Can BV and Trich be misdiagnosed for each other?

Yeah they don't know what it is. Either BV or Trich so they are treating her for both and they say no reason to test me. The wife put her foot down today with the Doctor and let them know she was not happy about there attitude with us and it could very well be BV but there is no way it could be Trich or anyway she could get something through sexual contact.

C. trachomatis Not Detected
N. gonorrhoeae Not Detected

Wife just logged in to the medical site that has her records and seen the above posted on her test resaults. Have not talked to the Dr. yet but if I read the above correctly then she does not have trachomatis ? I think I will have a little talk with the Dr. and suggest he not give his persanal opinion and look at people like they are lieing about cheating on each other before running more test rather then looking under a scope. Guess I should have waited to post my last post until checking the resaults. Oh well maybe this will help some one else not to jump to conclusions about there partner.

I am at a loss and confused about this whole Trichomoniasis stuff to. I mean my wife and I been together 33 years and we are in our 50's now and don't spend enough time apart for either one of us to cheat on one another nor do either one of us have the desire to. My wife started having abdominal pain the other day and from what she told me the pain shot down to her vagina and rear-end. So she went to the DR. and made me go with her. I figured she may have a cyst on her ovary since she had some many years ago. But the Dr. said she had Trichomoniasis and we was shocked to hear it was transmitted through sexual contact.
The only thing that has changed in our lives is I have been on disability for many years and really not able to have much intercourse. This last April though I had some surgery and been getting my health back so intercourse has been happening more (between just us) and now this. The Dr. said it could be somthing else that she had (don't recall the name he said) and it was not caused by sex. He never did say anything to me about taking meds for it. I would have thought he would have put me on some meds to get rid of this stuff if the wife has it ? Anyway like I say we both know each other pretty good and never apart unless she is at work so neither one of us have had sex with anyone else. I guess if the Virgin Mary got pregnant then we can have Trichomoniasis lol The Dr. did say he was going to run more lab test so who knows what he will find. The wife is being treated with two different antibiotics that will treat Trichomoniasis and what ever else he said it could be. Being an older married couple we kind of laughed it off because we know better of each other and any extra time we have is spent with our adult kids and grand kids so just no time for fooling around :) But we still would like to know more about this stuff and how it is tested and what are the chances of misdiagnoses.

I am 55 years old and met my husband 7 years ago. We each had blood tests before having sex to rule out any issues. I never knew that a blood test wasn't enough! Around the time I also started menopause. I have had vaginal issues ever since I met him, i.e. BV, yeast infections. It was even suggested by one of my healthcare providers that I might be allergic to his sperm! The gynocologist I had been seeing for years never thought to test me for any STDs because I had been celibate for years before I met my husband. I recently moved and chose a new gyno. I give her a rundown of my problems for the past several years and she decides to check for STDs....and whaddayaknow, I have trich. And I've had it for 7 years!! I KNOW my husband does NOT cheat and I certainly do not. He had sex with a drug user before he met me and although I've had metronidazole before, he had not so he kept reinfecting me. If it wasn't for this website, I don't know what I would have done in terms of my marriage. We are both on metro and I'm so glad we can move forward from this!!

Hello Anonymous,

Welcome to EmpowHER. I am glad you reached out to our community. I am truly sorry to hear how this situation is affecting both you and your girlfriend.

I cannot say how either of you contracted trichomoniasis. I can provide some general information.

Citing the CDC, " Trichomoniasis (or “trich”) is a very common sexually transmitted disease (STD). It is caused by infection with a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Although symptoms of the disease vary, most people who have the parasite cannot tell they are infected.

Trichomoniasis is the most common curable STD. In the United States, an estimated 3.7 million people have the infection. However, only about 30% develop any symptoms of trichomoniasis. Infection is more common in women than in men. Older women are more likely than younger women to have been infected with trichomoniasis.

The parasite passes from an infected person to an uninfected person during sex. In women, the most commonly infected part of the body is the lower genital tract (vulva, vagina, cervix, or urethra). In men, the most commonly infected body part is the inside of the penis (urethra). During sex, the parasite usually spreads from a penis to a vagina, or from a vagina to a penis. It can also spread from a vagina to another vagina. It is not common for the parasite to infect other body parts, like the hands, mouth, or anus. It is unclear why some people with the infection get symptoms while others do not. It probably depends on factors like a person’s age and overall health. Infected people without symptoms can still pass the infection on to others."

Anonymous, you also ask if Trichomoniasis can be misdiagnosed for Bacterial Vaginosis.

No. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition that happens when there is too much of certain bacteria in the vagina. This changes the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina.

Again, referencing the CDC, "Researchers do not know the cause of BV or how some women get it. We do know that the infection typically occurs in sexually active women. BV is linked to an imbalance of “good” and “harmful” bacteria that are normally found in a woman’s vagina. Having a new sex partner or multiple sex partners, as well as douching, can upset the balance of bacteria in the vagina. This places a woman at increased risk for getting BV.

We also do not know how sex contributes to BV. There is no research to show that treating a sex partner affects whether or not a woman gets BV. Having BV can increase your chances of getting other STDs.

BV rarely affects women who have never had sex.

You cannot get BV from toilet seats, bedding, or swimming pools."

Regards,
Maryann