Trichomonas vaginalis (trichomoniasis (TV)) is a parasite of the urogenital area.1 TV is not a notifiable infection in most countries and, as the majority of infections remain asymptomatic, there is lack of epidemiological data for the infection. In the USA and the UK, screening of TV among asymptomatic individuals in the general population is not recommended by the guidelines.2 3 In Australia, opportunistic testing for asymptomatic TV is done during cervical screening appointments using Pap smear test and wet mount microscopy, which has a sensitivity around 50–60% for TV detection. New guidelines were introduced in 2017 to replace cytology-based testing with PCR testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection, such that cervical cytology is only conducted for those who test positive for HR-HPV.4
Hui et al5 have used mathematical modelling to estimate potential indirect effects of the cervical screening guideline changes on…