CDC Guidelines for Management of Male Partners of Women Diagnosed with Trichomoniasis

Rationale for Presumptive Treatment

• The CDC recommends that male sexual partners be treated presumptively without awaiting diagnostic testing because male partners often have poor follow‑up compliance for testing and treatment visits【6】【8】.
• Metronidazole therapy achieves 90–95 % cure rates in infected individuals, and treating partners alongside the index case increases overall cure rates and reduces the risk of reinfection【2】【9】【10】【7】.

Recommended Treatment Regimens for Male Partners

• Preferred regimen: a single oral dose of metronidazole 2 g is recommended for male partners【1】【2】【6】【7】.
• Alternative regimen: metronidazole 500 mg taken orally twice daily for 7 days may be used when the single‑dose regimen is unsuitable【1】【2】【6】【7】.

Partner Management Strategy

• The CDC categorically states that all sexual partners of a woman with trichomoniasis should receive treatment【1】【2】【3】【4】【10】【5】【6】【7】.
• Both the woman and her partner(s) must abstain from sexual activity until therapy is completed and both are asymptomatic【1】【2】【10】【6】【7】.
• In the absence of a microbiologic test‑of‑cure, “cured” is defined as completion of therapy with both partners remaining symptom‑free【1】【2】【3】【4】【5】.

Timing of Partner Testing

• Initiation of treatment should not be delayed while awaiting partner test results; postponement leads to reinfection of the treated woman【4】 and continued community transmission【8】.
• Testing of male partners may be considered only in specific situations, such as evaluating treatment failure in the female partner to rule out reinfection【2】【9】【6】【7】.
• Even when testing is performed, it must never postpone the start of empiric therapy【6】【8】.