Patel EU, et al. - Researchers sought to define the epidemiology of Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infection in the United States. Findings revealed that urinary TV infection is highly and disproportionately prevalent in the adult civilian, noninstitutionalized black population in the United States that warrants intervention.

Methods

• In the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, males and females (aged 18–59 years) participated; these participants provided a urine specimen which were tested for TV infection (n = 4057).
• In addition, researchers examined the participants for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection, genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and herpes simplex virus type 2 serostatus.
• Using multivariable Poisson regression, they estimated weighted adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs).

Results

• Males and females displayed TV infection prevalence of 0.5% and 1.8%, respectively.
• Among black males, TV infection prevalence was 4.2% and among black females, 8.9%; researchers noted prevalence of 0.03% and 0.8%, respectively, among males and females of other races/ethnicities.
• In this study, a positive correlation of TV infection prevalence (aPR [95% confidence interval]) was noted with female sex (6.1 [3.3–11.3]), black race (vs other races/ethnicities; 7.9 [3.9–16.1]), older age (vs 18–24 years; 3.0 [1.2–7.1] for 25- to 39-year-olds and 3.5 [1.3–9.4] for 40- to 59-year-olds), having less than a high school education (vs completing high school or more; 2.0 [1.0–4.1]), being below the poverty level (vs at or above the poverty level; 4.0 [2.1–7.7]), and having ≥2 sexual partners in the past year (vs 0–1 sexual partners; 3.6 [2.0–6.6]).
• No TV and CT coinfections were noted.
• No independent association of genital HPV detection with TV infection was observed.
• A significant racial disparity in all sexually transmitted infections examined was observed among persons aged 18-39 years, and this disparity was greatest for TV infection.