Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the percentage of positive urine tests for Trichomonas vaginalis

Authors

  • Lauren Hubert Jaeger Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8031-7742
  • Bruna Milagres Souza Programa de Residência Integrada Multiprofissional em Atenção Hospitalar, Hospital Universitário da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3980-5549
  • Samira Aparecida Coelho Souza Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2550-5898
  • Victor Rocha Lamego Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5865-2026
  • Alexandra Menezes dos Anjos Dória Silva Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7931-3752
  • Paula Rocha Chellini Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
  • Alexandre Freire Pinto Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6340-0795

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34019/1982-8047.2024.v50.45651

Keywords:

Trichomonas Infections, Epidemiology, COVID-19 pandemics

Abstract

Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. It is caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, and most infections are asymptomatic – making difficult the diagnosis and allowing the parasite to spread. Due to the COVID19 pandemic in 2020, social isolation measures were taken to prevent the transmission of SARS-Cov-2. Interestingly, some studies have shown an increase in the number of STIs during and after the lockdown ended. In this context, we evaluated the impact that the COVID19 pandemic had on the percentage of positive urine tests for T. vaginalis in an outpatient service of a teaching hospital. A total of 21,762 urine tests were analyzed (0.20% [n=43] positive for T. vaginalis) among January 2018 and July 2023. The temporal analysis showed a percentage of 0.05% and 0.09% of positive urine tests for T. vaginalis, respectively, in the pre-pandemic period (2018 and 2019). There was a trend towards an increase in 2020 (0.18%) which was confirmed in the following years with the relaxation of social isolation measures in Brazil (0.30% and 0.33% in 2021 and 2022, respectively). This increase continued in the following year (0.18% until July 2023), coinciding with the end of the public health emergency declared by the World Health Organization. Of the 38 infected individuals, 34 were women (44.7% pregnant) and 4 were men. Additionally, 50% of the diagnosed trichomoniasis received specific treatment and only 21% of sexual partners were indicated for treatment. Our study highlights the increase in trichomoniasis during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and the reduced number of individuals – and sexual partners – treated. Establishing protocols for early diagnosis and health education are necessary to reduce the number of cases of this STI in the community.

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Published

2024-12-12

How to Cite

1.
Jaeger LH, Souza BM, Souza SAC, Lamego VR, Silva AM dos AD, Chellini PR, Pinto AF. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the percentage of positive urine tests for Trichomonas vaginalis. HU Rev [Internet]. 2024Dec.12 [cited 2025Apr.1];50:1-6. Available from: https://periodicos.ufjf.br/index.php/hurevista/article/view/45651

Issue

Vol. 50 (2024)

Section

Artigos Originais

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Lauren Hubert Jaeger, Bruna Milagres Souza, Samira Aparecida Coelho Souza, Victor Rocha Lamego, Alexandra Menezes dos Anjos Dória Silva, Paula Rocha Chellini, Alexandre Freire Pinto

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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