i have been with my husband for 12 yrs. i found out last week that i have trichomoniasis. he claims he has been faithful & i want to believe him but i am being told by every nurse i talk to that "trich" is only a STD. is it possible to contract "trich" any other way? i have read that in rare cases that it can be transmitted thru a wet towel or a toilet seat. is that true? i had BV 2 times in the part year,the last time 3 months ago, & was tested for "trich" both times & it came back negative. is it possible to have it & the test be negative? is it possible for him to carry it & not transmit it to me right away? i really need some educated answers to these questions, can u help me?

Hi Trina,

I will do everything I can to help.

Yes, it IS very possible to get trichonomiasis in ways other than through sex. I think the non-sexual transmission of trich hasn't been studied enough by doctors because I hear this situation with trich far more than with any other STD (women who are diagnosed and know their partner hasn't cheated on them). Trich lives in moist environments so the biggest possibilities of non-sexual exposure lie there.

The lowdown:
Trichomoniasis is a parasitic disease caused by a single-celled organism (specifically a protozoan parasite) called Trichomonas vaginalis. You can get it from wet towels or bathing suits (and probably other ways than just those).

In women, symptoms will usually develop within 4 to about 28 days but can take as long as months or years to develop. Women, however, can be asymptomatic and therefore be unaware of infection.

Men often do not have symptoms. If they occur, symptoms as well as infection can self-resolve, but this may take weeks.

Men are often asymptomatic and not easily tested for Trichomoniasis so it's important that a male whose sexual partner has been diagnosed be treated even if he has no symptoms. Sometimes the woman's doctor will just write a prescription for both partners. You might want to ask your MD if they can do this for you and your partner so you can get this taken care more quickly. It's important that both of you be treated before resuming sexual activities so you don't ping-pong it back and forth.

I hope this helps. Please don't make any rash decisions based on the trich diagnosis because it may be that your partner is completely innocent.

Dharma

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Hi Trina,
I hope everything has worked out for you and your husband. I know in your situation, you get info from both sides, as to whether or not trichomonas can be contracted nonsexually. I guarantee that it ABSOLUTELY CAN. After 32 years of monogamous marriage, my wife tested positive for Trichomonas, and of course I was deemed the guilty party, no matter what I said. And the doctor was of no help. It is a terrible situation for either of you to be in. I can't guarantee your husband was faithful, but I can guarantee Trichomonas can be contracted nonsexually. As to how exactly, I have no idea. Good luck to you both.

I have been married for 24 years and have been completely faithful. I wish I could say that I was 100% sure my husband has been but obviously I haven't constantly been by his side day in and day out. All I know for sure is I have not had another sexual partner and I tested positive for trichomonsis. I told him because I believed he was unfaithful and he moved out. We have three kids and my world is falling apart over this. He claims today that he got tested and he said it was NEGATIVE. How can this be? Please help me.

Honey, I know this seems negative, and I hate to be so blunt, but I'd almost be willing to bet my life that someone here is lying; most likely your dear hubby.

i also cotracted trich when in a monogamous relationship of 4yrs and both of us had been virgins i got full blown symptoms and partner got slight symptoms. i had always wondered someone has too start it-but i guess its like which came first chicken or egg good luck-trust him

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