A patient presents to the clinic requesting sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing after having unprotected intercourse about a month ago. The patient is asymptomatic. Which of the following infections should the NP screen this patient for?

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis and is transmitted through sexual contact, making it directly relevant to STI screening after unprotected intercourse. Even when asymptomatic, the infection can persist and be transmitted to partners, so screening an asymptomatic patient who had unprotected sex approximately one month ago is appropriate. Hepatitis A is transmitted primarily via the fecal-oral route rather than sexual contact, and while sexual transmission is possible, it is not a standard STI screen in this context; additionally, it is vaccine-preventable and not typically included in routine STI panels for this scenario. Candidal vaginitis is a fungal infection caused by overgrowth of endogenous flora — it is not a sexually transmitted infection and is not screened for in the context of STI testing. Bacterial vaginosis is similarly not classified as an STI; it results from a shift in vaginal flora and is not acquired through sexual contact in the way classical STIs are, so it is not included in routine STI screening. Trichomoniasis, along with infections such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, belongs to the group of conditions screened in STI workups after unprotected intercourse.