Sexual Health

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Trichomonas vaginalis; it is often asymptomatic, but may cause vaginitis or urethritis, and diagnosis requires appropriate laboratory testing followed by systemic treatment and partner management.

Definition

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis. It is diagnosed by detecting the organism or its nucleic acid in an appropriate genital specimen and may cause vaginitis, cervicitis or urethritis, although many infections are asymptomatic.

First principles

A sexually transmitted urogenital protozoan

Trichomonas vaginalis is a motile protozoan transmitted mainly through genital sexual contact. It can infect the vagina, cervix and urethra, and infection may be asymptomatic, so symptoms alone cannot reliably identify or exclude it.

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