Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), commonly called Venereal Diseases ("VD"), include the various infections transmitted through sexual contact in which body fluids are shared. Sexual contact is any type of intimate contact involving the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus. Some STDs are more communicable than others, some cannot be cured and all of them can be transmitted even when a person has no symptoms. A person may be infected with the same STD more than once because you usually do not become immune to them. Not only can you be re-infected with the same STD, you may also have more than one STD at the same time.
CHLAMYDIA
Cause: bacteria
Transmission: Vaginal or anal intercourse or oral sex with someone who is infected. Infants can acquire chlamydia at birth.
First symptoms and diagnosis: Chlamydia may appear 1 - 30 days or an average of 1 - 3 weeks after exposure. A culture smear antibody and other chemical test may be performed for diagnosis.
Usual symptoms: Many infected people have no symptoms but they're still contagious. When symptoms are present the most common are pain burning or itching sensations with urination. Vaginal infections may be associated with abnormal discharge. Anal infections may be associated with discharge or painful bowel movements. Oral infections may be associated with a sore throat but usually have no symptoms. Penile infections may be associated with a yellowish discharge. Women may develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or PID, this also may be without symptoms or associated with vaginal bleeding between menstrual cycles or abdominal pain sometimes associated with fever or nausea.
Treatment: Persons infected with this bacteria and their sexual partners must be examined, tested and treated with antibiotics for at least 10 days.
Complications for men: Infection of the prostate or testicle
Complications for women: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or PID, including an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or abortion, premature delivery and/or newborns with risk of eye, ear and lung infections. Although rare both men and women can have heart trouble, skin disease, arthritis, and eye damage if left untreated. Chlamydia can also cause sterility.
GENITAL OR VENEREAL WARTS
Cause: human papaloma virus or HPV
Transmission: Vaginal or anal intercourse or oral sex with someone who has the virus. Infants can acquire this infection at birth.
First Symptoms and Diagnosis: Initial lesions may not be visible. Condition may suave with a solution to increase visibility. First symptoms usually appear 1 - 20 months after exposure. Examination includes a physical exam and possibly a biopsy of suspected lesions. For women a pap smear of the cervix may show characteristic cell changes. A cervical examination with coposcapy is recommended.
Usual symptoms: Small bumpy cauliflower looking warts that are usually painless and appear on or around the genitals or anus. They may also be on the lips or in the mouth. Itching and burning around the lesions may occur but such symptoms are rare.
Treatment: Genital warts are very difficult to treat and usually require frequent treatment. Follow up appointments are necessary to be sure that treatment is effective. Therapy may include topical treatment with chemicals, acids and freezing. Other treatments such as laser vaporization or surgical excision may be more effective if topical treatments fail or if the infection is more extensive.
Complications: Warts can enlarge and produce local tissue damage. More warts can grow and become harder to treat. A mother with warts can give them to her baby during childbirth. May lead to lead to pre- cancerous conditions on a woman's cervix or vagina. In some cases it may be associated with development of cancer of the cervix, vagina, or penis.
GONORRHEA
Cause: bacteria
Transmission: Vaginal or anal intercourse or oral sex with someone who is infected. Infants can acquire gonorrhea at birth.
First symptoms or diagnosis: Symptoms may appear 1 - 30 days or an average or 3 - 5 days after exposure. Examination includes urethral smear and/ or usual culture of infected areas in men and a culture of infected areas in women.
Usual symptoms: Many infected people have no symptoms but they are still contagious. When symptoms are present, the most common are pain, burning or itching sensations with urination, vaginal infections may be associated with unusual discharge. Anal infections may be associated with discharge or painful bowel movements. Oral infection may be present as a sore throat but usually people have no symptoms. Penile infections may be associated with a yellowish discharge. Women may develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. This also may be without symptoms or associated with vaginal bleeding in between menstrual cycles or abdominal pain sometimes accompanies with fever or nausea.
Treatment: Persons infected with this bacteria and their sexual partners must be examined, tested and treated with antibiotics.
Complications for women: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, including an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or abortion, premature delivery and/or newborns with the risk of serious eye infections.
Complications in men: infections of the prostrate or testicles.
Although rare, in both men and women gonorrhea can cause heart problems, skin disease, arthritis and eye damage if left untreated. Gonorrhea can also cause sterility.
