Trichomonas vaginalis Infection and Risk Factors among Infertile Women in Gaza, Palestine

Objectives: Objectives: Trichomonas vaginalis is a sexually transmitted disease and can infect a wide range of human beings. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with Trichomoniasis infection among infertile women in Gaza city, Palestine. Methods: A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2013 to April 2014 in Al Basma medical center in Gaza city. Ethical approval was obtained from the Helsinki Committee in Gaza to conduct the study, and all participants gave consent. A total of 120 endocervical swabs were collected from females attending the center to manage delayed conception. The samples were processed using the PCR technique with Tv1-Tv2 primers in Islamic Universities laboratories. In addition, a structured questionnaire was conducted with all participants regarding socio-demographic data, risk factors, and symptomatology. Results: The prevalence of T. vaginalis was 5.8% among the participants. There was a significant relation between infection and age of the patients, marriage age, the number of previous vaginal infections, and inguinal erythema (p=0.01). A higher infection rate was found among unemployed, low educated, mid-zone residents, and live in crowded houses, and married women with smoker husbands. Conclusion: We concluded that the prevalence of Trichomoniasis is not attributed mainly to personal hygiene, so in future studies, the examination tools used in the clinics should be included /tested to sort the source of infection. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 11(4):209-216.