Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is the most common of the curable STD's (sexually transmitted diseases) in the world. In some inner city US STD clinics, the infection rate is around 25%.¹ That's a whole lot of trich! (As the full word is bit of a mouthful, many people simply call it trich - pronounced trick)

It is caused by a single celled protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis.

According to the World Health Organization, this infection accounts for almost half of all curable infections worldwide,.¹

People are often found to have it at the same time as having other STDs, particularly gonorrhea.

The majority of women with this infection also have bacterial vaginosis. As they are both caused by pathogenic bacteria "taking over" the vulvovaginal area, that is not surprising. Check out the symptoms so that you’re able to spot this common infection and get on top of it. This means that if you still have a discharge after trich has been treated, you probably still have some other infection.

The organism is transmitted almost exclusively by sexual activity, although survival on items such as bedding and clothing has been documented.¹ It is seen as an indicator of high-risk sexual behaviour and is equally spread amongst age groups.¹

It is usually sexually transmitted through penis to vagina intercourse or vulva to vulva contact with an infected partner. Women can get trich from either men or women but men usually only catch it from women.²

It is important that partners are also treated whether or not they show symptoms (because not everyone has visible symptoms) otherwise reinfection will occur.

One study showed that most of the male sexual partners of the women in the study were infected.³ Treatment is usually by a single oral dose of a prescription drug. Immediate replacement with probiotic bacteria will help to avoid pathogens moving in immediately after treatment.

Some women have had metronidazole side effects but if this happens to you it can be prevented.

Women with trich may have babies with low birth weight or who are born early. Treatment for pregnant women is VITAL.



REFERENCES

1. Jane R. Schwebke and Donald Burgess. Trichomoniasis. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2004 October; 17(4): 794–803. doi: 10.1128/CMR.17.4.794-803.2004.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

3. Marcia M Hobbs, Dana M Lapple, Lisa F Lawing, Jane R Schwebke, Myron S Cohen, Heidi Swygard, Julius Atashili, Peter A Leone, William C Miller, and Arlene C Seña. Methods for Detection of Trichomonas vaginalis in the Male Partners of Infected Women: Implications for Control of Trichomoniasis. J Clin Microbiol. 2006 November; 44(11): 3994–3999.

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