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Trichomoniasis

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Trichomonas vaginitis; Trich

Symptoms:

Women:

• Discomfort with intercourse
• Vaginal itching
• Greenish-yellow, frothy or foamy, vaginal discharge with a foul or strong smell
• Labial swelling or vulvar itching
• Itching of the inner thighs

Men:

• Burning after urination or ejaculation
• Itching of urethra
• Slight discharge from urethra

Signs and tests:

In women:

A pelvic examination reveals red blotches vaginal wall or cervix . A wet prep (microscopic examination of discharge) shows the infection-causing organisms in vaginal fluids. A pap smear may also detect the presence of the organism.

In men:

The disease can be hard to diagnose in men. Men are treated if the infection is diagnosed in any of their sexual partners. Men may also be treated if they have ongoing symptoms of urethral burning or itching despite treatment for gonorrhea and chlamydia.

• Review Date: 10/9/2006
• Reviewed By: D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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