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Scientists might have found cure for trichomoniasis, an STI youve never heard of
A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health has sparked new hope for curing trichomoniasis, a very common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that often flies under the radar.
Scientists, researchers, and visionaries are working nonstop to provide better treatment options and even cures for some of the world’s biggest health issues. Only this week, scientists discovered new hope for a diabetes cure and a potential avenue to explore on the road to a cancer vaccine.
The STI can infect 156 million people annually
Researchers at Tulane University are leading the charge against trichomoniasis after a $9.2 million cash injection from the National Institutes of Health. The hope is to compare a newly approved medication, secnidazole, with the age-old treatment plan of metronidazole.
More than 10 percent of people who take the recommended treatment still have it. That is just unacceptable. We need better options said Dr. Patty Kissinger, professor of epidemiology at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. The problem is trichomoniasis is the most common treatable STI, but there are often no symptoms, and the CDC has not recommended screening among asymptomatic people, so the public doesnt know about it.
Using a data set of 1,200 people from Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida, the scientists hoped to break the 10% breakthrough rate of metronidazole with the new golden drug.
So far, the National Institutes of Health have funded three separate studies centered around Trichomoniasis. The Deep South is of particular interest where the STI is most prevalent.
Trichomoniasis can be dangerous for pregnant women
Trichomoniasis affects 156 million people annually, and yet, it’s relatively unknown in comparison to other STIs like HPV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, and Syphilis. Because there is a glaring lack of regular screening, the STI can go undiagnosed for years.
Symptoms can include discomfort in the genital regions, itching, pain when urinating, and potentially discolored vaginal discharge.
The parasite is present in both the genital tracts of men and women, with those diagnosed 1.5 times more susceptible to HIV.
The STI is particularly dangerous for pregnant women who can experience pre-term birth and even infant death. Black women are four times more likely to have trichomoniasis.
