Background and purpose: Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are very common throughout the world. In this study the prevalence of vaginitis caused by Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans and pathogenic bacteria was investigated in women referring for Pap smear to Imam Khomeini and Boalicina hospitals in Sari, 2008-9. Materials and methods: In this descriptive retrospective study, a total of 1832 files archive were randomly selected and examined for presence of Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans and pathogenic bacteria. The data was analyzed by chi-square test using SPSS software. Results: The results indicated, 191 cases (10.42%) of vaginitis, where the rates of trichomoniasis, candidaiasis and bacterial infections were 14 (7.3%), 89 (46.6%) and 88 (46.1%), respectively. There was a significant difference between different age groups and vaginitis (P = 0.008) caused by Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans and pathogenic bacteria. Conclusion: Sexually transmitted diseases as part of health problems affect communities at different ages, therefore, high risk individuals should receive more attention to gain immediate help.

Keywords: Sexually transmitted diseases, bacterial vaginosis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans, Sari

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