TRICHOMONAS: PELVIC EXAMINATION FOR WOMEN
For women, a pelvic examination is necessary to test for trichomonas infection, both to detect the signs of the infection and to gather samples for examination under the microscope. Often, there is redness of the labia and vagina, and a frothy, bad-smelling yellow-green discharge in the vagina. The discharge has a higher pH than the normal, more acidic, vaginal secretions. The outer part of the cervix (ectocervix) may be red and irritated, with tiny red dots; these are small hemorrhages, and the condition is called “strawberry cervix.”
When the discharge is examined under the microscope, the individual trichomonads can be seen. Often, bacterial vaginosis occurs with trichomoniasis, and this can be seen under the microscope as well. The protozoans move in a characteristic way that is apparent under the microscope. Therefore microscopic examination is the oldest and still the most common method to evaluate for trichomonas infection, although it may miss infection in about 20-30 percent of cases. If the diagnosis is in question, cultures can be trichomonads.
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