Trichomoniasis
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Trichomoniasis, sometimes referred to as "trich" or the ping pong disease, is a common sexually transmitted disease that affects 2 to 3 million Americans yearly. It is caused by a single-celled protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Trichomoniasis is primarily an infection of the urogenital tract; the urethra is the most common site of infection in men, and the vagina is the most common site of infection in women.
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Symptoms
Trichomoniasis, like many other sexually transmitted diseases, often occurs without any symptoms. Men almost never have symptoms, while 20% of women are asymptomatic. When women have symptoms, they usually appear within four to 20 days of exposure. The symptoms in women include a heavy, yellow-green or gray vaginal discharge, discomfort during intercourse, vaginal odor, and painful urination. Irritation and itching of the female genital area, and on rare occasions, lower abdominal pain also can be present. In about two-thirds of infected females, there is edema, inflammation, cell hypertrophy and metaplasia The symptoms in men, if present, include a thin, whitish discharge from the penis and painful or difficult urination.
Treatment
Because men can transmit the disease to their sex partners even when symptoms are not present, it is preferable to treat both partners to eliminate the parasite. Metronidazole is the drug used to treat people with trichomoniasis. It usually is administered in a single dose. People taking this drug should not drink alcohol because mixing the two substances occasionally can cause severe nausea and vomiting.
Complications
Research has shown a link between trichomoniasis and two serious sequelæ. Data suggest that trichomoniasis is associated with increased risk of transmission of HIV and may cause a woman to deliver a low-birth-weight or premature infant. Additional research is needed to fully explore these relationships.
Prevention
Use of male condoms may help prevent the spread of trichomoniasis, although careful studies have never been done that focus on how to prevent this infection.
External link
- Vaginitis/Vaginal infection fact sheet from the National Institute of Allergies and Infections (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/stdvag.htm). The first version of this article was taken from this public domain resource.
- eMedicine Health Trichomoniasis (http://www.emedicinehealth.com/articles/17599-1.asp)