Is it possible for a trich infection to be dormant six years and then become infectious? How long is the incubation period?

Cris

By "trich," I assume you mean "trichomoniasis," an infection of the female and sometimes male genitals. This infection is caused by microscopic organisms called protozoa. There may be no symptoms at all, or women may have a vaginal discharge and men may have irritation of the penis. The infection is generally transmitted through sexual contact, but in many cases it is acquired through contact with inanimate objects that can transmit infection. These objects, called fomites, include such things as moist, used towels.

The incubation period of the disease is thought to be from about one to four weeks. This is only a rough estimate because of the difficulty of studying such an infection.

Trichomoniasis generally does not persist after it is treated with an antibiotic. It can, however, undergo "ping-pong" transmission. This means that if a woman is treated but her partner is not, he can pass the same infection back to her again and again until both members of the couple are treated.

So trich does not really become dormant. Because it is such a common illness that can be transmitted so easily, it is far more likely that someone developing trich got it from a recent encounter rather than from an infection six years before.