Résumé
This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of candidiasis among women of 20 to 59 years of age at Sarawak General Hospital by examining the conventional Pap smear. The prevalence of this infection was studied among the five main ethnic groups comprising of Iban, Chinese, Malay, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu. Microscopic screening of 300 conventional Pap smears which had been processed and stained with the Papanicolaou staining method was conducted. Based on the information provided in the Pap smear screening form, the clinical manifestations were observed which may provide some indications on the type of infection. The details of the clinical manifestations were very important because in an infection or inflammation, Pap smears would usually demonstrate the cyto-morphological changes of the epithelial cells. The age factor among the different ethnics also plays important role in the assessment of the infection frequency. Candida sp. was detected in 12.7% of the specimens. The infection occurred in all ethnic groups as well as in all age groups. All cases presented with clinical signs and symptoms. The results of this study revealed the importance of undergoing Pap smear screening for candidiasis detection besides screening for the early detection of cervical cancer