Trichomoniasis or “trich” is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by a tiny organism called Trichomonas vaginalis. It’s more commonly diagnosed in women than men and is usually easy to cure with antibiotics. Although symptoms vary, most people who have trichomonas don’t know they have it. Testing is the only way to know.
Trich is spread through sexual contact with an infected partner: this includes penis-to-vagina intercourse or genital-to-genital contact.
People with trichomonas can pass the infection to others, even if they do not have symptoms.
Only about 30 percent of people that have trichomoniasis develop any symptoms. When trich does cause symptoms, they can range from mild irritation to severe inflammation.
Symptoms of trichomoniasis are more common in women. These include:
Most men don’t have symptoms of trich but when they do, symptoms can include:
The only way to find out if you have trich is to get tested.
If trich is not treated, it’s unlikely to cause any serious health problems, but any symptoms are unlikely to go away on their own. Also:
Our trich tests are only for people with no symptoms.
People with a penis provide a urine sample while people with vaginas will collect a vaginal swab.
If it’s less than four weeks since you might have been exposed to trich, you can still do a test now, but you may need another test later.
Trich is common and easy to cure with antibiotics. If you are being treated for trich, keep these facts in mind:
To help prevent trich and other STIs:
