Diagnosis of Trichomonas vaginalis Infection and Its Relation to Internal Vaginal Hygiene

Aims: This study primarily aims to compare the sensitivity and specificity of OSOM® Trichomonas Rapid Test with Giemsa stained direct microscopic examination in the diagnosis of Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) The secondary aim is to evaluate the effect of vaginal douching (VD) on the prevalence of TV infection.

Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Place and Duration of the Study: Assiut Women Health Hospital, Egypt between September 2014 and November 2015.

Methodology: All women suspected to have TV were recruited and samples were subjected to Giemsa stained microscopic examination and OSOM® Test. A twenty-item questionnaire that included the participants’ internal vaginal hygiene performance was completed. The study included 99 participants; fifty of whom performed internal VD.

Results: Of the 99 examined samples, microscopic examination detected 40 positive cases, while OSOM® Test detected 57 positive cases (P = .016). There was no statistically significant difference between performers and non-performers as regard having positive OSOM® Test (P =.368).

Conclusion: Internal VD does not affect the incidence of TV infection. OSOM® Test is superior to direct Giemsa stained microscopic examination in the diagnosis of TV infection especially among VD users.