Most Common STD, Most Unknown STD: Trich

When one thinks of sexually transmitted diseases, probably most of us think of HIV. If pressed, we also may identify gonorrhea, syphilis, HPV, or warts. Crabs or mites don’t seem to be mentioned much. Trichomoniasis is never mentioned. Yet, the most common STD is trichomoniasis, a name most of us can’t pronounce, let alone understand.

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection that affects both men and women and results in roughly 7.4 million new cases in the United States each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In women, trichomoniasis infection commonly occurs in the vagina, resulting in heavy yellow-green or gray vaginal discharge, vaginal odor, discomfort during sexual intercourse and urination, irritation and itching of the genital area and, in rare cases, lower abdominal pain. In men, trichomoniasis is most common in the urethra; however, infected men often do not have symptoms. Those that do may experience irritation inside the penis, mild discharge, or a slight burning sensation after urination or ejaculation. Symptoms in both men and women generally appear within five to 28 days of exposure to the parasite.

Both men and women with trichomoniasis have an increased susceptibility to HIV infection and may transmit HIV to their sexual partners. Pregnant women with trichomoniasis may deliver a low birthweight (less than five pounds) or premature infant. Although the prescription drugs metronidazole and tinidazole usually cure trichomoniasis, drug resistance is becoming a concern.

T. vaginalis is pear-shaped with thread-like flagella that propel its movement. Once it attaches to cells lining the host’s urinary or genital tract, it flattens out and begins to ingest the cells, as well as white and red blood cells, causing direct damage to the urinary and vaginal tissues and resulting in inflammation. T. vaginalis also consumes bacteria that may be present in the urinary and genital areas, including the bacteria necessary for maintaining a normal healthy environment in the vagina. As a result, women infected with trichomoniasis become more susceptible to becoming infected by HIV and other STIs.






Understanding how T. vaginalis causes infection and developing methods to prevent it could help curb the transmission of other STIs often found in connection with trichomoniasis, including chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to the researchers.

Although trichomoniasis is very prevalent as a sexually transmitted infection, it has not received the attention given to other STIs. Women are the population most affected by it, yet routine gynecological check-ups do not test for this particular infection, and it’s not an STI that generally requires public health notification under state statutes.

What a shame, that this nasty parasite is not caught, as it is usually the easiest STD to cure. Trichomoniasis can usually be cured with the prescription drug, metronidazole, given by mouth in a single dose. The symptoms of trichomoniasis in infected men may disappear within a few weeks without treatment. However, an infected man, even a man who has never had symptoms or whose symptoms have stopped, can continue to infect or re-infect a female partner until he has been treated.

Therefore, both partners should be treated at the same time to eliminate the parasite. Persons being treated for trichomoniasis should avoid sex until they and their sex partners complete treatment and have no symptoms. Metronidazole can be used by pregnant women.
Having trichomoniasis once does not protect a person from getting it again. Following successful treatment, people can still be susceptible to re-infection.

The best prevention for trichomoniasis is to abstain from sex. A long term monogamous relationship can also prevent trichomoniasis. However, as many people do not abstain, and don’t have the advantages of a long term monogamous relationship, the correct use of condoms will help to reduce the incidence of this common disease.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/std/Trichomonas/STDFact-Trichomoniasis.htm

National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2007/T_vaginalis.htm