Sexually Transmitted Diseases In the June 15th 1994 issue of Patient Care, a case study of a 35-year-old man who experiences painful urination is presented. Questioning revealed the patient had previouslybeen treated several times for sexually transmitted diseases, most recently for trichomonasvaginitis. He suffered from it again. The patient was evaluated at a medical institution at which time a urethral smearshowed leukocytosis without intracellular diplococci and a urethral culture was negativefor Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The patient referred a female sex partner to us for evaluation.Positive cultures of vaginal secretions and first-voided urine confirmed that she had T.vaginalis infection. Tests were negative for other STDs. Both the patient and his sexpartner were treated with a single dose of metronidazole. At three-week follow-up, thepatient was asymptomatic; his partner did not return for reevaluation (Krieger, 1994).Finally, the article suggested that the patient's sex partners undergo appropriateevaluation, preferably at a medical institution. Sex partners of individuals with an STD areat risk for contracting the condition, and, although STDs may not produce symptoms,such infections place patients at risk for serious complications such as pelvic inflammatorydisease and infertility. ...
