Sexually transmitted diseases Definition: diseases spread by sexual contact Fact: There
are about 12 million new cases each year in the United States. Not having sex is the best prevention
for getting sexually transmitted diseases. If you are going to have sex, condoms are your best defense
against many of these sexually transmitted diseases.
Human Papillomavirus: This
is a very common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. At any one time, an estimated 20
million people have this disease in the US. It is also estimated that 5.5 million people become infected
every year in the US. This is a virus that can cause genital warts, abnormal pap smears, and cervical
cancer. A person can be infected with the disease and have no symptoms. Or a person can be infected
and not have symptoms for months to years. Sometimes warts or abnormal pap smears go away on their own,
but the virus still may be there. Because this virus is associated with vulvar and cervical cancer,
it is important that every woman who has had sex get a yearly pelvic exam and pap smear. Gonorrhea
and Chlamydia: These diseases are caused by bacteria. Around 800,000 people are infected with gonorrhea
each year, and around 4 million are infected with chlamydia. According to the CDC(Center for Disease
Control and Prevention), Chlamydia is the most frequently reported infectious disease in the United
States. The CDC estimates that 1 in 10 teens test positive for chlamydia when tested. According to
the CDC, Gonorrhea rates in the US increased by 9% between 1997 to 1999. Often, people with Chlamydia
and Gonorrhea have no symptoms. However, if symptoms do occur, they include discharge (commonly yellow
or green), burning or itching in the vaginal area, painful urination, pain in the pelvis or abdomen,
pain in the joints, or sore throat. Symptoms may occur 2 days to 3 weeks after getting the disease.
If not treated, both chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women.
This is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Symptoms of PID are pain, fever, and
nausea/vomiting. PID can lead to chronic pelvic pain and is the most common preventable cause of infertility.
PID is also associated with a increased risk of pregnancy in your fallopian tube which can be deadly.
Syphilis: This is caused by a type of bacteria called a spirochete. It takes between 10-90
days to show symptoms of this disease, with the average being 3 weeks. Syphilis has three stages. In
the first stage, the classic symptom is a painless ulcer which develops at the site of infection. This
is usually found on the vaginal area, and usually takes about 3 weeks to develop. The ulcer heals by
itself within 2 to 6 weeks without treatment. Blood tests for syphilis usually become positive within
4 to 6 weeks after sexual contact. The second stage of syphilis is caused by spread of the bacteria
in the blood. The second stage usually develops between 6 weeks to 6 months after the first stage.
The symptoms of the second stage include a rash over the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. There
can also be vaginal sores that are large, raised, grayish white areas. Between the second and the third
stage of syphilis there is a "latent" stage which varies in length from 2 years to 20 years. During
the "latent" phase there are no symptoms and the bacteria are not actively producing disease. The third
stage of syphilis is the most serious because it can harm the brain, heart, bones, eyes, and many other
organs. Syphilis can be treated with antibiotics. Genital Herpes: The CDC (Center for Disease
Control and Prevention) estimates that around 45 million Americans may carry the herpes virus, making
this the most common STD of all. The CDC estimates that 1 in 5 people of the teen and adult population
is infected with the genital herpes virus. The most common symptom of herpes is sores on the genitals.
These sores usually last 3 weeks with the first infection, and the sores last a few days with recurrences.
Herpes lives in your nerve root, and at somewhat unpredictable times, it "recurs" producing sores on
the genitals. There is no cure for herpes, and the virus can be transmitted at any time (even without
sores present.) Treatmeats decrease the length of the outbreak but can not kill the disease. HIV
Infection: see other page Trichomonas: This is a microscopic parasite that is usually
spread through sex. Symptoms include foul smelling discharge and increased discharge. Some woman have
no symptoms at all. This can be cured with antibiotics.
Additional resources: www.cdc.gov/std
and national STD hotline 1-800-227-8922 HOME
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