Trichomoniasis Information

What is Trichomoniasis?

Trichomoniasis is a protozoan, which is a parasitic micro-organism. It is normally transmitted through sexual activity and infects the vagina and urethra in women and the urethra and sometimes the prostate gland in men.

What are the symptoms of Trichomoniasis?

If infected with trichomonas vaginalis, women can experience pain when passing urine, during sex and occasionally discomfort in the groin area. The vagina and vulva may itch and there can be a greenish, yellow discharge, which may be frothy and have a fishy odour. Men can get a urethral discharge, feel the need to urinate more frequently and experience pain when doing so. In half of all cases there are no symptoms. This does not prevent the infection being passed on.

Should I be concerned?

Trichomonas Vaginalis does not usually penetrate deep into the body, it is therefore less of a problem than other STIs. For infected pregnant women there can be a risk of premature labour and an underweight baby. People infected with this may have an increased susceptibility to HIV. Trichomoniasis is fairly uncommon in the UK, with about 6,000 cases each year.

Is there a test I can take for Trichomoniasis?

We can provide a test for this infection alone or together with other infections. We recommend, if you suspect you have any sexual infection, that you have a full screen. Our test is based on a urine sample and our lab uses PCR technology, giving it highly accurate results.

How easy is it to treat Trichomoniasis?

Trichomoniasis is simple to treat effectively with a 7 day course of Metronidazole or a single dose of Tinidazole. If we discover you have the infection we can arrange for Metronidazole or Tinidazole to be prescribed for you. It is important that any sexual partners you have are also treated to avoid re-infection. You should not have unprotected sex until you finish the course of medication and signs of the infection have disappeared.