Although there are many references to the 'sexist' tendencies of the threadworm, not all health professionals are aware that vaginitis and enuresis in girls can be symptoms of enterobiasis. Joanna Ibarra reports

From 1937 to 1953, enterobiasis (oxyuriasis) was the subject of constant investigation (1,2) culminating in the launch of piperazine, a treatment for which a 97 per cent success rate is claimed (3). These researchers demonstrated the inadequacy of stool analysis in the diagnosis of threadworm (pinworm) eggs and developed anal swab detection techniques (4,5). It was found that even the latter method should be applied on seven consecutive occasions, at one or two day intervals, before a negative diagnosis can be certain (1).