Detecting Trichomonas vaginalis in High-Risk Women: A Tricky Situation

• Trichomonas vaginalis is a highly common yet difficult-to-diagnose condition.
• Research has linked this infection with higher rates of HIV acquisition and transmission, preterm births, cervical cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, and infertility.
• Incorporating this point-of-care test with the standard wet prep using a stepwise approach may increase detection of T vaginalis while minimizing cost.

Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) is an easily treated but difficult-to-diagnose infection with the standard wet prep (WP) method. A point-of-care (POC) test has been developed with a sensitivity of 85%-90% and specificity of 100%. This new test is more costly than the traditional WP. Incorporating this POC test with the WP using a step approach may increase detection of TV while minimizing cost. In this pilot study of 50 subjects, 12 (24%) tested positive for TV. With the WP method, 7 (14%) tested positive. Of the 43 negative patients, an additional 5 (11.6%) tested positive using the POC test, indicating a significant result.