| Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) |
STDs (sometimes called STI's for sexually transimitted
infections) are infectious conditions that are passed from one person
to another during sexual activity. This occurs not only during vaginal
intercourse, but during other activity ranging from "deep" kissing
to oral and anal sex. STDs have reached epidemic proportions worldwide
and can have devastating lifelong effects on men, women, and children.
"STIs are critical global and national health priorities
because of the devastating impact on women and infants, and the
inter-relationships with HIV/AIDS. STIs can lead to infertility,
tubal pregnancy, cervical cancer, low birth weight, congenital/perinatal
infections, other chronic conditions such as neurosyphilis, and
increased risk of HIV infection."
~ National Institutes of Health
"STDs are hidden epidemics of enormous health and economic
consequence in the United States. They are hidden because many
Americans are reluctant to address sexual health issues in an
open way and because of the biologic and social characteristics
of these diseases."
~ Institute of Medicine as noted by the Centers for Disease Control
Quick Facts about STDs
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Syphilis
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Genital Herpes
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV/AIDS)
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Quick Facts about STDs
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There are more than 25 STDs.
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Some have cures, some do not, but all can do
damage to your health. Antibiotic resistance is increasing for
those with cures.
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Adolescent females are more susceptable to STDs
than others since the cervix (opening to the uterus) is not
fully matured.
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Condoms do not protect all of the time, and
with some STDs, they offer 0% protection.
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60 million Americans are currently infected
with an STD and 15 million new cases of sexually transmitted
infection occur each year
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One quarter of the new STD infections occur
in people between 15 and 19, and two-thirds occur in those under
the age of 25.2.
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Some STDs are silent or have delayed symptoms.
You can not necessarily tell if your partner has a deadly STD.
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Avoiding alcohol and drug use may help prevent
transmission of STDs because these activities lead to risky
sexual behavior.
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Besides emotional trauma, discomfort, and expense
for treatment, STD's can cause a variety of problems. These
include brain and heart disorders, liver damage, cancer, future
ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, sterility, immune system breakdown,
and even death.
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.
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Most frequently reported bacterial STD in the
U.S. (an estimated 2.8 million Americans are infected with chlamydia
each year).
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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).
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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.
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Can also be found in the throats of women and
men having oral sex with an infected partner.
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Untreated infection can spread into the uterus
or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease ( PID)
40% of the time.
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Women infected are up to five times more likely
to become infected with HIV, if exposed.
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Treated and cured with antibiotics.
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The surest way to avoid transmission is to abstain
from sexual activity until marriage.
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Very common STD (estimated that more than 700,000
persons in the U.S. get a new infection each year).
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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).
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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.
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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.
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Those infected can more easily contract HIV.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Progression of Syphilis:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Untreated syphilis in a pregnant woman can infect
(causing developmental delay or seizures) and possibly kill
(before or after birth) baby.
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2-5 times increased risk of acquiring HIV.
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Treated with penicillin or other antibiotics.
This will not repair damage already done.
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Can be transmitted by areas not covered by condom.
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The surest way to avoid transmission is to abstain
from sexual activity until marriage.
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20 million Americans are currently infected
and 6.2 million get a new genital HPV infection each year.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Can be transmitted "skin-to-skin"
by areas not covered by condom.
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The surest way to avoid transmission is to abstain
from sexual activity until marriage.
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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.
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At least 45 million people ages 12 and older
(1 out of 5 adolescents and adults) have had genital herpes.
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Transmission can occur from an infected partner
who does not have a visible sore and may not know that he or
she is infected.
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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).
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In addition, genital herpes can cause potentially
fatal infections in babies.
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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.
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There is no "cure" for herpes, but
antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks during
the period of time the person takes the medication.
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Can be transmitted "skin-to-skin"
by areas not covered by condom.
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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.
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It is estimated that there are currently 800,000
to 900,000 Americans living with HIV infection.
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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.
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People who have untreated STDs (particularly
those that cause sores—such as syphilis) have an increased risk
of acquiring HIV.
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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.
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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.
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About one million women each year in the U.S.
develop PID.
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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.
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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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