Prevalência de Trichomonas vaginalis em exames citopatológicos de colo uterino no município de Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul entre 2022 e 2023

Abstract

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, considered the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted infection worldwide, with significant impact on women’s reproductive health. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of T. vaginalis in cervical cytopathology examinations performed at a university hospital in the metropolitan region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and to describe characteristics of the affected population. This is a retrospective study based on the analysis of 17,078 cervical cytopathology reports, with extraction of sociodemographic information and comparison with municipal population indicators. The results showed a prevalence of T. vaginalis of 0.75%. A higher concentration of cases was observed in areas with lower income and greater social vulnerability. The presence of the protozoan was associated with a higher occurrence of cytopathological atypias. These findings indicate that trichomoniasis remains associated with socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts and reinforce the relevance of this infection as a public health problem, with potential implications for women’s health and for the organization of health services.