Abstract

An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed for the detection of Trichomonas vaginalis antigen in vaginal swabs. Four hundred and eighty two women attending a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic were tested; 44 (9.1%) were positive by culture, 32 (6.6%) were positive by wet film examination, and 54 (11.2%) were considered to be positive for trichomonal antigen by EIA. Taking culture as the reference method, the EIA had a sensitivity of 93.2% and a specificity of 97.5%. The predictive value of a positive test was 82% and that of a negative test was 99.3%.