When thinking about different kinds of STDs you may wonder what is trichomoniasis. This is an infection that is caused by a parasite.
The infection can be contracted through sexual activities and it is usually treated with the help of metronidazole, which is a prescription medication.
What is trichomoniasis?
The parasite that causes the infection is a microscopic one that can be found all over the world.
You should know about the infection that it is one of the most common STDs. It affects more sexually active women than men. It is believed that in North America there are 8 million new cases every year.
How does trichonomas vaginitis spread?
As it has been mentioned before, the infection can be contracted through sexual activity and it is more common in case of women who have several sexual partners.
It is one of the common disbeliefs that the infection can be contracted through an infected toilet seat.
This is impossible because the parasite cannot survive in the environment or on objects for long periods of time.
Symptoms of trichomoniasis
It is important to know that not every infected person presents symptoms. Nonetheless there are some relatively common symptoms. In case of women the disease could be asymptomatic but in the same time serious symptoms may appear.
The symptoms of trichomoniasis infection in women include frothy green discharge from the vagina with a foul smell. Redness and itching in the area of the vagina are also related symptoms.
Some other signs include pain or discomfort during intercourse, an urge to urinate and abdominal pain.
When thinking about what is trichomoniasis, you should know that the onset of the vulvar or vaginal itching or discharge is quite sudden. These usually appear after or during the menstrual period. This is because during this time the acidity of the vagina is higher than usual.
In case of men trichomoniasis could turn out to be asymptomatic. If there are signs they could include a discharge from the urethra, a burning sensation during urination and an urge to urinate. In case of both genders, the incubation period of the infection is of 4-28 days.
Diagnosis
One of the most important questions regarding what is trichomoniasis is how the infection is diagnosed. In order to get an accurate result there is need for lab tests. For this your doctor will collect fluid samples from the penis or the vagina. In case of women this is performed during a pelvic exam.
The diagnosis of the trichomoniasis infection is usually done by observing the parasite under a microscope. Nonetheless it is best to make a culture of the parasite for a more accurate result. In this case it may take 3-7 days to get the results of the culture.
If you are asking what is trichomoniasis in case of men you should know that in this case the diagnosis is made by collection specimens from the urethra. You should know that no testing method is 100% accurate so you could be misdiagnosed.
Read more at http://www.womenhealthzone.com/sexually-transmitted-diseases/trichomoniasis/what-is-trichomoniasis/
