Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Should the kids get tested for trichomonas as well?!

A friend and her two children have been staying with me for a week. I have soaked in the tub off and on, and she bathes the children starting out with plain warm water, which then gets soapy during the bath. I was diagnosed with Trichomonas a couple of days ago and am worried that the parasite could survive in my tub and it could have transferred to her children during their bath. Her children are ages 3 and 4. I feel awful. Do they need to get tested now?
Best Answer
Avatar universal
Hi If you read up about this, you will find that the bug will live in bath water that you were in an could live on if the bath was not washed out, and the next thing would be how long between you and them being in it.
But on the safe, yes I think they should be tested, and if your friend used it as well, her to.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck
7 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
i was just diagnosed with this today. I'm not sure how long I've had it. My 7 year old daughter sometimes mistakenly uses my wash cloth instead of hers within about a half hour of me using it. Should she be tested as well?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Mal So sorry for not getting back to you sooner, some how we must have passed like ships in the night.
But so glad that you have sorted things out.
Be safe.
Good Luck
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
There is no reason for the kids to be tested.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Even though it is possible to get this in water, it is usually only passsed through direct contact like being in the tub directly with them.  Also if you share the rag with them genital to genital type use.  The real risks are with these.  The bug is very fragile and dies on the microscope exam in less than ten minutes outside the body so there is very rare of a chance that what you described would be an issue.  If they have symptoms or issues then Id worry about it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
NOHARD,

Well, it seems like the parasite can only live up to 45 minutes in moist areas, and her children always bathed 12+ hours after me, in the morning, while I bathed at night. So they could not have been affected. Thank you however. I found the information on:

http://www.indmedica.com/journals.php?journalid=3&issueid=124&articleid=1649&action=article

"However, there are other proved or possible methods of spread. Trichomonas can thrive in moisture; thus it can survive up to 45 minutes in wet (soiled) clothes, bath water and on toilet seats13. Thus, although trichomonas is recognized as a veneral urogenital infection, nonveneral transmission may occur. Cases in sexually mature virgins through fomites, though rare, is reported.13-17 Perinatal tramsission occurs up to 5% of female children of infected mothers18,19."

The U.S. CDC should know about this because they advised me completely wrong and basically blew me off, condescendingly saying sexually transmitted diseases and parasites are only transmitted via sex.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
That's what I was worried about NOHARD. The U.S. Center for Disease Control also wrote back to me, saying the parasite is usually only transmittable by sex and cannot survive for long outside of the body. The letter seemed to emphasize that no testing was needed for the children. However, I have heard other reports about people recontracting the parasite if they haven't washed all of their "sex toys" properly. I don't have sex toys, but that got me to thinking that it could survive in the bath tub. I will begrudgingly relay this to my friend. Thanks.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Sexual Health Community

Top Sexual Health Answerers
139792 tn?1498585650
Indore, India
Avatar universal
st. louis, MO
Avatar universal
Southwest , MI
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
Discharge often isn't normal, and could mean an infection or an STD.
STDs aren't transmitted through clothing. Fabric is a germ barrier.
Normal vaginal discharge varies in color, smell, texture and amount.