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Diagnosed With Trich. Test Showed Vaginal Infection. Partner Test Came Negative. Took Antibiotics. Misdiagnosis?
Question: I have been diagnosed with Trich, I am in a committed relationship of 12 years. I had mild symptoms and at the time of the pelvic exam the PA said she thought I had a typical vaginal infection. Swabs were taken then I get a call 18 hours later indicating it was Trich. When I was diagnosed my husband was tested urine and blood for all STD's including trich. His tests came up negative. AT the time he was tested he was two days into the 7 day antibiotic treatment for Trich that I was on. The Dr that he talked to said the antibiotics at that point would not keep a positive test from being detected.....This has caused a tremendous amount of pain
I have not been with another. What is going on? I am a 47 year old lawyer and I need an explanation about misdiagnosis.....
I have not been with another. What is going on? I am a 47 year old lawyer and I need an explanation about misdiagnosis.....
Hello,
Welcome and thanks for posting your query to XXXXXXX
I can understand your concern for genital infection from which you are suffering from. It is sometimes really distressing for anyone to have anything unusual at genital region as well as the mental stress of the problem.
As per your query I can get that you were diagnosed Trichomoniasis after routine pelvic examination with and your husband’s test came negative for the same. According to the doctor antibiotics hampers in positive detection of the test in your husband.
Now after reading your brief query let me first reassure you regarding the problem. Trichomoniasis is a routinely and commonly diagnosed infection which can be present in 2% to 46% of females in any community. So you can get that it is not that rare infection. Now you must be knowing much of the details regarding the infection as what it is or what all symptoms it is causing so I would not like to discuss the same.
What I would like to tell you regarding your problem is that you should not just think of sexual mode of infection of Trichomoniasis. As I can get from your query that you have committed relationship of 12 years. So from where the infection came from !!
The answer to above question is – there are studies showing that Trichomoniasis can survive for up to 45 minutes on toilet seats, wash clothes and bath water. This is one of the most common modes of nonsexual transmission of the infection. Even in virgin and pre pubertal girls the infection has been detected. So though being rare, but not uncommon to find this kind of nonsexual transmission in female.
Your case also appears to be the same. So I request you to kindly do not get panicky regarding the situation in your case. Now probably you got the answer how you got the infection despite being in healthy committed relationship.
Now as far as your husband’s part is concerned- In men it is generally asymptomatic (without any symptoms or any problem) infection even for years together. So even if you got it some months to years back, your husband might not had shown any signs of the infection during that time.
Presently when the tests were done your husband already took the antibiotics for two days. These antibiotics start their action within hours of the taking them. These kill the micro-organisms responsible to cause the infection. As the causative agent is dead by the antibiotic therapy, so after 48 hours it is very common to find non detection of the infective agent by any means. SO now you can get that it is not unusual but the common phenomenon in your husband’s case too. Whenever the test of any microorganism is done the antibiotics are always given after the sample has been taken. In your husband‘s case the sample were taken on third day. So it is the only possibility to not to find anything in his case.
So now probably you got answers to all your queries. Kindly relax yourself and stop thinking any thing negative. Both of you must take proper dosage of the antibiotics prescribed by the doctor. You and your husband would be totally free of the problem after this proper course of the antibiotic therapy.
I hope these information's will help you. If you have further queries I will be happy to help.
"Wish you good health"
Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD (Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases)
Welcome and thanks for posting your query to XXXXXXX
I can understand your concern for genital infection from which you are suffering from. It is sometimes really distressing for anyone to have anything unusual at genital region as well as the mental stress of the problem.
As per your query I can get that you were diagnosed Trichomoniasis after routine pelvic examination with and your husband’s test came negative for the same. According to the doctor antibiotics hampers in positive detection of the test in your husband.
Now after reading your brief query let me first reassure you regarding the problem. Trichomoniasis is a routinely and commonly diagnosed infection which can be present in 2% to 46% of females in any community. So you can get that it is not that rare infection. Now you must be knowing much of the details regarding the infection as what it is or what all symptoms it is causing so I would not like to discuss the same.
What I would like to tell you regarding your problem is that you should not just think of sexual mode of infection of Trichomoniasis. As I can get from your query that you have committed relationship of 12 years. So from where the infection came from !!
The answer to above question is – there are studies showing that Trichomoniasis can survive for up to 45 minutes on toilet seats, wash clothes and bath water. This is one of the most common modes of nonsexual transmission of the infection. Even in virgin and pre pubertal girls the infection has been detected. So though being rare, but not uncommon to find this kind of nonsexual transmission in female.
Your case also appears to be the same. So I request you to kindly do not get panicky regarding the situation in your case. Now probably you got the answer how you got the infection despite being in healthy committed relationship.
Now as far as your husband’s part is concerned- In men it is generally asymptomatic (without any symptoms or any problem) infection even for years together. So even if you got it some months to years back, your husband might not had shown any signs of the infection during that time.
Presently when the tests were done your husband already took the antibiotics for two days. These antibiotics start their action within hours of the taking them. These kill the micro-organisms responsible to cause the infection. As the causative agent is dead by the antibiotic therapy, so after 48 hours it is very common to find non detection of the infective agent by any means. SO now you can get that it is not unusual but the common phenomenon in your husband’s case too. Whenever the test of any microorganism is done the antibiotics are always given after the sample has been taken. In your husband‘s case the sample were taken on third day. So it is the only possibility to not to find anything in his case.
So now probably you got answers to all your queries. Kindly relax yourself and stop thinking any thing negative. Both of you must take proper dosage of the antibiotics prescribed by the doctor. You and your husband would be totally free of the problem after this proper course of the antibiotic therapy.
I hope these information's will help you. If you have further queries I will be happy to help.
"Wish you good health"
Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD (Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases)
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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