Trichomoniasis Diagnosis and Management

Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that a frothy greenish discharge with itching is most consistent with trichomoniasis, a protozoal infection caused by Trichomonas vaginalis, not bacterial or fungal infection 1, 2
• Bacterial Vaginosis produces a homogeneous, thin white discharge—not frothy or green, and is characterized primarily by a fishy odor rather than prominent itching, according to the CDC 1, 2, 3
• The CDC recommends that sexual partners of patients with trichomoniasis MUST be treated simultaneously to prevent reinfection, as treatment failure is usually due to untreated partners 1, 2
• The CDC suggests that trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection, so screening for other STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea) should be considered 1, 2

Distinguishing Features from Other Causes

• The CDC states that bacterial vaginosis lacks significant vulvar inflammation, and is distinguished from trichomoniasis by its thin white discharge and fishy odor 1, 2