Frequency of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis in women with vaginal discharge referring to the gynecology clinic of Vali-e-Asr Hospital in Birjand in 2018

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) and Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) are the most common sexually transmitted microorganisms. Contamination with these microorganisms is a global problem, such that T. vaginalis causes complications in pregnancy and increases the risk of HIV transmission. N. gonorrhoeae causes pelvic infections and can result in complications such as infertility, chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, and preterm delivery. In this study, the frequency of these two microorganisms and their related factors was investigated.

This descriptive-analytic study was performed in the gynecology clinic affiliated with Vali-e-Asr Hospital of Birjand during a one-year period (2018). A total of 400 women with abnormal vaginal discharge were included. Sterile swabs were used to take samples from the vaginal area, and the specimens were mounted on four microscope slides. One of the slides was used to detect vaginal Trichomoniasis by wet mount, and three other slides were stained via Giemsa (for diagnosis of vaginal discharge), Gram, and methylene blue staining methods (for detection of N. gonorrhoeae). Data analysis was performed in SPSS software, using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests.

The mean age of the patients was 32.67 ± 8.24 years. The percentage of infliction with N. gonorrhoeae and T. vaginalis were 1.75% and 6.75%, respectively. Statistical analysis did not show a significant difference between the prevalence of T. vaginalis infection and different factors such as age, education level, place of residence, marital status, and contraceptive method (P < 0.05).

The relative frequency of infection with N. gonorrhoeae in Birjand appears to be within the predicted global range, while the frequency of T. vaginalis is more than the expected range. It is recommended that healthcare professionals be trained for timely prevention and treatment of people with signs, notification, education, and screening.