trichomonas

[trich me]

I have been with the same sexual partner for 12 years. I was recently diagnosed with Trichomonas but he tested negative. They performed a urine test on him. Is this a valid test for this and if so is there any other way this disease can be transmitted as I have not been with any other person in 12 years? Could he have been treated and transmitted it to me and now test negative?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

It is difficult to diagnose trich in men, and your partner's negative urine test probably does not prove he isn't infected--unless the specimen was sent to a reference lab that can do PCR for trich, which currently is a research procedure only.  Both women and men can carry trich for years without symptoms, then have it show up; but 12 years certainly is longer than usual.  Presumably you are concerned that your partner may have had other partners, and that seems likely to me (assuming your statement is truthful about your own monogamy).  But it isn't necessarily so; with the information you have provided so far, there is no way to know with certainty which of you was infected first or when.



The important things are that you both be treated; and both need to be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia, which are often transmitted simultaneously with trichomonas.



Good luck--  HHH, MD

[p's grl]

my boyfriend was recently tested positive for chlymydia,  i tested negative, i know he hasnt been cheating on me b/c he is in jail, he has been locked up for 6 months now and i was just tested last week, i used to have trichamonis years ago, is it possible for me to have trichamonis still? wouldnt it have showed up positive? what do i do i knoow something is wrong but doctors say no

[nicke]

I was diagnosed with Trich almost 2 months ago, and was given Metronidazole. After taking the medicine, the Dr. checked me again and said the Trich was gone. However, when I first went to the dr. I had a painful burning sensation from the external area of my vagina. I had noticed a small red sore/ulceration? on each side of my vagina - I think near the Bartholin's glands. Even after the Trich was gone, I still continued to feel burning coming from these sores. After about 4 weeks the pain seemed to go away, but then I had sex again and the pain has returned. I still can see the 2 sores and the pain is probably even worse this time. Now my whole pelvic region is kind of red and tender-maybe a little swollen, and just a few days ago the lymph nodes in my groin area started swelling. I even had low back pain from this. I had gone to the health department last week and they said the preliminary test they did showed some infection, which they assumed was Chlamydia. They gave my Doxycycline, which I have taken, but now the final test results came in and they show that I do not have Chlamydia or Gonorrhea. The Doxy didn't help and in fact all of the swelling and lymph node problems started while I was taking this medicine. Does it seem possible that these sores are a complication of having Trich, and maybe they got infected? Or do you think this is something else? What might cause this?