THE PREVALENCE OF TRICHOMONAS VAGINALIS PARASITE AMONG WOMEN IN SOME REGIONS OF MAYSAN PROVINCE

Abstract

Trichomonas vaginalis is an extracellular flagellated parasitic protozoan. It adapts to live in anaerobic conditions of the women's vagina and causes Trichomoniasis, a non-viral, sexually transmitted disease (STD). This parasite spreads in all regions of the world, and the global prevalence rate of vaginal Trichomoniasis in women is higher than in men. It is considered a neglected disease in Iraq, as there are few studies about this parasite, especially in Maysan province, where researches are near absent. In this study, two hundred and twentysix vaginal swabs were collected from women who visited hospitals, health centers, and medical clinics in some areas of Maysan province (Amara district, Al-Kahla district, Al-Maymouna district, Al-Majar Al-Kabir district) during the period from November 10, 2019 to February 10, 2020. The microscopic examination of vaginal smears showed that the overall infection rate was 75.22% (170/226). AL-Kahla district had the highest rate of infection (96.15%), while the lowest was in the Maimouna district (60.00%). The age group 34-40 years had the highest infection rate (86.95%), while the age group 15 years had the lowest infection rate (37.50%). Married women had a higher infection (80.92%) than unmarried women (40.62%). The infection rate among nonpregnant women was high (81.11%) than with pregnant women (78.57%). This study showed that vaginal pH has a significant role in protecting the women vagina from Trichomoniasis, once the highest rate of infection (96.63%) was recorded in the vagina with a pH 6, while no infection was recorded at pH 4. It can be concluded that Trichomoniasis is widely spread among women of the Maysan communities, and the condition was affected significantly by some demographic factors such as age, occupation, marital status, husband polygamous, vaginal secretions, and itching and pH of the vagina.