Sexually transmitted diseases are a general term that refers to as many as twenty different illnesses. These are transmitted by sex - usually through the exchange of bodily fluids such as semen, vaginal fluid, and blood. STD's such as herpes, can be acquired by kissing or close contact with infected areas - not just intercourse. If left untreated, STD's can cause permanent damage that leaves you blind, brain-damaged, or sterile. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) disease, often leads to AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), which can cause death.
The most common STD's are chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea, genital warts, syphilis, hepatitis B, crabs, and trichomoniasis.
STD's can be prevented, most can be cured. They infect men, women, and children. Mothers can also give STD's to their babies. Anyone at any age can be a victim. It is not true that having had an STD once and having been cured, you will not get it again. This section will describe STD's and some simple steps for protection of both partners.
Who Gets STD's:
Anyone who has sex can get a sexually transmitted disease and millions do. More than 4 million people get chlamydia each year. Genital herpes affects an estimated 30 million Americans, with as many as 500,000 new cases reported each year. There are over 1 million cases of gonorrhea each year. And syphilis, once thought to be on the decline, has made a rising comeback in the last four years.
Chlamydia: - is one of the most common STD's in the United States today. Almost 5 million people are infected with this disease each year. Chlamydia is a germ that commonly infects the cervix and may spread to the uterus and the fallopian tubes.
How You Get It:
The disease is passed on through sex, including oral sex with an infected person. It is easier to get chlamydia if a condom is not used. Chlamydia often occurs with other STD's, especially gonorrhea.
How It Is Transmitted:
Chlamydia is transmitted by passing germs (bacteria) from one person to another when having sex.
What It Looks Like - What The Symptoms Are:
Chlamydia frequently doesn't cause any signs that are visible. Sometimes it does. Visible signs appear in 1 to 3 weeks after having sex with an infected person. Men may see a yellow discharge from the penis or a slight crusting at the tip of the penis. They can also experience severe burning during urination. Women may see a yellowish discharge from the vagina or feel pain in the stomach. Women can also experience severe burning during urination.
How You Get Tested For It:
A healthcare provider will collect a sample from the penis or vagina to be sent out for culture. This will take a few days. They will also use clinical indicators to determine if chlamydia exists. This will require an exam of the cervix or penis and indication of discharge.
Treatments:
Chlamydia is treatable and can be cured. Antibiotics will be given to kill the bacteria.
If Left Untreated:
Would result in serious infections. Women would be extremely vulnerable to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and possible sterility.
Prevention:
Use a condom and spermicide (nonoxynol-9).
CRABS: -cause itching which leads to scratching and inflammation. They attach themselves to pubic hairs with their claws and suck blood from the host into their digestive system. They also lay eggs on the hair shaft.
How You Get Them:
Crabs are transmitted by having sex with an infected partner. They are also spread by sharing clothes, sheets, or towels with an infected person.
How They Are Transmitted:
Crab lice jump from one person to another, usually during sex.
What They Look Like - What The Symptoms Are:
Crabs are one of three lice that infect the human body. They are very small insects that crawl around in the pubic areas. They can also be found in facial and body hair. Due to the severe itching they cause, they are often felt before they are seen. This itching can take up to 5 days before it is noticed. Sometimes the crabs and their nits (eggs) can be seen on the hair shafts.
How You Get Tested For Them:
A healthcare provider will examine the area where the itching is occurring. A closer study of the pubic hairs can show the presence of nits (eggs).
Treatments:
Crabs are very treatable. A healthcare provider will recommend a lotion or powder, normally a pediculocide, to eliminate them. Most of these products are available as non-prescription items. Remember, anyone is contagious until all crabs and their nits are eliminated.
If Left Untreated:
Left untreated, crabs will not go away. The itching will continue and as will the contagious condition to any partners. Excessive scratching may lead to a superinfection.
Prevention: Questioning or examination of a partner.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
How You Get It:
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is contracted by having sex with an infected partner. It is easier to get CMV if a condom is not being used. Children can get CMV through the air. The virus also lives in urine.
How It Is Transmitted:
The CMV virus is transmitted during sex from one person to another.
What It Looks Like - What The Symptoms Are:
CMV does not always cause symptoms that are noticeable. Fever, muscle ached, or a tired feeling may be noticed. In rare cases CMV can cause a lack of mobility in the arms or legs, swelling of the brain or heart, and a thinning of the blood (anemia). People with an impaired immune system may feel very fatigued, or have trouble breathing or seeing.
How To Get Tested For It:
A small amount of fluid or skin from the penis or vagina will be collected by a qualified medical professional and sent to a laboratory for examination. Another option is to take a blood sample and send it to the laboratory. Either method will take 2-3 days to get the results.
