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Vaginitis/Trichomoniasis
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| VAGINITIS/TRICHOMONIASIS > Questions & Answers |
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Vaginitis is a name for swelling, itching, burning or infection in the vagina that can be caused my several different germs. The most common kinds of vaginitis are bacterial vaginosis (BV) and yeast, a fungus. Sometimes trichomoniasis (trich, pronounced "trick") is called vaginitis too. Trichomoniasis is caused by a parasitic protozoa called Trichomonas vaginalis.  How common is it? Vaginitis is very common. If you are like most women, you will have some kind of vaginitis at least once in your life. How is it transmitted? The healthy vagina has a balance of many different kinds of bacteria. "Good" bacteria help keep the vagina a little-bit acidic. This keeps "Bad" bacteria from growing too fast. A healthy vagina makes a mucus-like discharge that may look clear or a little milky, depending on the time of a woman's monthly cycle. When the balance between the "Good" bacteria and the "Bad" bacteria is upset, "Bad" bacteria grow too fast and cause infections. Discharge may have a funny color or a bad smell. Sometimes these "Bad" bacteria and other germs that cause vaginitis can be spread through sex. Other things that can upset the balance of the vagina are:
Symptoms The signs or symptoms of vaginitis are different, depending on the germ that you have. Signs or symptoms of: Testing/Diagnosis If you have symptoms of vaginitis, see your health care provider for a correct diagnosis. To help your provider find out what you have:
- Tests for BV - Tests for yeast - Tests for trichomoniasis What does it mean for my health? These infections are usually treated with a prescription from your health care provider. With trichomoniasis, if your partner does not receive treatment as well, re-infection can occur. Having BV has been associated with an increased risk in developing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is a serious infection of the uterus and fallopian tubes. BV and trichomoniasis increase a woman's risk of getting HIV if she is exposed to a partner with HIV. Having trichomoniasis or BV may also increase the chance that an HIV-infected woman passes HIV to her partner(s). Having BV or trichomoniasis while pregnant may put a woman at increased risk for some complications of pregnancy, including potentially having a baby born early or with low birth weight. Treatment of BV might help reduce the risk of these complications. Having a yeast infection during pregnancy does not typically pose any risk to the baby or the pregnancy. We encourage you to speak with your health care provider about any questions or concerns you may have.
Should you talk to your partner about vaginitis? This depends. Women who are not sexually active may develop BV or yeast infections. Remember that most of the time these infections are caused by an upset in the balance of bacteria that is normal in the vagina. Trichomoniasis on the other hand is sexually transmitted and it will be important for sex partners to be treated so it is not passed back and forth. It is important for partners to be treated even if they do not show any symptoms.  Was this information helpful to you?  
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