Infertility tied to presence of Trichomonas vaginalis ?

Infertility tied to Trichomonas vaginalis ?

My final article is about an individual species which is part of the best group of parasites around, which is the group which cause sexually transmitted diseases.  I will be focusing on the genus Trichomonas, which includes very interesting species to research such as; the microorganisms present in termite guts which help to break down cellulose, microorganisms which are believed to have caused jaw lesions found on bones of the great tyranasauous rex, and the focus of this article, the species causing Trichomoniasis. Trichomoniasis is also known as vaginitis and it is caused by Trichomonas vaginalis. Although it will not cause the nasty sores, scares, or visible reactions like many other STDs, it may be tied to infertility!  

This severe reaction to infection is a big deal especially considering the World Health Organization estimates that 160 million people are infected annually worldwide. That figure makes this anerobic flagellated protozoan the most common pathogenic protozoan infection of humans in industrialized countries (that means us!).

Neslihan Keleştemur and his colleagues studied the frequency of three microorganisms (T. vaginalis, G. vaginalis and Candida spp.) commonly present together as sexually transmitted infections, among infertile men (80) and women (160) with vaginitis. They found that in female patients, G. vaginalis was positive in 110 (68.8%), Candida spp. was positive in 39 (24.4%) and T. vaginalis was positive in 7 (4.5%). In the male patients, G. vaginalis was positive in 20 (25%), Candida spp. was positive in 8 (10%) and T. vaginalis was positive in 3 (3.8%). Although this study did not directly tie an infection of Trichomonas vaginalis directly to infertility, it did strengthen the evidence that the disease it causes makes people more likely to have other STIs and become infertile. In addition it is important to note that although rates between men and women are the same, men are typically asymptomatic. So the moral of the story is if you’re a guy and think your all good, think again, GET YOURSELF TESTED!

Keleştemur N, Kaplan M, Özdemır E, Erensoy A. The Frequency of Trichomonas vaginalis, Gardnarella vaginalis and Candida ssp. Among Infertile Men and Women with Vaginitis. Kafkas Universitesi Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi [serial online]. May 2, 2012;18:A47-A52. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 6, 2012.