Trichomonas Medication for Men

QUESTION: My partner has just seen her gynecologist and been diagnosed as
having trichomonas. She is being treated with medication now, but her doctor
wants me to take medication as well, despite the fact that I have no symptoms.
I thought I would check with you first. What is your advice?
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ANSWER: Your partner's doctor's advice comes right out of the book, and I
agree 100%. Trichomonas vaginalis is common in women, and can be identified
in from 20 to 50 percent of all women treated at clinics for sexually
transmitted diseases. However, half of those women have no symptoms either.
We know that men can be infected with the same organism, and when we examine
the male partners of women with trichomonas infection, we can find the germ up
to 60% of the time. That means there is the possibility of real trouble down
the road, with symptoms of urethral discharge, painful and frequent urination,
followed by the complication of an infection of the prostate. Treatment for
asymptomatic men can consist of a single 2 gram dose of metronidazole, which
will not only clear up your infection, but prevent you from reinfecting your
partner as well. If you delay treatment until symptoms appear, you should
take 250-500 mg three times daily for ten to 14 days. Have a doctor supervise
your course of treatment.