At today's visit, you found out that you have trichomoniasis (often called "trich"). Trich is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). STDs are infections that spread through sex (vaginal, oral, or anal). If it's not treated, trich can lead to long-lasting medical problems. It also can be spread to others, even if there are no signs of infection.

Treatment:

• Take the antibiotics exactly as the health care provider recommended.
• Tell your sexual partners from the past 2 months to get treatment too, even if they don't have signs of trich. This way, it won't spread back to you or to other people.
• Don't have sex again until:
  • Treatment is done and you have no more signs of trich (such as burning or pain when peeing or discharge from the penis or vagina). This is usually at least 1 week after treatment. 
  • Your partners have been treated and have no signs of trich.

Follow up:

• Follow the health care provider's instructions about getting tested again for trich and other STDs.
• Get all doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (shot). HPV is an STD that can lead to some kinds of cancer and genital warts.

• You can't take the medicine.
• You are not getting better.
• You have signs of having an STD (belly pain, fever, abnormal discharge, pain when peeing, or genital warts or sores).

• For girls: You have severe belly pain.
• For guys: You have swelling or severe pain in the testicles.

What can happen if trich is not treated?

Girls who don't get treatment for trich are more likely to:

• get HIV (the virus that causes aids)
• have fertility problems (trouble getting pregnant)
• get cancer of the cervix

Guys who don't get treatment for trich are more likely to:

• have swelling and irritation of the tubes in the back of the testicles
• have swelling and irritation in the prostate, the urethra, or the skin around the head of the penis
• have fertility problems (be unable to father children)
• get prostate cancer

How can I avoid getting another STD? The best way to avoid an STD is not to have sex (vaginal, oral, or anal). If you do have sex:

• Use a condom every time you have sex (vaginal, oral, or anal).
• Have only one partner who has already been tested and does not have an STD. That partner should not have sex with other people.