Chapter 18: Sexually transmitted infections
Trichomonas (trich)
Trichomonas is very uncomfortable and itchy. Men usually do not have any signs
but they can carry it in the penis and pass it to a woman during sex.
Trichomonas is not dangerous, but it can irritate the vagina, which can make it
easier for a woman to get other STIs including HIV.
Signs of trichomonas
• bubbly gray or yellow discharge
• bad-smelling discharge
• red and itchy genitals and vagina
• pain or burning while urinating
To help the woman feel better, she can take a
sitz bath. She should sit in a pan of clean, warm
water for 15 minutes as often as possible. This is
soothing to the genitals and will speed healing. She
should not have sex until she and her partner are
finished with treatment and all the signs are gone.
To treat trichomonas
If the woman is pregnant:
She should wait until after the end of the third month for treatment. This drug
is not safe in the first 3 months of pregnancy. After the third month:
• give 400 to 500 mg metronidazole ����������������������������by mouth, 2 times a day
for 7 days
Also treat the woman’s partner with 2 g metronidazole by mouth, 1 time only.
Yeast (candida, white discharge, fungus)
Yeast is not usually sexually transmitted, but it is a very common vaginal infection.
It is especially common in pregnant women or women who are taking antibiotics
or birth control pills. Men can also get yeast infections.
Signs of yeast
• itchy genitals
• white, lumpy, sticky discharge
• bright red skin outside and inside the vagina that sometimes bleeds
• a burning feeling when urinating
• a smell like mold or bread dough from the vagina
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A Book for Midwives (2010)