Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is spread through unprotected vaginal sex. Women can pass it on to men or women during sex. Men do not seem to catch it from other men.

It is one of the most common STIs and you can get it more than once.

Trichomoniasis can also live for a few hours on damp towels, washcloths, and clothing, so there may be a possibility of it spreading by sharing clothes or towels with a person who has trichomoniasis.

Most people don’t know they have trichomoniasis because they don’t see or feel anything different. For those who do have signs or symptoms they often appear 4 to 20 days after getting trichomoniasis.

Symptoms you may notice:

• burning or pain when urinating or during sex.
• red, sore or itchy vulva (genital area) and vagina, which can make walking or sitting difficult
• an increased amount of discharge from the vagina, which is thin and foamy, light grey to a yellowish-green in colour, and may have an unpleasant smell
• a slight discharge from the urethra (the opening of the penis)

These symptoms can be worse if a person is having a period.

The only way to know if you have trichomoniasis is by getting an STI test at your GP. Doctors don’t always include a test for trichomoniasis in a STI test, so you may need to ask for the test if you think you have this infection.

To test for trichomoniasis your doctor will need to take a sample using a swab (a special cotton bud) of either:

• the vagina; or
• the tip of the penis.

Trichomoniasis can be cured with antibiotics, either as a single dose or as smaller doses taken over 5 days. You need to take the antibiotics as advised by your doctor. You should take these with food and avoid alcohol while taking the medicine and for 3 days afterwards as it can affect the antibiotics and make you vomit. Avoid sex while taking the medicine.

• Always use condoms and/ or dams and water-based lubricant when having sex.
• Talk to your sexual partners about sexual health.
• Have regular STI checks.
• Not sharing clothes or towels that have been used by other people (unless they have been washed)

If you test positive for trichomoniasis, it is important to let your sexual partners know so that they can get tested and treated (if needed) too. This is to make sure trichomoniasis does not impact their health and continue to spread. If your regular sexual partners do not get treated, you can get trichomoniasis again.

You can tell your partners yourself – if you feel safe and comfortable to do so. If you don’t want your partners to know your name, you can ask your health care worker to do it or send an anonymous message from the www.letthemknow.org.au website.

People with trichomonas have an increased risk of getting or passing on other STIs. Pregnant people with trichomoniasis are more likely to have a baby that is born early or weighs less than 2kg.