Treatments:
For people with normal immune systems, there are no current treatments available. For those with impaired immune systems, there are two possible treatments for retina infections. One of these two products has also shown some benefit in the treatment of CMV infections of the gastrointestinal tract and to a lesser degree, the lung.
What Will Happen To Those With CMV:
As with many viral infections, once infected with CMV, always infected. It also has periods of little to no viral activity and other periods of great viral activity. This is usually represented by symptoms that come and go in a normal, healthy person. For those with impaired immune systems, severs blood diseases, lung problems or even blindness can result from the infection. Unlike herpes, CMV can be passed on even in a stage of low viral activity.
Prevention:
A latex condom, preferably used with a spermicide, is the best protection against the spread of viral diseases.
GENITAL HERPES (HSV): -, usually HSV-2, is an infection caused by a virus. It belongs to a family of herpes viruses that cause chickenpox, cold sores, shingles, and mononucleosis. Once infected, herpes remains in the body for the life span of the host. HSV-2 is the cause of genital lesions in about 80-85% of all cases. The balance is caused by a related strain of HSV-1. This strain is usually found around the mouth (cold sores) and nose. Most cases of HSV-1 in the genital area come from oral-genital contact. Fortunately, both strains respond well to current treatments.
How You Get It:
Herpes is acquired by having sex or personal contact (kissing, touching, etc.) with an infected person. An infected person is contagious from the moment of prodrome (burning, pain, itching) until the sores are completely healed.
How It Is Transmitted:
Infection occurs when the virus passes through a break in the skin or penetrates the moist mucosal membranes of the penis, vagina, cervix, or anus.
What It Looks Like - What The Symptoms Are:
About 2-10 days after having sex with an infected partner, flu-like symptoms such as swollen glands, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and nausea may appear. Early symptoms (prodrome) include a burning sensation when urinating; pain in the buttocks, legs or genital area; a feeling of pressure in the genital area; or a discharge from the vagina. Sores appear as a small, fluid-filled blisters on the genitals, buttocks, or other infected areas. Later these blisters will dry-out, crust over, and heal.
The first bout can last up to three weeks. About 90% of those infected will have recurrence at some time. The rate of recurrence varies greatly for each infected
person. Recurrences in a normal host normally last about a week.
How To Get Tested For It:
A qualified medical professional will collect a small sample of fluid from one of the lesions and send it to a laboratory for a viral culture. The results can take up to two weeks. It is very difficult to test for HSV if there are no lesions present and is most effective early in the outbreak.
Treatments:
Herpes cannot be cured but it can be treated. Antiviral capsules or ointment can shorten the length of the outbreak and make the sores less painful. If you have frequent repeat outbreaks, your healthcare provider can work out a specific daily regimen to reduce or eliminate them completely. Keep all lesions clean and dry, and avoid tight fitting clothes.
If Left Untreated:
Once infected, the symptoms may go away, but they can come back. If left untreated, recurrences will last longer and have more discomfort. As with any virus, even when less active it is possible to transmit the virus to a partner.
Prevention:
Abstain from sex during infectious periods (outbreaks). Wear protection in the form of latex condoms. If there are any lesions or scabs present, avoid any contact.
Genital warts: - are caused by the human papilomavirus (HPV). There are many types of HPV. Those that cause condyloma are different from those that cause common warts on the hands or feet.
How You Get It:
Genital warts are passed on during sexual intercourse - genital, oral, or anal, with an infected person. It is easier to get condyloma if a condom is not used.
How It Is Transmitted:
Genital warts are transmitted when the virus is passed from one partner to another during sex.
What They Look Like - What The Symptoms Are:
Genital warts do not always cause signs that are visible. When it does, they are noticeable 3 days to 3 weeks after infection. It takes years for signs to show up in some people. Warts can appear in clusters or as one or two small bumps. In women, warts can be present in the vulva, perineum, cervix, vagina, or anus. In men, warts usually appear on the penis and are sometimes found on the scrotum.
How To Get Tested For It:
A qualified medical professional will look at the genital area. They can also check areas that are not easily visible, especially in the woman. For example, they can retrieve a sample of cells from the cervix to examine for the virus or use a colposcope, a magnifying instrument, to look directly in the vagina and cervix.
Treatments:
There are many different treatments available today. Most have a success rate of better than 80%. Warts can now be removed through a variety of surgical procedures like laser, cold steel, and hot cautery. There are also a number of applied treatments like caustic agents TCA and BCA, podophyllin resin, and podofilox solution. Some warts do return and may require further treatment. Always have the partner examined by a healthcare professional to prevent reinfection.
If Left Untreated:
The HPV virus remains in the body and can cause warts at any time. Left untreated, these warts can become large and difficult to treat. Certain types of warts have been linked changes in tissues that could lead to cancer. During pregnancy, genital warts can grow very quickly and can even interfere with a normal vaginal delivery. As with any virus, the risk of passing condyloma on to a partner is always present.
