Routine screening for Trichomonas vaginalis among human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive antenatal clients in Zaria: A necessity or option?

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis infection is the most common curable sexually transmitted infection worldwide with about 160–180 million people affected annually. Pregnant women with trichomoniasis are at a risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor, low birth weight as well as neonatal infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and T. vaginalis. There is a paucity of knowledge of prevalence of T. vaginalis infection among HIV-seropositive antenatal clinic attendees in northwestern Nigeria. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of T. vaginalis vaginitis among HIV-seropositive antenatal clinic clients in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. Design: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Setting: The study was conducted at the Antenatal/Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission clinic of ABUTH, Zaria, between May 6 and September 5, 2013. Materials and Methods: One hundred and two HIV-seropositive pregnant women were recruited into the study. Sociodemographic, clinical, and obstetric information were obtained using a pro forma. Vaginal swabs were collected from each woman and examined using wet mount microscopy for T. vaginalis and cultivated in Trichomonas OXOID culture media enriched with horse sera. Results were analyzed with SPSS software Version 16. Results: The mean age of the participants was 31 years with a standard deviation of 4.9 years. Out of the 102 participants examined for T. vaginalis, 6 were positive using both wet mount microscopy and culture giving a prevalence rate of 5.9% and about 60% of the positive clients were symptomatic. Conclusion: The prevalence of T. vaginalis vaginitis among HIV antenatal clinic attendees in ABUTH, Zaria, was 5.9%. About 40% of the trichomonad-positive participants were asymptomatic. Routine screening of HIV-seropositive antenatal clients for T. vaginalis is cost-effective.