Trichomoniasis (or "trich") is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or disease (STD) caused by a single celled parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis, which causes inflammation in the genital and urinary tracts. Although symptoms of the disease vary, most women and men who have the parasite cannot tell they are infected. In women it can cause a foul-smelling vaginal discharge, genital itching and painful urination. Men who have trichomoniasis typically have no symptoms. Pregnant women who have trichomoniasis are at higher risk of delivering prematurely.
To prevent reinfection with the organism that causes trichomoniasis, both partners should be treated. The most common treatment for trichomoniasis involves taking one megadose of metronidazole (Flagyl). Like other sexually transmitted infections, the surest way to avoid trichomoniasis is to abstain from sexual activity.
Trichomoniasis symptoms for women include:
Vaginal discharge
Vaginal itching, redness and burning
A profuse and often foul-smelling, itchy vaginal discharge, and typically frothy or foamy discharge — which may be white, gray, yellow or green
Pain when urinating, and feel like a need to urinate often.
Lower stomach pain, or pain during sex
Up to one-third of infected women have no symptoms
Trichomoniasis symptoms for men include:
Many men do not see or feel any signs or symptoms of trichomoniasis infection, but are still able to spread the infection to others, even if they have no symptoms
An unusual discharge or drainage from the penis (Urethral discharge)
May feel irritation, burning, or pain in the penis during or after urinating or ejaculating (releasing semen)
Pain and swelling in the scrotum (from epididymitis)
Signs and symptoms may worsen during menstruation. But some women infected with trichomoniasis don't have any symptoms. Men infected with trichomoniasis rarely exhibit symptoms, but when they do, it's usually painful urination.
See your doctor if you
have a foul-smelling vaginal discharge, or if you experience pain
with urination or sexual intercourse. Without treatment, the
infection can last for months or even years.
Trichomoniasis is caused by one-celled protozoa, a type of tiny parasite, that travel between people during sexual intercourse. The incubation period between exposure and infection can range from five to 28 days.
Pregnant women who have trichomoniasis may:
Deliver prematurely
Have a baby with a low birthweight
Transmit the infection to the baby as it passes through the birth canal
Having trichomoniasis also appears to make it easier for women to become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
The most common treatment for trichomoniasis is to swallow one mega-dose pill of either metronidazole (Flagyl) or tinidazole (Tindamax). While there are medicated creams or gels that can be inserted in the vagina to treat the infection, taking the medication by mouth is much more effective.
Both you and your partner should receive treatment, and you both should avoid sex until the infection is cured, which takes about a week.
Side effects of the medication may include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Headache
Metallic taste
Dizziness
You shouldn't drink alcohol for 24 hours after taking metronidazole or 72 hours after taking tinidazole, because it can cause severe nausea and vomiting.
If pregnant and having symptoms you should use clotrimazole (Gyne-Lotrimin, Mycelex-7):
Medicine is inserted into the vagina at night for 14 days.
This will decrease symptoms, but the cure rate is only 20%.
Because infected male partners often do not have any symptoms, they do not seek medical care. It is important, however, that your spouse is evaluated and treated. Otherwise you may become reinfected.
The methods of preventing trichomoniasis are the same as those for preventing other sexually transmitted diseases — abstain from sex, don't fornicate, only have sex with your spouse.