Trichomonal Vaginitis

Trichomonal vaginitis is an infection in your vagina. Your vagina connects your uterus (where a baby grows when you're pregnant) to the outside of your body. Some people call it the birth canal. Your vulva is the area between your legs on the outside of your body. Many people mistakenly refer to the vulva as the vagina.

• The most common cause is having sex with an infected partner

• The infection can be in your body for weeks or months before you get any symptoms

• When you do get symptoms, you may have a lot of green or yellow vaginal discharge (thick fluid that comes out of your vagina) that looks bubbly or smells fishy—if this happens, see your doctor

• Untreated trichomonal vaginitis can cause serious problems, especially if you get this infection while pregnant

• To help prevent this infection, don't have sex or, if you have sex, use a condom

Internal Female Reproductive Anatomy

You get trichomonal vaginitis by having sex with a partner who has it. Your partner may not have any symptoms of trichomonal vaginitis but can still give you the infection.

The main symptom is vaginal discharge that may:

• Be green or yellow in color

• Look bubbly or foamy

• Smell fishy

• Happen in large amounts

You may also have:

• Itching, redness, or pain around the opening to your vagina

• Pain during sex or when you urinate (pee)

Your doctor will suspect trichomonal vaginitis based on your symptoms. To tell for sure, your doctor will do a pelvic exam. During a pelvic exam, your doctor looks at your vulva and inside your vagina. In order to see inside, your doctor will hold your vagina open with a small instrument called a speculum. During the exam, the doctor will use a cotton swab to take a sample of discharge from your vagina and test it.

• You'll be prescribed an antibiotic to take by mouth

• You shouldn't drink alcohol for at least 72 hours after you take the antibiotic—it can make you feel sick, vomit, and have a headache

• Doctors will also tell you to use condoms during sex or to not have sex until your infection has gone away

Your sex partners should be checked by a doctor, who will prescribe the same antibiotic. Men usually need to take the antibiotic for 1 week.

To reduce your risk of getting this infection, always use a condom during sex.