Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
What are STDs?
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infections you can get by having sex with someone who has one of these diseases. STDs can cause problems for the rest of your life.
Have I been exposed to an STD?
If you have sex, just once, with someone who has an STD, you can catch it, whether the sex is genital, oral, or anal. Some STDs are even transmitted through kissing or skin-to-skin contact. You often will not be able to tell if your sex partner has an STD. Sometimes, there are no signs that you can see. If you find out you have an STD, tell the person or persons with whom you've had sex. Anyone who has had sex with a person with an STD needs to get treatment. Remember, even if you've been treated or cured, you can get the same STD again, or a different one, if you have sex with a person who has an STD.
What are the symptoms of STDs?
The chart below lists the most common STDs, and there are many more. If you have these symptoms, seek treatment immediately! Call us to find out where to go for treatment. Remember, your phone call to us is confidential.
| STD |
SYMPTOMS AND OTHER VITAL INFORMATION |
| HIV / AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome |
Viral - No Cure
Signs and Symptoms:
rapid weight loss; dry cough; recurring fever or profuse night sweats; profound and unexplained fatigue; swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck; diarrhea that lasts for more than a week; white spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, in the mouth, or in the throat; pneumonia; red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids; memory loss; depression and other neurological disorders Modes of Transmission:
Vaginal, anal and oral contact; body fluids; and from mother to child in breast milk Complications: Opportunistic infection (i.e. cancer, pneumonia), brain damage, death |
| Chlamydia |
Bacterial - curable with antibiotics
Signs and Symptoms:
80% of women and 40% of men have no symptoms. Women may have vaginal discharge and/or pelvic pain. When the infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus), some women still have no signs or symptoms; others have lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or bleeding between menstrual periods. Chlamydial infection of the cervix can spread to the rectum. Men's symptoms are more apparent: burning during urination, discharge from penis, burning and itching around the opening of the penis, swelling in the testicles Modes of Transmission:
Mother to baby during vaginal delivery; vaginal, anal and oral sexual contact Complications: If untreated, 20-40% of females will develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID); may cause sterility |
| Gonorrhea |
Bacterial - curable with antibiotics;
however, drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea are increasing
in many areas of the world, including the United States, and
successful treatment of gonorrhea is becoming more difficult.
Because many people with gonorrhea also have chlamydia, antibiotics
for both infections are usually given together. Persons with
gonorrhea should be tested for other STDs.
Signs and Symptoms:
Women: often no symptoms; often mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection; bloody urine/discharge Men: often no symptoms; painful urination; swollen genitals; rashes on arms and legs; discharge (yellowish white) Symptoms of rectal infection in both men and women may include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or painful bowel movements. Rectal infection also may cause no symptoms. Infections in the throat may cause a sore throat but usually causes no symptoms. Modes of Transmission:
Mother to baby during vaginal delivery; vaginal, anal and oral contact Complications: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID); may cause sterility and arthritis |
| HPV Human Papilloma Virus "Genital Warts" |
Viral - more than 100 different strains
or types
No "cure" for HPV infection, although in most women the infection goes away on its own More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and they can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), or anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, or rectum. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own. Signs and Symptoms:
Pink, gray, or flesh-colored warts (painless), abnormal pap smear Modes of Transmission:
Skin-to-skin contact Complications:
• Highly contagious - looks like
cauliflower
• Can take up to 18 months to remove
all warts; patient under doctors care for life
• There are no
tests to detect HPV infection in men
• Warts must be cut, frozen or
burned with acid cream
• All new cervical cancer is caused
by HPV
Alarming Statistics: • The most common STI - viral or
bacterial
• Over 65% of sexually active women
younger than 35 years of age are exposed
• 40-45% of college females test
positive
• More women die of cervical cancer
each year than die of AIDS
|
| Syphilis |
Bacterial - curable in the early
stages
Signs and Symptoms:
Stage 1: Sores can appear on mouth, genitals, and rectum (small, firm and painless); appear on spot where syphilis entered body; last 3-6 weeks and heal on their own Stage 2: Sores heal; white patches on tongue; low-grade fever/flu-like symptoms (swollen lymph glands, headaches, muscle aches, tiredness); hair loss; will clear up without treatment; rash on palms of hands and/or soles of feet Stage 3: Begins when secondary symptoms heal; damage to organ systems and ultimately death; no symptoms, just positive blood/fluid tests Modes of Transmission:
Mother to baby during vaginal delivery; vaginal, anal and oral contact, as well as through kissing; direct contact with a syphilis sore. Complications:
There is an estimated 2- to 5-fold increased risk of acquiring HIV infection when syphilis is present. |
| Trichomonas |
Bacterial parasite - curable with
antibiotics
Signs and Symptoms:
Women: Thin, foul-smelling watery or frothy green vaginal discharge; vaginal irritation, redness; pain during sex; burning upon urination/frequent urination; lower abdominal discomfort Men: Discharge from the urethra; urge to urinate; burning sensation with urination or ejaculation Modes of Transmission:
Vaginal, anal and oral contact Complications:
The genital inflammation caused by trichomoniasis can increase a woman's susceptibility to HIV infection if she is exposed to the virus. Having trichomoniasis may increase the chance that an HIV-infected woman passes HIV to her sex partner(s). Alarming Statistics: • Causes more new infections every
year than any other STI, besides HPV
• One of the most common STIs,
mainly affecting 16-35 year old women
|
Herpes |
Viral - No Cure
Two Types:
HSV-Type 1: commonly causes fever blisters on the mouth or face HSV-Type 2: typically affects the genitalia Both viral types can cause either genital infection or oral infection Transmitted with or without the presence of sores or other symptoms Signs and Symptoms:
Painful skin lesions (blisters, ulcers, fissures); genital discharge; vulvar irritation; swollen lymph glands; malaise; aches Modes of Transmission:
Direct contact: kissing, sexual (vaginal, anal and oral contact) or other skin-to-skin contact Complications:
Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection, and it can make HIV-infected individuals more infectious. |
Viral Hepatitis |
Viral - vaccinations are only useful
to prevent infection. Once a person is already positive
for Heptitis B, the vaccine will not cure it.
Signs and Symptoms:
Jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, grey-colored bowel movements, joint pain Modes of Transmission:
Mother to baby during vaginal delivery; infected needles or "works"; vaginal, anal and oral contact; blood or body fluids Complications:
• Some people who become infected with HBV develop chronic (lifelong) infection.
• Chronic infection increases the risk for cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer, and liver failure. About 15%-25% of people with chronic HBV infection might die prematurely from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.
|
Sources: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, March of Dimes, and LifeChoices Medical Clinic Resource Center.