSN: 2227-9601; 2227-961X

Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for Trichomonas vaginalis infection among pregnant women seeking health care in Sana’a city. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women seeking health care in private clinics and governmental primary health care centers in Sana’a during the period from October 2014 to June 2015. Data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics as well as possible risk factors of T. vaginalis infection were collected from 287 pregnant women using a pre-designed questionnaire by trained researchers. Vaginal discharges were then collected and examined microscopically for motile T. vaginalis trophozoites. Results: The overall prevalence of T. vaginalis infection was 11.1%, with a higher infection rate among pregnant women aged 26-40 years old, housewives and rural residents. Age, literacy status and the age at first sexual intercourse were significantly associated with T. vaginalis infection among pregnant women. Presence of vaginal discharge (OR = 8.33; 95% CI: 2.47–28.03, P <0.001), itching (OR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.02–6.48, P = 0.027) and presence of unpleasant odor (OR = 4.37; 95% CI: 1.63–11.70, P = 0.001) were the clinical manifestations significantly associated with T. vaginalis among pregnant women. Conclusions: T. vaginalis is prevalent among pregnant women seeking health care in Sana’a, particularly housewives, illiterate women and those coming from rural areas. Presence of vaginal discharge with unpleasant odor and itching are associated with a higher risk of infection among symptomatic women. Further large-scale studies are required to determine the prevalence and risk factors among women of the reproductive age in Yemen.