Online trichomoniasis test referral · Australia-wide testing
FREEwith Medicare (bulk-billed)
A Specialist GP arranges your test over a quick phone call — they review your symptoms and send a referral by SMS for a NAAT on a swab or urine sample. Trich, BV and thrush can look alike, so a test confirms which one it is.
Book a telehealth consult — free with Medicare (bulk-billed)
Get tested at any pathology lab Australia-wide — simply walk in
Results by SMS in 2-3 days — telehealth treatment if positive
Trichomoniasis, commonly shortened to trich, is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a tiny parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. It’s one of the most common curable STIs worldwide, yet it’s also one of the least talked about — largely because most people who have it never develop symptoms and so never know.
Unlike bacterial infections such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis is a parasitic infection. That distinction matters mainly for one reason: it needs its own specific treatment, and it won’t be cleared by the treatment used for other STIs. The good news is that trichomoniasis is completely curable, usually with a single short course.
How trichomoniasis is spread
Trichomoniasis is passed on through sexual contact — most commonly vaginal sex, and through genital-to-genital contact. In women it typically infects the vagina, urethra and cervix; in men, usually the urethra. It can also be spread by sharing sex toys that haven’t been cleaned or covered.
It is not spread through casual contact — you can’t catch it from toilet seats, towels, swimming pools or hugging. Because it can persist for months or even longer without symptoms, a diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean recent infection, and it doesn’t necessarily say anything about when or from whom it was acquired. That’s a point worth keeping in mind, as trichomoniasis can otherwise cause unnecessary distress within relationships.
Trichomoniasis Symptoms in Men and Women
The most important fact about trichomoniasis symptoms is that most of the time, there aren’t any. The majority of people with trich have no symptoms whatsoever and feel entirely well, which is exactly why it so often goes undetected and continues to be passed on. When symptoms do occur, they differ somewhat between women and men.
Symptoms in women
Symptoms in men
Frothy, yellow-green or unusual discharge A strong or unpleasant vaginal odour Itching, soreness or redness around the genitals Burning or pain when passing urine Discomfort or pain during sex Lower abdominal discomfort
Discharge from the penis Burning or pain when passing urine Burning after ejaculation Irritation or soreness inside the penis Rarely, swelling or discomfort in the prostate area
Symptoms can come and go, which sometimes leads people to assume the problem has resolved on its own. It hasn’t — trichomoniasis does not clear without treatment, and the infection remains transmissible even when symptoms settle.
Commonly mistaken for something else. In women, the discharge and odour are often assumed to be thrush or bacterial vaginosis, and treated with the wrong remedy. In men, burning when passing urine is easily mistaken for a urinary tract infection or assumed to be chlamydia. If you’ve been treated for thrush, BV or a UTI and your symptoms haven’t resolved — or keep coming back — trichomoniasis is one of the possibilities that should be considered. Symptoms alone cannot reliably distinguish between these conditions; only a test can.
Trichomoniasis Testing
Testing for trichomoniasis is simple and takes only moments. It’s usually done using one of the following:
A swab — a vaginal swab in women, which can often be self-collected in private. This is the most sensitive approach.
A urine sample — commonly used in men, and sometimes in women.
The sample is tested using a modern molecular test (NAAT), which is highly accurate and far more reliable than the older microscopy methods once used. Results are typically available within a few days.
Trichomoniasis is not always included in a standard STI screen. Many routine screens cover chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV but do not automatically test for trich. If you have symptoms, or want it specifically checked, say so — it needs to be requested. A previous “all clear” STI screen does not necessarily rule out trichomoniasis.
Who should be tested?
Testing is worthwhile if you have any of the symptoms above, if a partner has been diagnosed with trichomoniasis, if you’ve been treated for thrush, BV or a UTI and symptoms persist or recur, if you have unexplained discharge, irritation or burning that hasn’t been diagnosed, if you’re pregnant and have symptoms, or if you’d simply like a complete picture alongside your routine screen.
How testing works with Clinic365
A Specialist GP reviews your symptoms over a quick phone call and sends your pathology referral by SMS. You walk into any pathology lab Australia-wide — no appointment needed — and results come back by SMS, usually in 2-3 days. If trichomoniasis is found, the Specialist GP calls you to arrange treatment and make sure partners are covered. You can also check for other infections at the same time with the full STI test.
Trichomoniasis Treatment, Partners and Retesting
Trichomoniasis is curable. Treatment is a specific antibiotic course that targets the parasite, and it’s highly effective — most people are cured with a single course. Your clinician will choose the appropriate regimen for you, taking into account any allergies, other medical conditions, and whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. A few practical points about treatment:
Complete the full course, even if symptoms settle quickly.
Avoid alcohol during treatment and for a period afterwards — your clinician will tell you how long, as the treatment used for trich can interact unpleasantly with alcohol.
Avoid sex until you and your partners have completed treatment and your clinician confirms it’s safe — usually about a week.
Treatment for other STIs won’t cure trich. Because it’s a parasite rather than a bacterium, it needs its own specific treatment.
