Cancer warning over 'most common STI you've never heard of' trends now Gonorrhoea, chlamydia, HIV, these are the sexually transmitted infection (STI) people know to to do their utmost to avoid. But scientists say a common but symptomless STI that most people have never heard of may increase the risk of a certain type of cancer risk by up to 80 per cent. Called trichomonas vaginalis, or trich, this parasite is considered one of the most common STIs on the planet, infecting around 180million people each year. While it can cause nasty problems like discharge from the genitals, pain and swelling while peeing, and itchiness around eight out of 10 people experience zero signs that they are infected. But a new study suggests it could be a silent killer for women by potentially increasing their risk of developing cervical cancer by 79 per cent. You may never heard of trich, but scientists say data suggests an infection of common, but frequently symptomless parasite, could increase the risk of cervical cancer in women by 80 per cent The vast majority of cervical cancers (99.8 per cent) are caused by an infection with certain types of a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). Hungarian researchers theorised that trich could create conditions inside the vagina favourable to HPV, and therefore cervical cancer. To test their theory, the team analysed data from almost half-a-million women from around the world in what they said was the first large-scale study of its kind. Publishing their findings in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics they found of the more than 473,000 women sampled from global research conducted over the past 15 years, 8,518 had trich. Scientists found women with trich were found to have a 79 per cent higher risk of having HPV compared to those who didn't, increasing their risk of cervical cancer. Lead author of the study Dr Balázs Hamar, an expert in obstetrics and gynaecology at Semmelweis University in Budapest, said: 'This is because the infection causes the inflammation and abruption of the cervical epithelium/cervix providing a favourable environment for pathogens such as HPV.' A smaller sub-section of the study looking at cervical cancer cases and trich directly (600 women) and found those with the STI were five times as likely to get the disease than those who didn't. For those who also had HPV and trich infection at the same time (1,811 women) their risk of having cervical cancer was three times higher than those who had HPV alone. While the authors said 90 per cent of HPV cases will clear up on their own, the risk of developing cancer from an infection rises after the age of 30 with other factors, like smoking or having a weakened immune system also contributing to the risk. Dr Hamar added their results suggest any women found to have trich during an STI check should also be recommended to get an HPV screening. Women across the study had an average age of 37 and came from Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. NHS data shows take-up of cervical cancer screening has been on the overall decline for year and has now reached a record low of 69.9 per cent The study has some limitations, which the authors acknowledged. As all women were screened simultaneously for trich, HPV and cervical cancer how the parasite exactly could contribute to the development of the disease over time was unclear, the authors said. They called for further research into trich and cervical cancer risk to be conducted. While trich is tricky to diagnose due to its subtle symptoms, US scientists recently developed a cheap and easy to use finger prick test that can help detect the infection. Trich is mainly passed between people via unprotected sex or through sharing sex toys. The STI is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms can be so subtle or even non-existent in some people. If it is diagnosed patients are usually prescribed antibiotics which clears up the infection quickly. About 850 women in the UK die from cervical cancer each year. While preventing the disease has come leaps and bounds thanks to the HPV vaccine and regular smear tests, 3,000 cases still occur each year. What are the symptoms of trichomoniasis? Trichmoniasis can be difficult to diagnose as the majority of cases are asymptomatic. And symptoms that do present, are similar to those of other STIs. The NHS says you should visit a sexual health clinic if you think you have trichomoniasis. What are the symptoms? For women: Abnormal vaginal discharge that may be thick, thin or frothy and yellow-green in colour. Producing more discharge than normal, which may also have an unpleasant fishy smell. Soreness, swelling and itching around the vagina – sometimes the inner thighs also become itchy. Pain or discomfort when passing urine or having sex. For men: Pain when peeing or during ejaculation. Needing to pee more frequently than usual. Thin, white discharge from the penis. Soreness, swelling and redness around the head of the penis or foreskin. Source: NHS All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility