The STD Black Women Don’t Talk About (But Should)

Trichomonas is a protozoan, or a single-celled parasite, that thrives in the moist environment of the vagina. It is an extremely common STD, affecting approximately nearly one out of every 10 women in the U.S. Trichomonas is an extremely contagious STD and often women have the infection for several months before symptoms develop. There are more than 3 million cases in the U.S. every year. The most common symptom of trichomonas is copious, frothy vaginal discharge that is often so heavy a panty liner is needed. This is that “my-panty-liner-can’t-hold-it-when-I-stand-up-it-runs-down-my-leg” kind of discharge. Some women even think their water was broken only to get the unfortunate diagnosis of trichomonas. READ: Decoding Your Vaginal Discharge Color Sometimes the discharge is white but can also be a yellow-green color. Trichomonas won’t kill you, but it can cause other symptoms besides gross discharge. Symptoms include: painful urination pelvic cramping bleeding after sex So if it’s so common, why aren’t people talking about it? There are a large number of people who have trichomoniasis and do not understand their symptoms. It has also been associated with infertility and an increased risk of contracting HIV. In pregnancy, it has been associated with preterm delivery and...