Symptoms usually improve quickly once treatment starts. If they don’t, go back to your clinician — resistance to treatment is uncommon but does occur, and an alternative regimen can be used.
Partners must be treated too
This is the single most important thing to get right with trichomoniasis. Current sexual partners should be treated at the same time as you, whether or not they have symptoms and often without waiting for their own test result. If partners aren’t treated, reinfection is extremely likely — you’ll be cured, then re-acquire it from an untreated partner, and the cycle repeats. Because most people with trichomoniasis have no symptoms at all, a partner feeling perfectly well is not a reason to skip their treatment — it’s actually the most common scenario. Partner notification can be handled confidentially and, where preferred, anonymously.
Retesting and reinfection
Reinfection with trichomoniasis is common, largely because of untreated partners. For this reason, retesting around three months after treatment is often recommended, even if you feel completely well and your symptoms resolved. Having had trichomoniasis once gives you no immunity — you can catch it again immediately on re-exposure.
Why Treating Trichomoniasis Matters
It’s tempting to dismiss an infection that causes no symptoms, but untreated trichomoniasis carries real risks. It increases the risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV. In pregnancy, it’s associated with premature birth and low birth weight. It can contribute to inflammation of the reproductive tract, and in men it can cause inflammation of the urethra and prostate. Against all of that, the treatment is a short, simple, highly effective course. There’s no good reason to leave it untreated once it’s found — and the only way it gets found is by testing for it.
Preventing trichomoniasis
Condoms substantially reduce the risk of trichomoniasis, though they don’t eliminate it entirely, since the parasite can affect skin not covered by a condom. Cleaning or covering sex toys between uses and between partners also helps. Beyond that, regular STI testing — and making sure trichomoniasis is specifically included when you have symptoms — is the most reliable way to catch it, given how often it produces none at all.
Frequently asked questions
Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. It’s one of the most common curable STIs, but most people who have it never develop symptoms, so it often goes undetected. Because it’s a parasite rather than a bacterium, it needs its own specific treatment — and it’s completely curable.
Most people have none at all. When symptoms do occur, women may notice frothy yellow-green discharge, an unpleasant odour, itching or soreness, burning when passing urine, or discomfort during sex. Men may have discharge, burning when passing urine or after ejaculation, or irritation inside the penis. Symptoms can come and go, but the infection doesn’t clear by itself.
Often not. Many routine screens cover chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV but don’t automatically include trichomoniasis — it usually has to be specifically requested. If you have symptoms or want it checked, say so when booking. A previous clear STI screen does not necessarily rule out trich.
Testing uses a swab — a vaginal swab in women, often self-collected in private — or a urine sample, commonly used in men. The sample is analysed with a modern molecular test (NAAT), which is highly accurate. Results are usually available within a few days. Testing is quick and straightforward.
Yes, completely. Treatment is a specific antibiotic course that targets the parasite, and it’s highly effective — most people are cured with a single course. Complete the full course even if symptoms settle, and follow your clinician’s advice about avoiding alcohol during and shortly after treatment.
No. Trichomoniasis does not clear without treatment. Symptoms may come and go, which can make it seem as though the infection has resolved, but it persists and remains transmissible. It can last for months or longer if untreated, which is why testing and treatment matter even when you feel fine.
Yes — this is essential. Current partners should be treated at the same time as you, whether or not they have symptoms, and often without waiting for their own result. Most people with trich have no symptoms, so a partner feeling well is not a reason to skip treatment. Without it, reinfection is extremely likely.
You’ll be advised to avoid alcohol during treatment and for a period afterwards, because the treatment used for trichomoniasis can interact unpleasantly with alcohol, causing nausea, vomiting and flushing. Your clinician will tell you exactly how long to avoid it based on the regimen you’re given.
Wait until you and all partners have completed treatment and symptoms have resolved — usually about a week — and until your clinician confirms it’s safe. Resuming sex before partners are treated is the most common route to reinfection, which is why the timing matters.
It’s possible. Trich is commonly mistaken for thrush or bacterial vaginosis in women, and for a UTI or chlamydia in men. If you’ve been treated for one of those and symptoms persist or keep returning, trichomoniasis should be considered. Symptoms alone can’t reliably tell these conditions apart — only a test can.
Retesting around three months after treatment is often recommended, because reinfection is common — usually from an untreated partner. Having had trichomoniasis gives you no immunity, so you can catch it again straight away on re-exposure. Retesting is worthwhile even if you feel completely well.
Untreated trichomoniasis increases the risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV, is associated with premature birth and low birth weight in pregnancy, and can cause inflammation of the reproductive tract. Given that treatment is a short, simple and highly effective course, there’s no reason to leave it untreated once found.
It can. Trichomoniasis in pregnancy is associated with premature birth and low birth weight, so it’s worth testing if you have symptoms and treating if it’s found. Treatment options in pregnancy differ, so tell your clinician if you are or might be pregnant, and they’ll choose an appropriate regimen.
