Trichomonas vaginitis

[Jason Yan]

Trichomonas vaginitis is a vaginal infection due to the protozoa Trichomonas vaginalis.

Trichomonas vaginitis is usually sexually transmitted.
It can cause a green or yellow discharge, which may be profuse, smell fishy, and be accompanied by itching or irritation.
If symptoms suggest a vaginal infection, doctors examine a sample of the discharge and/or fluid from the cervix and test it for microorganisms that can cause infection.
Always using a condom can help prevent this infection.
One dose of metronidazole or tinidazole taken by mouth cures most women.

(See also Overview of Vaginal Infections.)
The protozoa Trichomonas vaginalis can cause symptoms soon after they enter the vagina, or the protozoa can remain in the vagina or on the cervix (the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina) for weeks or months without causing any symptoms. The bladder may also be infected. In men, the protozoa usually cause no symptoms and may remain in the urinary tract for a few days or weeks without causing symptoms. Thus, women and men may be unaware that they are infecting their sex partners.