A total of 23/349 (6.6%, 95% CI: 4.2–9.7) women were culture-positive for T. vaginalis, and 34.8% of these cases were positive by direct microscopy prior to further incubation. Based on symptoms routinely used in syndromic management of STIs (i.e. genital ulcer, lower abdominal pain or abnormal vaginal discharge), 43.5% of the 23 women with T. vaginalis infection were asymptomatic. The most commonly self-reported symptoms amongst all participants included vaginal discharge (72.4%). However, during collection of specimens by the study nurse, only 22.1% of the participants had an abnormal discharge (defined as excess discharge/foul smelling discharge/colored discharge) upon examination. A total of 51.4% of the women reported having lower abdominal pain, genital ulcers were observed in 2.9% of the women. Dyspareunia, genital warts and genital ulcers were the only clinical signs or symptoms significantly associated with T. vaginalis infection (Chi-square test: χ 2 = 3.93, df = 1, P < 0.048; χ 2 = 5.58, df = 1, P < 0.018; and χ 2 = 18.60, df = 1, P < 0.05, respectively).