HEPATITIS A / HEPATITIS B
Cause: virus
Transmission: Hepatitis A is spread through contaminated feces and anal-oral contact during sexual activity. Hepatitis A is also present in the bloodstream during the act of infection and may be transmitted by contaminated needles. Hepatitis B is spread through the fecal-oral route via blood by sexual contact. Hepatitis B can live in body fluids such as urine, saliva, semen and vaginal secretions or via an injection with a contaminated needle. Hepatitis B can also be transmitted by an infected mother to her baby during childbirth.
First symptoms and diagnosis: Hepatitis A has an incubation period of 15 - 45 days. Hepatitis B has an incubation period of 50 - 180 days. Examination for both Hepatitis A and B includes a physical exam and blood tests.
Usual symptoms: Clinically, Hepatitis A and B will be similar, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, lack of appetite, dark urine, light stools and/or abdominal tenderness. Hepatitis can also be a flu-like illness without noticeable jaundice, which is yellow colored skin or eyes. You can have Hepatitis and not be aware that you have the disease.
Treatment: Rest, separate living arrangements, good hygiene practices, and the maintenance of adequate nutrition. Also avoidance of drugs unless prescribed by your provider who is aware of your Hepatitis and avoidance of alcohol, beer, wine and liquors is recommended. There is a vaccine available for Hepatitis B if you are at risk for this virus. A gamma globulin shot can be given within a week of exposure to reduce the severity of illnesses associated with Hepatitis.
Complications with Hepatitis B: Most people recover from Hepatitis but Hepatitis B can cause a chronic infection. This means that some people can have Hepatitis B for a lifetime and they can infect others, have no signs of illness for years or just feel mildly ill or tired or suffer sever liver problems especially liver cancer.
HERPES
Cause: The Herpes Simplex Virus or HSV
Transmission: Contact with virus infected blisters or virus being shed from the site of previous infections that may have no symptoms.
First symptoms or diagnosis: Highly variable but usually appear 2 - 14 days after contact with the infections. Examination may include a physical exam, cultures, smears or blood tests.
Usual symptoms: Cluster of tender painful blisters, ulcers or sores that are typically on or around the lips, mouth, genitals, or anus. Herpes can appear on the skin or on other parts of the body as well. People may have very mild symptoms or no symptoms but they are still infected and contagious. Blisters, ulcers or sores will last 1 - 3 weeks during initial outbreaks. These lesions heal but the person still has Herpes. Lesions commonly re-occur without being re-exposed to the disease.
Treatment: There is no cure for Herpes. However application of a acyclovir ointment to the lesions or intravenous injections during the primary outbreak might be helpful. For persons with recurring outbreaks a acyclovir capsule is taken orally and may help reduce frequency and severity of outbreaks.
Complications: During a persons first outbreak, Herpes can cause very painful blisters. When they appear in the mouth they can interfere with the ability to eat or drink. Genital lesions can cause very painful urination and anal lesions may produce extremely painful bowel movements. Herpes can infect the eye. If left untreated, the Herpes virus can destroy the vision. Herpes can cause complication during pregnancy. Newborns may acquire Herpes at birth when they pass through an infected cervix or vagina. This may be avoided by delivering the infant by Cesarean section.
NON-SPECIFIC CERVICITIS OR NSC, OR MUCAL PURULENT CERVICITIS OR MPC
Cause: can be bacteria, virus, yeast, parasite, protozoan and/or fungi. Hence, non-specific.
Transmission: Vaginal or anal intercourse or oral sex with someone who is infected.
First symptoms or diagnosis: May appear 2 days - 3 weeks after exposure. However, many people have no symptoms. Examination includes a physical exam and cervical cultures or microscopic exam of genital secretions and possibly urine.
Usual symptoms: women: Most women have no symptoms. When symptoms are present they are usually pain and/or frequency of urination, similar to a urinary tract infection, UTI or bladder infection. There may be a vaginal discharge and it may have a foul odor. If the infection is involving the uterus and fallopian tubes the following may develop: vaginal bleeding between menstrual cycles, abdominal pain sometimes accompanied by fever and nausea.
Treatment: Antibiotics are administered for 7 - 10 days or longer. Sometimes it is necessary to attempt therapy with several different antibiotics. Most but not all cases will respond to antibiotics. Various vaginal creams, tablets or douches may be prescribed to treat the infection. Sometimes it may be necessary to give Cryotherapy, or freezing to the cervix in hopes of illuminating the problem.
