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    Lesson 06 Trichomoniasis - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment PDF

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    Gwendolyn Calatrava
    Trichomoniasis is caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, which is the most common curable sexually transmitted disease. It infects the human genitalia and has only a trophozoite stage without a cyst form. Common symptoms in women include vaginitis, discharge, and painful urination in about 30% of cases. Diagnosis is through microscopic examination of discharge samples, and treatment typically involves a single dose of Metronidazole antibiotic for patients and their partners to prevent reinfection.

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    Lesson 06 Trichomoniasis - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment PDF

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    Gwendolyn Calatrava
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    Trichomoniasis is caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, which is the most common curable sexually transmitted disease. It infects the human genitalia and has only a trophozoite stage without a cyst form. Common symptoms in women include vaginitis, discharge, and painful urination in about 30% of cases. Diagnosis is through microscopic examination of discharge samples, and treatment typically involves a single dose of Metronidazole antibiotic for patients and their partners to prevent reinfection.

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    Trichomoniasis is caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, which is the most common curable sexually transmitted disease. It infects the human genitalia and has only a trophozoite stage without a cyst form. Common symptoms in women include vaginitis, discharge, and painful urination in about 30% of cases. Diagnosis is through microscopic examination of discharge samples, and treatment typically involves a single dose of Metronidazole antibiotic for patients and their partners to prevent reinfection.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    33 views3 pages

    Lesson 06 Trichomoniasis - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment PDF

    Uploaded by

    Gwendolyn Calatrava
    Trichomoniasis is caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, which is the most common curable sexually transmitted disease. It infects the human genitalia and has only a trophozoite stage without a cyst form. Common symptoms in women include vaginitis, discharge, and painful urination in about 30% of cases. Diagnosis is through microscopic examination of discharge samples, and treatment typically involves a single dose of Metronidazole antibiotic for patients and their partners to prevent reinfection.

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    of 3

    Trichomoniasis: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

    Protozoa don't often cause sexually transmitted diseases. One exception is Trichomonas vaginalis. In this lesson
    we will investigate the major characteristics of this unique parasite.

    Sexually Transmitted Diseases


    Today we're going to talk about sexually transmitted diseases, but probably not the ones that
    usually spring to mind. Think about the common STDs you've heard of. Let's narrow the eld a bit.
    We're not talking about the viral STDs like HIV and herpes. You can eliminate the bacterial diseases
    like syphilis and chlamydia. We're not going to talk about fungal infections or the arthropods like
    the crab louse. We're going to focus on the one major STD caused by a protozoan: trichomoniasis.

    Trichomonas Vaginalis
    The protozoan in question is Trichomonas vaginalis, which is a pear-shaped agellate parasite that
    only infects the human genitalia. Compared to the horror stories accompanying diseases like
    herpes and HIV, Trichomoniasis, which is the disease caused by Trichomonas, is relatively benign.
    In fact, Trichomoniasis has been given the title of most common curable STD.

    Lifecycle
    The lifecycle of Trichomonas is very simple in comparison to some other protozoal parasites. There
    is only one stage: trophozoite. The trophozoites are motile, infectious, reproductive, and cause the
    symptoms of the disease. Trichomonas reproduces by simple binary ssion and it prefers the
    slightly acidic environment of the reproductive tracts of infected individuals. Most protozoa have a
    cyst stage that is infectious and able to survive in the environment. Trichomonas is noteworthy
    because it is unable to make any cysts. This means it cannot persist for long in the environment
    and infection occurs by direct contact with viable trophozoites.

    Transmission and Prevention


    Viable trophozoites can be passed in one of two ways: person-to-person or through contact with
    contaminated surfaces.

    The vast majority of infections are a result of direct sexual contact from person to person. As a
    result, abstinence is obviously almost 100% e ective as a preventative. Proper and consistent
    condom usage is also e ective, but uncovered areas can still transmit the parasite.
    Without a cyst stage that can resist environmental conditions, getting Trichomonas from
    contaminated surfaces is rare, but possible. The trophozoites can survive outside of the host for a
    couple of hours as long as they stay moist. This makes toilet seats, sauna benches, and wet beach
    towels potential sources of infection. Fortunately, common household cleaners like bleach are very
    e ective at eliminating the trophozoites from surfaces.

