Sexually
Transmitted
Infections to Know
Description: Chlamydia is caused
by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is symptomless
at first. After the disease progresses some of the symptoms include odorless
discharge
and burning during urination. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can also
be caused by chlamydia, and in severe cases can lead to sterility and
tubal pregnancy.
Hangouts: Chlamydia is known as a "silent" disease
because three quarters of infected women and half of infected men have no
symptoms. The infection is frequently not diagnosed or treated until complications
develop.
Chlamydia usually hangs out in the cervix and the urethra in women. Men may
have may a discharge from the penis, a burning sensation when urinating,
burning and
itching around the penis, and pain and swelling in the testicles. Chlamydia
also hangs out in the anus and throat.
Transmission: Chlamydia is transmitted through vaginal, anal,
or oral intercourse. It can also be transmitted from a mother to her baby during
birth.
Treatment: Chlamydia can be treated and cured easily with
antibiotics.
Prevention: Not having sex at all is the only 100 percent effective,
foolproof method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission
of chlamydia.
GENITAL HPV INFECTION
Description: The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name of a group of viruses that includes over 100 different types, many of which are sexually transmitted. Some types of these viruses cause genital warts. Visible genital warts look like a small hard bump or cluster of bumps. They start off as small painless spots, but warmth and moisture can make them grow larger. Some genital warts cannot be seen by the naked eye, but they can still be transmitted through sexual contact. Generally, as many as 70 percent of all sexually experienced people may have HPV; less than one percent of these infected people will develop visible warts.
Two strains of HPV are “high-risk” and may cause abnormal pap smears and cancer of the cervix, anus, or penis. These types do not cause genital warts, so someone who does not have visible genital warts could carry the cancer-causing strains of HPV.
Hangouts: Most people who have a genital HPV infection don't know they are infected. Others get visible genital warts. Genital warts can be found on the vulva, on the cervix, in or around the vagina or anus, and on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh.
Transmission: The types of HPV that infect the genital area are spread primarily through sexual contact with someone who is infected.
Treatment: Most women are diagnosed with HPV through abnormal Pap smears. There is no cure for HPV. Diagnosis of genital warts is usually made by a visual exam, but there is also a magnification procedure for locating warts on the cervix. Genital warts can be treated easily with cryotherapy (dry ice treatment). Drugs like podophyllin solution and trichloracetic acid (TCA) can also be used directly on the warts.
Prevention: Abstinence is the only 100 percent effective method for avoiding unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HPV. Latex condoms used consistently and correctly have been shown to reduce the risk of HPV infection for sexually active people. However, the virus can still be transmitted by parts of skin not covered by a condom. The use of latex condoms has also been associated with a reduction in risk of HPV-associated diseases, including genital warts and cervical cancer.
Click here to read information about a vaccine for HPV for girls ages 9-26.
Description: Gonorrhea is caused
by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Symptoms appear from two days
to four weeks after exposure. They include painful urination, pus-like discharge,
bumps on the cervix, anal irritation and painful bowel movement. As the disease
progresses, pain in the lower abdomen on both sides, vomiting, fever and irregular
menstrual periods occur. In women, gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory
disease (PID), a secondary infection
that can cause sterility.
Hangouts: Gonorrhea hangs out in the cervix, uterus, and fallopian
tubes in women, and in the urethra in women and men. The bacteria also hang out
in the mouth, throat,
and anus.
Transmission: Gonorrhea usually attacks though vaginal, anal,
or oral intercourse with an
infected person.
Treatment: Gonorrhea is treated with ceftriaxone or penicillin.
There are a lot of resistant strains, which make treatment more difficult. If
symptoms remain after treatment, then you should go back to your doctor or clinic
for a different
antibiotic.
Prevention: Not having sex at all is the only 100 percent effective,
foolproof method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission
of gonorrhea.
Description: Herpes is caused by
the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). Most individuals
have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1
or HSV-2 infection.
Hangouts: When signs do occur, they typically appear as one
or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving
tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time
they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the
first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first episode.
Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks
tends to go down over a period
of years.
Transmission: HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be found and released
from the sores that the viruses cause, but they also are released between
episodes
from skin that does not appear to be broken or to have a sore. A person almost
always gets HSV-2 infection during sexual contact with someone who has a
genital HSV-2 infection. HSV-1 causes
infections of the mouth and lips, so-called "fever blisters." A
person can get HSV-1 by coming into contact with the saliva of an infected
person.
HSV-1 infection of the genitals almost always is caused by oral-genital sexual
contact
with a person who has the oral HSV-1 infection.
Treatment: There is no treatment that can cure herpes, but
antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks during the period of
time the person takes the
medication.
Prevention: Not having sex at all is the only 100 percent effective,
foolproof method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The consistent and correct use of latex condoms can help protect against infection
with herpes. However, condoms do not provide complete protection because the
condom may not cover the herpes sore(s), and viral shedding may nevertheless
occur. If either you or your partner have genital herpes, it is best to abstain
from sex when symptoms or signs are present, and to use latex condoms between
outbreaks.
Description: Syphilis is caused
by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. The first symptom is a painless
sore called a chancre. A chancre is like a pimple, blister or open sore that
appears 10-90 days (average 21 days) after the bacteria enter the body. The chancre
disappears after three to six weeks. The infection progresses to the second stage
if treatment is not administered.
The second stage starts when
one or more areas of the skin break into a rash—which usually doesn't
itch. Be on the lookout for a rash on the entire body, on the palms of your
hands or
on the soles of your feet. In addition to rashes, be on the lookout for fever,
swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, loss of hair, headaches, weight loss, muscle
aches, and tiredness. At both the first and the second stages, a person is
highly infectious to partners.
The third, latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when the secondary symptoms
disappear. Without treatment, the infected person still has syphilis even though
there are no signs or symptoms. It remains in the body, and it may begin to damage
the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels,
liver, bones, and joints. This internal damage may show up many years later in
the late or tertiary stage of syphilis. Late stage signs and symptoms include
not being able to coordinate muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness
and
dementia. This damage may be serious enough to cause death.
Hangouts: Syphilis mainly hangs out around the genitals and
anus. It occasionally hangs out
in and around the mouth.
Transmission: Syphilis is transmitted through direct contact
with a syphilis sore. Transmission occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
The bacteria penetrates mucous membranes or broken skin on the genitals, mouth
and anus. Pregnant women can pass syphilis to their fetuses, especially in the
early stages of the disease. However, if treated before the 16th week of pregnancy,
the fetus will probably not be affected. Children born with syphilis may have
no symptoms or
the symptoms may be severe enough to cause brain damage and death.
Treatment: Syphilis can be diagnosed and treated at any time
with penicillin by injection or a substitute antibiotic for those who are allergic
to penicillin. It is recommended that you not have sexual intercourse until the
syphilis sores are
completely healed.
Prevention: Not having sex at all is the only 100 percent effective,
foolproof method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infections (STIs).
Syphilis can occur in genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex
condom. Syphilis can also occur in areas that are not covered or protected. Latex
condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of infection
with syphilis only when the infected areas are covered or protected by the
condom.
Description: Trichomoniasis or "trich" is
caused by the parasite Trichomonas
vaginalis. Women may have no signs at all, or may have a frothy, creamy,
yellowish or greenish discharge with itching, vaginal odor, abdominal pains and/or
frequent urination. Some men may have no signs at all while others have itching
and/or lesions.
Hangouts: The most common hang out of trichomoniasis in women
is in the vagina and in men is the urethra (the tube that empties urine from
your bladder).
Treatment: Trichomoniasis can be cured with a prescription
drug called metronidazole. Treatment must be given to both partners at the same
time so that they won't reinfect each other. Metronidazole can be used by pregnant
women.
Prevention: Not having sex at all is the only 100 percent
effective, foolproof method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infections (STIs).
Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of
transmission of trichomoniasis.
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