Sex Ed: Trichomoniasis and the seven-year itch

Trich (pronounced “trick”) and scabies are two non-dangerous infections that are usually transmitted during sexual activity. But just because something does not cause major damage doesn’t mean it cannot be uncomfortable and drive you completely bonkers!

Trichomoniasis (or trich for short) is an infection caused by a very tiny parasite. A parasite is a little critter that can actually be seen using a microscope.

Trich is usually sexually transmitted from one body to the next but it can also survive for 24 hours on wet surfaces such as saunas, towels and bathing suits.

How do you know if you have it? In women, there is often a greenish, sometimes frothy, unpleasant smelling discharge from the vagina. There can be intense vaginal itch, pain when peeing or with intercourse and swelling or redness in the area.

In men, there can be discharge from the penis, irritation at the tip and pain when peeing.

Treatment involves a medication called metronidazole and can be taken as pills, or women can also use it as a vaginal cream. Both partners need to be treated at the same time to prevent reinfecting each other. Once you’ve both finished all the pills, and the symptoms have disappeared, you can have sex again.

Sarcoptes scabiei (scabies) are tiny mites. They are larger critters than trichomonas at about 0.3 mm with four wee pairs of legs. Scabies usually spread by skin-to-skin contact although the mites can live for two days on clothing or bedding. For this reason it is not always sexually transmitted, and in communities faced with crowding and poverty there are higher rates of scabies.

How do you know if you’ve got this one? Scabies cause intense itching — most often in the groin, armpits and hands and feet. For some reason, the itch is often worse at night. The rashes caused by scratching can get infected and cause even more problems.

Because they are tiny and hard to see, scabies should be considered in anyone with a generalized itch that doesn’t go away. In the past, it was colloquially called the “seven-year itch” (if it wasn’t diagnosed properly).

How do you get rid of it? A special medicated shampoo is applied from the neck down and left on for about 10 hours before rinsing. A medication to help with the itch can be prescribed as well. But the work is not done yet — clothing and bedding needs to be thoroughly washed. All family members and close friends, even if they aren’t itchy, need to be treated too.

Although condoms will not prevent scabies, they do decrease the risk of getting trich along with all the other dangerous STDs like HIV and chlamydia. Limiting the number of sexual partners is the other tried and true advice when it comes to preventing any sexually transmitted infections. Trich and scabies can be more than an inconvenience, and the itch is something you can do without — play safe!

Confidential questions or comments? Send an e-mail to nunatsiaqsexed@hotmail.com or drop a note by the news office.

Want to read past Sex Ed columns? Go to www.nunatsiaq.com and click on columns. Next week: STD wrap up.

Madeleine Cole is a physician at Baffin Regional Hospital.