Prevention:
Avoid sexual contact until all warts are gone. Wearing protection in the form of a latex condom or abstinence.
Gonorrhea:- is a very common STD. It is caused by a germ that grows quickly in the warm, moist areas of the body. The most common place it is found is in the cervix. It can also occur in the mouth, throat, rectum, and urinary tract.
How To Get It:
The disease is passed on through sex with an infected person. It is easier to get gonorrhea if a condom is not used.
How It Is Transmitted:
Gonorrhea is transmitted by passing germs (bacteria) from one person to another when having sex.
What It Looks Like - What The Symptoms Are:
Visible signs of gonorrhea usually appear within 2 to 10 days after infection. Men may see a yellowish discharge from the penis and a burning sensation when urinating. Women may see a yellowish discharge from the vagina and have a burning sensation when urinating. Later difficulties are bleeding between periods, swollen joints, fever, or pain in the pelvic area.
How You Get Tested For It:
A health care provider will collect a fluid sample from the penis or vagina to be sent to a laboratory for a culture. This will take a few days for the results.
Treatments:
Gonorrhea is treatable and can be cured. Antibiotics, in the form of an injection or pills, will be given to kill the bacteria. Follow the dosing instructions thoroughly.
If Left Untreated:
Would result in serious infections. Women would be extremely vulnerable to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and possible sterility.
Prevention:
Use a condom and spermicide (nonoxynol-9)
Hepatitis B virus (HBV): - is a widely distributed pathogen that is able to produce both acute and chronic infections.
How You Get It:
The disease is passed by having sex with an infected person. It can also be contracted through contaminated blood. Practices such as sharing needles during drug use increase the risk of contracting HBV. It is easier to get hepatitis if a condom is not used.
How It Is Transmitted:
Hepatitis B is transmitted during sex with an infected partner or when sharing needles during drug use.
What It Looks Like - What The Symptoms Are:
All signs of hepatitis B are related to liver dysfunction, which is what the virus causes. The signs include loss of appetite, weakness, nausea, vomiting, pain in the stomach, and a yellowing of the skin or the white part of the eye. Some of these signs are also signs of other diseases. Therefore, having any of these should be sufficient reason to see a qualified medical professional.
How To Get Tested For It:
A healthcare professional will take a blood sample and send it to a laboratory. The results can take up to two weeks to return.
Treatments:
Hepatitis B can be treated, but there is no current cure for it. An intramuscular injection is given to control damage to the liver and control the disease.
If Left Untreated:
Serious liver damage.
Prevention:
Avoid or eliminate high-risk behavior (shared needles during drug use). Consider vaccination.
Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV disease: -, is a spectrum of illnesses caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The disease was first recognized in the very early 1980's. HIV disease represents a potential threat to everyone - men, women, and children. The number of deaths, people with symptoms, and people infected, continues to climb at an alarming rate. From the beginning of the epidemic people of all sexes, ages, and backgrounds have been affected.
Very simply, HIV destroys the body's immune system over a period of time by killing the white cells that to respond to and destroy other infections. As people with HIV progress in their disease, they have less and less ability to fend off these infections or cancers. Most people who die from this disease succumb to one of these other infections.
How You Get It:
The disease is passed on through unprotected sex with an infected partner. Any potential blood contact with an infected person (shared drug needles, anal sex) increases the risk potential dramatically.
How It Is Transmitted:
Infection occurs when the virus is passed from an infected partner during sex or when needles are shared during drug use. The virus passes through a break in the skin or penetrates the moist mucosal membranes of the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, or oral cavities.
What It Looks Like - What Are The Symptoms:
HIV is unique because it often presents with no symptoms for an extended period of time after infection. A person could be infected with HIV, not feel sick, and not be aware of the danger they present to themselves and others. This period of asymptomatic (no symptoms) infection can last years.
When HIV symptoms do present, they come in many forms. Some are related to HIV infection while others are due to infections attacking the body in its weakened state. Therefore, any combination of symptoms may appear and should be reason to seek qualified medical attention immediately. Some of the symptoms are: Lumps in the armpits, neck or groin; purple spots on the skin; purplish raised bumps on the skin; skin rashes, boils, or sores; growths beneath the skin; growths on the skin that line the mouth, nasal passages, anus, vagina, or inside the eyelids; a heavy white coating of the tongue (thrush); shingles; unexplained weight loss; fever or night sweats; ongoing dry cough or shortness of breath; persistent diarrhea; bleeding without cause from any body opening; being tired, dizzy, or faint frequently; difficulty swallowing; difficulty with urination or bowel movements; persistent pain; memory loss, blurred vision, and changes in hearing, smell, or taste.
