SUMMARY
This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis among women of age 20 to 59 years at Sarawak General Hospital by examining the conventional Pap smear. The prevalence of this infection was studied among the five main ethnic groups comprising the 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 kind of infection. The details of the clinical manifestations were very important because in an infection or inflammation, Pap smears would usually demonstrate changes on the cyto-morphology of the epithelial cells. The age factor among the different ethnics also played important role in the assessment of the infection frequency. Trichomonas vaginalis was detected in 7.7% (23/300) of the specimens. This infection occurred in all ethnic groups and the infections were more frequently seen among 20 to 29 years age group. All the cases presented with clinical signs and symptoms. The results of this study revealed the importance of undergoing Pap smear screening for Trichomonas vaginalis infection detection besides screening for the early detection of cervical cancer.