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Chlamydia
Even though symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent, serious
complications that cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can
occur "silently" before a woman ever recognizes a problem.
· Most frequently reported bacterial STD in the U.S. (an estimated 2.8
million Americans are infected with chlamydia each year).
· Transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, as well as passed from
an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth (can get in
baby's eyes and respiratory tract).
· Known as a "silent" disease because most people have no symptoms.
When they do occur, female symptoms may include abnormal vaginal
discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. Male symptoms may
include a discharge from their penis or a burning sensation when
urinating and/or burning and itching around the opening of the penis.
· Can also be found in the throats of women and men having oral sex
with an infected partner.
· Untreated infection can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes
and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) 40% of the time.
· Women infected are up to five times more likely to become infected
with HIV, if exposed.
· Treated and cured with antibiotics.
· The surest way to avoid transmission is to abstain from sexual
activity until marriage.
Gonorrhea
· Very common STD (estimated that more than 700,000 persons in the
U.S. get a new infection each year).
· Spread through contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus, and
from mother to baby during delivery (causing blindness, joint infection,
or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby).
· Most people have no symptoms. However, male symptoms may include
a burning sensation when urinating; a white, yellow, or green
discharge from the penis; and/or painful or swollen testicles. Female
symptoms may include a painful or burning sensation when urinating,
increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods.
· If untreated, serious and permanent health problems in both women
and men can result: pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (in women), and
a painful condition of the testicles that can lead to infertility (in men).
Gonorrhea can also spread to the blood or joints and can be life-
threatening.
· Those infected can more easily contract HIV.
· Treated and cured with antibiotics. However, drug-resistant strains
are increasing and successful treatment is becoming difficult.
Medicines do not repair any permanent damage done by the disease.
· The surest way to avoid transmission is to abstain from sexual activity
until marriage.
Syphilis
Syphilis has often been called "the great imitator" because so many of
the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other
diseases.
· Spread through direct contact with a syphilis sore, such as occurring
on the external genitals, vagina, anus, in the rectum, or on the lips
and in the mouth. Sores are often unrecognized or hidden, and so
many are not aware of their own infection.
· Progression of Syphilis:
o Primary Stage: Usually marked by the appearance of a single or
multiple sores (chancres) several weeks after getting the
infection.
Chancre lasts 3 to 6 weeks and then appears to heal.
o Secondary Stage: Skin rash on one or more areas of the body
(may resemble rashes caused by other diseases or be so faint
that they are not noticed). Other symptoms may include fever,
swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches,
weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue. Again, this stage appears
to heal on its own.
o Late Stage: Symptoms include difficulty coordinating muscle
movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and
dementia. Damage to the internal organs, including brain, nerves,
eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints may occur.
This may happen years after infected. This damage may be
serious enough to cause death.
· Untreated syphilis in a pregnant woman can infect (causing
developmental delay or seizures) and possibly kill (before or after birth)
the baby.
· 2-5 times increased risk of acquiring HIV.
· Treated with penicillin or other antibiotics. This will not repair damage
already done.
· Can be transmitted by areas not covered by condom.
· The surest way to avoid transmission is to abstain from sexual activity
until marriage.
Human Papillomavirus
· 20 million Americans are currently infected and 6.2 million get a new
genital HPV infection each year.
· Most have no signs or symptoms; therefore, most infected persons
are unaware they are infected, yet they can transmit the virus to a
sex partner.
· Some people get visible genital warts (flesh-colored swellings, raised
flat, or cauliflower shaped) , or have pre-cancerous changes in the
cervix, vulva, anus, or penis. Most women are diagnosed with HPV on
the basis of abnormal Pap tests, the primary cancer-screening tool
for cervical cancer. No HPV tests are available for men.
· There is no "cure" for HPV infection, although in most women the
infection goes away on its own. The treatments provided are directed
to the changes in the skin or mucous membrane caused by HPV
infection, such as warts and pre-cancerous changes in the cervix.
· Can be transmitted "skin-to-skin" by areas not covered by condom.
· The surest way to avoid transmission is to abstain from sexual activity
until marriage.
Genital Herpes
· Most people have no or minimal symptoms. When signs do occur, they
typically appear as one or more blisters. The blisters break, leaving
painful sores that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time
they occur. Most can expect to have several (typically four or five)
outbreaks within a year. Over time these recurrences usually
decrease in frequency, but can remain for life.
· At least 45 million people ages 12 and older (1 out of 5 adolescents
and adults) have had genital herpes.
· Transmission can occur from an infected partner who does not have a
visible sore and may not know that he or she is infected.
· Regardless of severity of symptoms, genital herpes frequently causes
psychological distress in people who know they are infected (knowing
the stigma of having the disease, knowing it is not curable, and
knowing that they may pass it on to someone they love).
· In addition, genital herpes can cause potentially fatal infections in
babies.
· Herpes may play a role in the spread of HIV, the virus that causes
AIDS. Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection, and
it can make HIV-infected individuals more infectious.
· There is no "cure" for herpes, but antiviral medications can shorten
and prevent outbreaks during the period of time the person takes the
medication.
· Can be transmitted "skin-to-skin" by areas not covered by condom.
· The surest way to avoid transmission is to abstain from sexual
activity until marriage.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HIV is a virus that invades the immune system and destroys it over
time. This reduces the ability to fight off infections and cancer. Most
people with HIV develop AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome),
which is deadly.
· It is estimated that there are currently 800,000 to 900,000 Americans
living with HIV infection.
· HIV transmission occurs through blood, semen, and vaginal secretions.
HIV can be passed from mother to child. Pregnant women with HIV
should notify their doctors to reduce the infant’s risk of HIV.
· People who have untreated STDs (particularly those that cause sores—
such as syphilis) have an increased risk of acquiring HIV.
· Infected individuals may have short-lived, flu-like symptoms (fatigue,
fever, aches). Some have no symptoms for many years. AIDS
typically appears about 10 years after the initial HIV infection.
· People with HIV should seriously consider abstaining from future sexual
activity, as it poses a considerable risk to any uninfected partner.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
When STDs travel further into a women's reproductive area, a more
serious condition called PID can result.
· About one million women each year in the U.S. develop PID.
· Many do not have symptoms. Symptoms can be severe and include
abdominal pain and fever. PID can lead to internal abscesses and long-
lasting, chronic pelvic pain.
· Can damage the fallopian tubes enough to cause infertility or ectopic
(tubal) pregnancy--a life-threatening condition.
Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/HealthComm/fact_sheets.htm
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/dmid/stds/#intro
http://medinstitute.org/
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