    One additional aspect of transmission needs to be addressed. If there is already damage to the
    genital area, like broken or raw skin, this can make it easier for Trichomonas to attach to host cells
    and cause disease symptoms. Poor hygiene, diabetes, concurrent infection by other pathogens,
    and certain drugs can lead to irritation of the genital membranes. This creates a more favorable
    environment for not only Trichomonas but other disease-causing organisms as well.

    Trichomoniasis
    Women have a whole set of organisms that appear to live symbiotically in the vagina not causing
    any kind of disease. These organisms are referred to as the vaginal ora. Trichomonas is so
    common that it was once considered a member of the normal vaginal ora. Between 25-50% of
    sexually active women have Trichomonas, compared to only 5% of sexually active men. In the
    United States, there are 7.4 million new cases of trichomoniasis every year.

    Once Trichomonas has colonized the reproductive tract, only about 30% of hosts ever show
    symptoms. How the disease manifests is dependent on the sex of the host.

    The majority of the 30% who show symptoms are women. Trichomonas colonizes the vagina and
    urethra, causing yellow to green frothy discharge, painful urination, vaginitis, and intense itchiness.
    These symptoms can be mild or quite severe depending on the health and hygiene of the host.
    Also, the symptoms generally get worse during menstruation. Pregnant women that become
    infected can experience premature births and low birth weights due to the parasite weakening or
    rupturing the placental membranes.

    Men can also show symptoms, but it is very rare. The protozoa colonize the prostate, seminal
    vesicles, and urethra, causing slight pain on urination and very mild, mucus-like discharge. If a
    concurrent bacterial infection is present, the male host is more likely to exhibit these symptoms.

    Since most men are asymptomatic and never know they are infected, they can serve as reservoirs.
    If these reservoir men are promiscuous, they have the potential to infect many partners
    unknowingly.

    Diagnosis and Treatment


    In order to diagnose Trichomonas, a sample of discharge is collected and observed microscopically.
    A positive result will usually show motile trophozoites with a characteristic jerky swimming motion.
    Genetic identi cation is also possible but usually unnecessary and rarely done.
    Earlier, I referred to Trichomonas as the most common curable STD. That assumes that the host
    knows they are infected and seeks treatment. The disease can last months to years if untreated.
    Assuming the host seeks treatment, the treatment of choice is oral Metronidazole, with one dosage
    usually curing the infection. There are a couple of caveats, though.

    First, symptomatic women that seek treatment must insist on their partners getting treatment as
    well, regardless of the presence of symptoms. Failure to treat both will result in immediate
    reinfection after the treatment is over.

    Also, there have recently been Trichomonas strains that are resistant to Metronidazole. These
    currently make up about 5% of cases, but that number will most likely increase in the coming years.
    Tinidazole is an alternate antiprotozoal that can be used as a rst treatment or as a follow-up if
    Metronidazole is not e ective.

    Lesson Summary
    It's time to review.

    Trichomonas vaginalis is a sexually transmitted protozoal parasite considered the most common
    curable STD. The Trichomonas lifecycle has only a trophozoite stage and no resistant cyst form like
    other disease-causing protozoa.

    Direct sexual contact is the most common method of infection, but rare infections through contact
    with contaminated moist surfaces have occurred. The disease causes painful urination, vaginitis,
    and discharge in about 30% of infected women. Men rarely exhibit symptoms. Examination of
    discharge for motile trophozoites is the accepted method of diagnosis.

    Abstinence and proper condom use can prevent most infections, but a single dose of
    Metronidazole for the host and all sexual partners is all that is normally required to eliminate the
    disease.

    Learning Outcomes
    After you have nished this lesson, you should be able to recognize what trichomonas vaginalis is,
    how it spreads, what the symptoms are and how easy it is to treat.

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