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Blood Test Tracker

Trichomonas vaginalis NAAT

A test that looks for the genetic material of Trichomonas vaginalis, the parasite behind trichomoniasis, a common and curable sexually transmitted infection.

AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert reviewAlso called TV, T. vaginalis, TV NAATLOINC 70167-2

What it is

Trichomoniasis is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by a tiny parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. This test is a nucleic acid amplification test, or NAAT. It finds small amounts of the parasite's genetic material in a sample, often first-catch urine, and prints the result as detected or not detected. The same kind of test is also done on swabs from the vagina or cervix. NAATs find more infections than looking at a sample under a microscope.

Why it matters

Most people with trichomoniasis have few or no symptoms, so a test is often the only way to know. CDC figures put the share with minimal or no symptoms at 70 to 85%. Untreated infection is linked to a higher chance of getting or passing on HIV, and in pregnancy to early delivery and low birth weight. It can be cured with prescription treatment, and partners need treatment at the same time so it is not passed back and forth.

If it’s high

Detected means the test found genetic material from Trichomonas vaginalis in your sample. This is most often linked to a current trichomoniasis infection, which can be treated. No test is perfect, so your clinician will look at the result along with your symptoms, your partners and how recently you were treated.

Common causes

  • A current trichomoniasis infection, often with no symptoms
  • Getting infected again after treatment, which is common (about 1 in 5 people within 3 months, according to the CDC)
  • Testing less than 3 weeks after finishing treatment, when leftover genetic material can still be detected
  • A false-positive result, which can happen with any test

What can help

  • Talk with your clinician soon about treatment, since trichomoniasis can be cured
  • Ask which current partners should be treated at the same time
  • Ask when it is safe to have sex again. CDC advises waiting until you and your partners have finished treatment and any symptoms have gone
  • Ask about retesting in about 3 months

What can affect your result

  • How the sample is collected: a first-catch sample works best, and a larger or later part of the stream can dilute it
  • Timing after treatment: testing within 3 weeks of finishing treatment can be falsely positive
  • Sample type: vaginal swabs and urine are accepted for women, and some labs also use urine or urethral swabs for men
  • Test method: labs use different NAATs, and not every one is FDA-cleared for male urine
  • Site tested: urine does not check other sites such as the rectum or throat
  • Collecting more than the first part of the stream can dilute the sample and lower the chance of detecting the parasite (Labcorp).
  • Testing less than 3 weeks after finishing treatment can give a positive result from leftover genetic material that is not clinically relevant (CDC).
  • Not every test is FDA-cleared for urine from men, so a lab may need to validate its own method first. Ask your lab which method it uses (CDC).
  • A urine sample checks the urinary and genital tract only. Other sites need a swab from that site.

A first-catch urine sample is used, which means the first 20 to 30 mL of the stream. Labcorp asks you not to urinate for at least 1 hour before collecting it, and women are asked not to cleanse the labial area first. Follow the instructions your lab gives you. The result shows whether the parasite's genetic material was present on the day of the sample. After treatment, leftover material can still be detected for a short time, so CDC advises waiting at least 3 weeks before retesting with a NAAT.

When to talk to a clinician

See a clinician soon if you have unusual vaginal or penile discharge, itching, burning when you pass urine or pain during sex, even if a test was negative, because a test reflects only the sample you gave. If you are pregnant and test positive, ask about treatment and follow-up. Seek urgent care for severe lower belly pain or fever.

Questions you could ask

  • How often should I be screened, given my age and situation?
  • Which sample types and test methods does my lab use for trichomonas?
  • Which of my current partners should be treated at the same time?
  • When should I be retested?
  • Should I also be tested for other infections?

Questions people ask

Why might I be asked to test again after treatment?

CDC advises retesting women about 3 months after treatment because getting infected again is common. A test taken within 3 weeks of finishing treatment can come back positive because of leftover genetic material, so it is usually not done that soon.

Can a urine test find trichomonas in men?

Often, but not every NAAT is approved for male urine. Some labs check their own method before using it. If you are a man and your result is unexpected, ask your clinician which test your lab used.

What does a not detected result mean?

It means no Trichomonas genetic material was found in that sample. It does not cover infections picked up since the test, and this result alone does not cover other infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea or HIV.

Show the science and sources

For clinicians and researchers

NAATs amplify T. vaginalis nucleic acid and are the tests CDC (2021) prefers because of superior sensitivity. FDA-cleared assays named by CDC include Aptima T. vaginalis (sensitivity 95.3 to 100%, specificity 95.2 to 100%), BD ProbeTec TV Qx (98.3% and 99.6%) and Xpert TV (99.5 to 100% and 99.4 to 99.9%). Wet mount microscopy has a sensitivity of 44 to 68% compared with culture, and culture itself is 44 to 75%. For women, accepted samples are vaginal or endocervical swabs, urine and liquid Pap specimens. The Aptima assay is not FDA-cleared for men and should be validated in-house under CLIA before use with male urine or urethral swabs, while Xpert TV is cleared for male urine. If a NAAT is used after treatment, CDC says not to do it sooner than 3 weeks after completion because of residual nucleic acid. Labcorp's combined chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas and M. genitalium urine NAA (test 180045) uses first-catch urine in an Aptima transport tube (20 to 30 mL collected, about 2 mL submitted) and reports the T. vaginalis result ('Trich vag by NAA') under LOINC 70167-2. Annual screening is recommended for asymptomatic women with HIV and may be considered in high-prevalence settings.

LOINC 70167-2 (primary), 92685-7, 70165-6, 46154-1. Specimen: urine.

Sources

  1. Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021: Trichomoniasis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021)
  2. About Trichomoniasis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  3. Trichomoniasis Test, MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
  4. Chlamydia/Gonococcus/Trichomonas vaginalis/Mycoplasma genitalium, NAA, Urine (test 180045), Labcorp
  5. LOINC codes verified with the NLM Clinical Tables LOINC search (e.g. 70167-2), U.S. National Library of Medicine

AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert review. Last reviewed 2026-10-03. How we build and check these pages.

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