What Is Trichomoniasis? Trichomoniasis (often called "trich") is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). What Are STDs? STDs (also called sexually transmitted infections or STIs) are infections that spread through sex (vaginal, oral, or anal). Some STDs can spread through close contact with the genitals or body fluids. How Do People Get Trichomoniasis? Trichomoniasis (trik-uh-muh-NYE-uh-siss) spreads between men and women through vaginal sex. Women can spread trich to other women through sexual contact. Men do not usually get trich from other men. What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Trichomoniasis? Many people with trich have no symptoms. They can spread the infection to others without knowing it. In females, symptoms can include: vaginal discharge, which can smell bad itching, redness, and tenderness in or around the vagina pain when peeing pain during sex bleeding after sex In males, symptoms can include: discharge from the penis pain or burning when peeing discomfort after ejaculation What Causes Trichomoniasis? Trichomoniasis is caused by a parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. How Is Trichomoniasis Diagnosed? To find out if someone has trich, health care providers do tests on: discharge taken from the vagina or cervix (opening to the womb) in girls discharge taken from the urethra in guys pee How Is Trichomoniasis Treated? Health care providers treat trichomoniasis with an antibiotic. All sexual partners from the past 2 months need treatment too, even if they don't have signs of trichomoniasis. People can get trichomoniasis again if: their partners aren't treated they get treated but then have sex with someone else who has trichomoniasis What Problems Can Happen? Females who don't get treatment for trichomoniasis have a greater chance of: fertility problems (trouble getting pregnant) developing cervical cancer getting HIV if they have sex with someone who has HIV Males who don't get treatment for trichomoniasis have a greater chance of: swelling and irritation of the tubes at the back of the testicles swelling and irritation in the prostate fertility problems (trouble getting a woman pregnant) developing prostate cancer Can Trichomoniasis Be Prevented? The only way to prevent trichomoniasis and other STDs is to not have sex (oral, vaginal, or anal). If someone decides to have sex, using a latex condom every time can prevent most STDs. Anyone who is sexually active should get tested for STDs every year, or more often if recommended by their health care provider. Back to Articles Related Articles Condoms Condoms may be a good birth control option for couples who are responsible enough to use one each time and people who want protection against STDs. Read More HIV and AIDS There is no cure for AIDS, which is why prevention is so important. Get the facts on HIV/AIDS, as well as how it affects the body and is treated, in this article. Read More HIV and AIDS Parents can help prevent HIV/AIDS by learning the facts and talking with their kids regularly about healthy behaviors, feelings, and sexuality. Read More Talking to Your Partner About STDs You know you should talk about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) before the action starts. But what if the thought of having "the talk" makes you nervous? These tips can help. Read More Bacterial Vaginosis BV is the most common vaginal infection. Although it's a mild infection, it can cause serious problems if it's not treated. Find out how to recognize BV and what to do about it in this article for teens. Read More Vaginal Yeast Infections What are vaginal yeast infections? Can anything be done to prevent them? Read More About Condoms Condoms are thin pouches that keep sperm from getting into the vagina. There are male condoms and female condoms. Read More Chlamydia Chlamydia is an STD caused by bacteria. It's important to know the symptoms, as treatment can prevent the infection from leading to other health problems. Read More STDs Parents should learn about the most common STDs, how they spread, and how they're diagnosed and treated. Read More Trichomoniasis Trichomoniasis is a curable disease that can be passed from one person to another during sex. The good news is that it can be prevented. Read about how to protect yourself. Read More About Birth Control: What Parents Need to Know Talking to your kids about sex can be a challenge. But discussing issues like birth control can help lower teens' risk of unintended pregnancy or getting an STD. Read More Talking to Your Partner About Condoms Some people - even those who are having sex - are embarrassed by the topic of condoms. Here are some tips for talking about condoms with your partner. Read More Vaginal Discharge: What's Normal, What's Not Normal vaginal discharge has several purposes: cleaning and moistening the vagina and helping to prevent infections. But sometimes discharge indicates there's a problem. Get the facts on what's normal and what's not. Read More STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) You've probably heard lots of discouraging news about sexually transmitted diseases. The good news is that STDs can be prevented. Find out how to protect yourself. Read More Questions and Answers About Sex Answering kids' questions about sex is a responsibility many parents dread. But by answering these questions honestly, parents can help foster healthy feelings about sex. Read More About Birth Control Before you consider having sex, you need to know how to protect yourself. Read this article to get the basics on birth control. Read More Understanding Puberty Puberty was awkward enough when you were the one going through it. So how can you help your kids through all the changes? Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.