What are the symptoms of trichomoniasis?

Trichomoniasis in women can often go undiagnosed, even though it’s a really common STD. Many women have no symptoms. If you have a vagina, trichomoniasis symptoms may include:

• frothy, foul-smelling discharge

• spotting

• itching/swelling in and around your vagina

• the urge to pee more than usual

• Pain or burning when you pee

Trichomoniasis symptoms in women — if they show up at all — usually take anywhere from 3 to 28 days to show up after you’ve gotten it.

If you’re diagnosed with trichomoniasis (AKA trich, for short), anyone you’ve been having sex with should be treated as well so that you don’t pass it back and forth.

Trichomoniasis treatment is really easy. Your doctor or nurse will give you medicine. Using condoms can help lower the chances of getting it.

Men rarely have trichomoniasis symptoms. If you have a penis, trichomoniasis symptoms may include:

• Discharge from your penis

• The urge to pee more than usual

• Pain or burning when you pee

If you have symptoms, they tend to show up anywhere from 3 to 28 days after you’ve gotten it.

If you’re worried you might have it, trichomoniasis testing is pretty simple for men and transgender and nonbinary people with penises. Your doctor or nurse will take a swab of your urethra to get a sample of cells. Then they’ll examine the cells using a microscope to make a diagnosis.

If it turns out you have it, trichomoniasis treatment is easy: your nurse or doctor will give you medicine. And using condoms can help lower the chances of getting it.

You can have trichomoniasis (AKA trich) for months or even years without knowing. That’s because many people — no matter what their gender is — don’t have any symptoms, or the symptoms they do have are so mild that they don’t notice them.  

People with vaginas might also mistake trichomoniasis for something else, like a yeast infection or a UTI. 

Trichomoniasis is never truly “dormant.” You can spread trich to other people whether or not you have symptoms, so it’s important to get tested if you think you might have trich. The only way to get rid of trichomoniasis is to get treated with medicine. 

Leaving trich untreated can cause problems like:  

• Your risk of getting and spreading HIV is higher.

• If you’re pregnant, you’re more likely to give birth prematurely, and your baby is more likely to be underweight.

• Trichomoniasis can cause infections in the urethra or prostate gland. 

You can get tested for trich and other STDs at your nurse or doctor’s office, a community health clinic, or your nearest Planned Parenthood health center.