Complications: In women, Pelvic Inflammatory disease, including increased risk of tubal or ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or abortion, premature delivery and/or newborns with the risk of serious eye infections. Although rare, it can cause heart trouble, skin disease, or eye damage if left untreated. It can also cause sterility.
NON-SPECIFIC URETHRITIS, NSU, NON-GONOCOCCAL URETHRITIS, NGU
Cause: Can be bacteria, virus, yeast, parasite, protozoan and/or fungi. Hence, non-specific.
Transmission: Vaginal or anal intercourse or oral sex with someone who is infected.
First symptoms and diagnosis: May appear 2 days - 3 weeks after exposure. However many people have no symptoms. Examination includes a physical exam, urethral smears, and cultures.
Usual symptoms for men: Most men have no symptoms. If symptomatic, with men, sometimes there is pain with urination and a discharge from the urethra that can be thin and watery or thick and sticky. The discharge is usually cloudy white or yellow and a microscopic examination reveals the presence of puss cells.
Usual symptoms for women: Most women have no symptoms. When symptoms are present, there may be pain and/or frequency of urination, similar to a urinary tract infection, UTI or bladder infection. There may be an abnormal vaginal discharge and it may have a foul odor.
Treatment: Antibiotics are administered for 7 - 10 days or longer. Sometimes it is necessary to attempt therapy with several different antibiotics.
Complications for men: Infection of the prostate or testicles.
Complications for women: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, including an increased risk of ectopic or tubal pregnancy, infected miscarriage or abortion, infected premature delivery, and newborns with the risk of serious eye infections.
Although it is rare in both men and women, NSU and NGU can cause heart trouble, skin disease, arthritis, and eye damage if left untreated. NSU and NGU can also cause sterility.
SYPHILIS
Cause: bacteria
Transmission: Vaginal or anal intercourse or oral sex with someone who is infected. In some cases Syphilis can also be transmitted by the following: kissing and touching infected lesions, or blood transfusion. Infants can also acquire Syphilis at birth.
First symptoms and diagnosis: Usually appear 10 - 90 days and average of 3 weeks after exposure. Symptoms can go away without treatment but the person is still infected and contagious. Examination includes a blood test and on some occasions a special microscopic examination of the infected lesions.
Usual symptoms: In the primary stage, canker, painless sore, typically on or around the penis, vagina, mouth or anus, but it can be anywhere on the body. In the secondary stage a non-itchy rash, may have hair loss, flu-like symptoms or swollen glands. Between stages Syphilis is latent and it has no apparent symptoms. Third stage: nerve, brain, heart and blood vessel damage.
Treatment: Persons infected with this bacteria and their sexual partners must be examined, tested and treated with antibiotics.
Complications: Untreated Syphilis can cause brain and heart damage, nerve damage, blindness or death. Syphilis can also cause damage to skin, bones, eyes, teeth and the liver of the infected newborn. It can also be responsible for fetal death or stillbirth. In its third stage, Syphilis can be fatal.
TRICHOMONIASIS OR TRICH
Cause: protozoan
Transmission: Usually through sexual contact and on rare occasions
it can be transmitted by sharing contaminated wet towels or clothing.
First symptoms or diagnosis: Usually appear 4 - 28 days after exposure to the infection. Examination includes a physical exam, culture or microscopic examination of the infected body fluids.
Usual symptoms for women: Many infected women have no symptoms. Symptomatic women typically experience itching, burning, painful urination and redness at the genital area. An abnormal frothy vaginal discharge with a foul odor may be noted.
Usual symptoms for men: Most infected men have no symptoms. Some infected men may note a penile discharge, discomfort with urination, and a tingling or itching sensation inside the penis.
Treatment: Persons infected with Trichomoniasis and their sexual partners should be treated with antibiotics. Abstaining from vaginal, oral or anal intercourse is advised during treatment.
Complications for women: Inflammation of the uterus or fallopian tubes, the infection may be associated with spontaneous miscarriage, premature birth, ectopic or tubal pregnancy, or infected abortions. It may also be associated with infertility.
Complications for men: Men can transmit this infection but it is uncertain
regarding the risks for them.