Comparison of Toxoplasmosis Seroprevalence in Multi Partner, Married (Monogamous) and Virgin Iranian Women

Mina  Shajarizadeh; Farid Tahvildar  Biderouni; Mohammad Reza  Sohrabi; Alireza  Abadi; Seyyed Javad  Seyyedtabaei

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v18i4.14256

Mina Shajarizadeh Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical sciences Tehran Iran
Farid Tahvildar Biderouni Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical sciences Tehran Iran
Mohammad Reza Sohrabi Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical sciences Tehran Iran
Alireza Abadi Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical sciences Tehran Iran
Seyyed Javad Seyyedtabaei Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical sciences Tehran Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v18i4.14256

Keywords: Toxoplasmosis; Seroprevalence; Sexual activity

Abstract

Background: Toxoplasmosis could lead to serious outcomes during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate serologic toxoplasmosis in three groups of women according to number of sexual partners.

Methods: The frequency of anti-Toxoplasma IgG from 471 women (101 virgin girls, 240 married women and 130 multi partner women) were determined by ELISA method from referred participant to medical centers of Tehran, Iran in 2020. The results were analyzed by chi-square and logistic regression tests.

Results: Prevalence of toxoplasmosis was significant with the number of sexual partner according to chi square test (P<0.001) and the highest one was observed in multi partners’ women (56.2%) and the lowest one in virgin girls (17.8%). ORs of virgin girls and multi partners’ women were 0.594 and 3.758 respectively, compared to married women. The effect of age on the frequency of anti-Toxoplasma IgG in married women was significant but it was not significant in multi partners’ women. In addition to IgG frequency in married women and multi partners’ women had no significant relationship with the number of children.

Conclusion: Having sexual activity after marriage and having multi partner in sexual activity may possibly be a novel risk factor for toxoplasmosis infection or increasing the IgG frequency.