Trichomonas vaginalis / awareness of trichomoniasis in women attended by the health service of Bagé, RS, Brazil

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to measure the level of awareness of Trichomonas vaginalis / trichomoniasis and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), in 300 women from 19 municipalities in the southwest region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, who sought the gynecology sector of the Basic Healthcare Centers in the Municipality of Bagé from January to June 2013. The data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire, and the results were tabulated and organized using Excel® 2010 software. Only 5.7% of the participants said they were aware of T. vaginalis / trichomoniasis and had a little information on HIV and Aids in reference to other STDs. Schooling alone was significant (p = 0.0135), as women who had a high school diploma or higher education were 6.6 times more likely to be aware of T. vaginalis. There is, therefore, a need to devise better educational campaigns, addressing this and other STDs, such as trichomoniasis, given the lack of knowledge about this parasite, its high frequency and possible escalation.