In the later stages of disease, patients suffer a range of rare and unique infections. These include PCP (a form of pneumonia), Kaposi's sarcoma (a form of skin cancer), and cytomegalovirus (CMV). These infections are very debilitating, can recur, and often cause death.
How You Get Tested For It:
A qualified medical professional will take a blood sample and send it to a laboratory for one of two tests, the Western Blot test or the ELISA test. These tests are often done sequentially to verify the previous readings. In most cases the results are returned in about three days but it can take up to two weeks. The test can be done in a physician's office, a local clinic, or a specific testing center. These can be found in the local phone book.
There are two ways to be tested, anonymously or confidentially. Anonymous testing does not require a name. The patient is given a number for follow-up and test results. Confidential testing requires a name, but results and information is not to be given out without the patients consent. Some states, not all, offer both types of testing. Check with a local hotline or medical society to find out what is available in your area.
Treatments:
There are a number of antiviral drugs available to slow the progression (increase of virus in the body) of the disease. These can be used alone or in combination. A healthcare provider can optimize a plan to meet each person’s specific needs. There are also a growing number of therapies available to combat the other infections that attack the body.
If Left Untreated:
The disease can progress faster and the patient is more likely to experience other infections sooner.
Prevention:
To find out more about the HIV disease, contact a qualified medical professional; a local AIDS Support Organization (ASO); or other qualified person. If in doubt about a partner, assume that protection is required. Condoms have demonstrated an ability to reduce the transmission of the HIV virus when used properly.
Syphilis:- is a chronic infectious disease.
How You Get It:
The disease is transmitted by having sex with an infected partner. It is easier to get syphilis if a condom is not used.
How It Is Transmitted:
Syphilis is transmitted by passing germs (bacteria) from one person to another when having sex. Other potential routes of transmission include contaminated blood (shared needles) and mother to baby transmission.
What It Looks Like - What The Symptoms Are:
Patients with untreated syphilis are classified in a series of stages. The primary stage begins immediately after exposure. The first symptom usually occurs 1 to 12 weeks after infection and is defined by the presence of a chancre. The sore usually develops at the site of initial lesion contact. This could be on the external genitals but may develop inside the vagina, rectum, mouth, or throat and may go unnoticed. The sore will go away on its own but the disease process continues.
Secondary syphilis usually occurs 4 to 10 weeks after the chancre appears. At this time a number of obvious clinical signs become apparent. A skin rash develops and may cover a few areas or the entire body. Flu-like symptoms also frequently occur at or about the same time. Again, these symptoms will disappear but the disease remains. Many people now move to a latent period where no symptoms are apparent. This is followed by tertiary syphilis, which can end in death.
How You Get Tested For It:
A healthcare provider will take a sample of skin or fluid from the genital area to determine if there is early stage (primary or secondary) disease. To test for disease further along, a blood test will be required. It usually takes a few days for the results to return.
Treatments:
Syphilis is treatable and curable, most easily in the early stages by penicillin shots.
If Left Untreated:
Untreated syphilis can lead to blindness, heart disease, brain damage, and death.
Prevention:
The regular use of condoms reduces the transmission of syphilis.rs, see section on Safe Sex.
Trichomoniasis .
How You Get It:
Trichomoniasis is passed on through sex with an infected partner. It is easier to get trichomoniasis if a condom is not used.
How It Is Transmitted:
Trichomoniasis is transmitted by passing germs (protozoa) from one person to another when having sex.
Itching in and around the vagina along with a deep red-colored rash are signs of trichomoniasis. Women also may see a gray discharge, a frothy-yellowish discharge, or a slightly bloody discharge from the vagina. Women can range from no symptoms to a severe inflammatory disease. For women, symptoms of acute trichomoniasis often occur during or immediately menstruation. Men may show a similar discharge in about half of the cases but often have no symptoms. The incubation period has been estimated between 3 to 28 days after initial infection.
How You Get Tested For It:
A healthcare provider will collect fluids from the genital area for women and take a urine test from men. These are sent to a laboratory for examination. It usually takes a few days to get the results back.
Treatments:
Trichomoniasis is treatable and curable. A seven-day regimen of pills provides a 95% cure rate.
Prevention:
The regular use of a condom reduces the transmission of trichomoniasis.
CONCLUSION
Only a qualified medical professional can identify and treat a sexually transmitted disease. The information provided in this section only serves as a general guideline. Your healthcare professional must decide whether a symptom indicates the presence of an STD, and which one. Do not attempt to make this decision alone. Waiting to seek guidance and treatment can also be detrimental. Since many STD's are treatable, the sooner they are identified, the easier it is to effectively treat the disease with the least amount of damage to your body. Also remember that there is always a partner that will require treatment. Without it, reinfections and new infections will continue to rise.
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