I have two questions. I just got tested and tested positive for trichomonas. I have been with the same person for over a year and have been faithful and they have too. I have been tested before as well as my partner and we have never tested positive for anything. Is it possible to get trichomonas without having sex? and can a std test show up negative and me have it?

Although it may theoretically be possible to contract trichomoniasis (caused by the protozoa Trichomonas vaginalis) without having sex, it is by far more likely to have contracted the disease sexually (with the partner conveniently “forgetting” about having the disease or a previous sexual encounter). In other words, trichomoniasis is defined as a sexually transmitted infection.

Trichomoniasis is suspected in female patients with malodorous vaginal discharge, vaginal irritation, or vulvar itching. The standard tests include vaginal swab microscopy (which can visualize the organism 60-70%) and vaginal cultures (which can detect the organism 95% of the time). Much rarer are PCR tests for trichomonas which can detect the organisms proteins 84% of the time.

Therefore, it is possible to have tested negative for trichomonas and still have it. However, it is much more likely that the disease was acquired sexually since you last tested negative.