How to Recognize the Symptoms of Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is a curable, sexually transmitted disease found in both women and men, although the disease occurs most often in women. In fact, it is the most common sexually transmitted disease found in young women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), trichomoniasis is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the entire world, but only 50 percent of women infected with the disease display any symptoms. Trichomoniasis is transmitted through a parasite called protozoan, usually found in tissue in the vagina and urethra. Read on to learn how to recognize the symptoms of trichomoniasis.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Familiarize yourself with the common symptoms of trichomoniasis found in women. Symptoms generally include vaginal discharge that is frothy, yellow or green and carries a bad odor. Women may also experience vaginal itching, irritation around the opening of the vagina and pain while urinating that usually feels like a burning sensation.
2. Recognize that symptoms of trichomoniasis may show up as early as four days after sexual contact with an infected person. In some cases, however, symptoms of trichomoniasis may not appear until years after infection.
3. Be aware that in women, trichomoniasis infection may cause pain in the vagina during sexual intercourse. In some cases, though rare, women may also experience lower abdominal pain. Symptoms may also intensify during your menstrual cycle.
4. Understand that in men, symptoms typically include urethral discharge, pain during urination and swelling of the scrotum. Irritation at the tip of the penis may also occur. The infection occurs in the urinary tract and often fails to cause symptoms in men, though men without symptoms are still capable of spreading the disease.
5. Know that in women, trichomoniasis may increase susceptibility to HIV infection. This is due to inflammation in the vagina. If a woman is infected by both trichomoniasis and HIV, it may increase the chance that she will pass HIV on to her sexual partner.
6. Recognize that symptoms of trichomoniasis are often confused with vaginal yeast infections or allergies to laundry detergents, spermicides and hygiene products. Sexually transmitted diseases that share similar symptoms are chlamydia and gonorrhea, as well as other infections of the vagina.

Tips & Warnings

• Though trichomoniasis is contagious, it is easily curable if treated promptly. If left untreated, the disease can infect the urinary tract and reproductive system, which may lead to pre-term labor in pregnant women. Seek immediate medical attention if you recognize any symptoms of trichomoniasis.