Here are the facts on ten common sexually transmitted infections that should be on a sexually active individual's radar screen.
1. Trichomoniasis
What is it?
Trichomonas is a protozoa (single celled organism) that is carried in vaginal fluid or urethra.
Symptoms?
For Women:
For men:
How to treat it?
Trichomoniasis is treated with oral antibiotics. All sexual partners should be treated.
How to protect yourself?
Abstinence and having sex only in a long-term monogamous relationship are the best ways to prevent trichomoniasis.
If you already have trich
Any other facts?
More than eight million Americans are infected with trich every year. Trichamoniasis increases a woman's risk of contracting HIV if she has sex with an HIV positive partner and increases her risk of transmitting HIV to another person if she is HIV positive.
2. HIV/Aids
What is it?
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Infection with HIV weakens the body's ability to fight disease.
Symptoms?
HIV is usually asymptomatic. A person infected with HIV may not have any symptoms for 10 years or more, but if tested, would be found to be HIV positive. Below are symptoms associated with AIDS, but a person can be contagious for years prior to developing these symptoms
It is not known if everyone who carries HIV will develop AIDS, but AIDS related symptoms usually develop in 70-80% of adults and fully developed AIDS is seen in 55-62% of adults who have tested positive for HIV.
How to treat it?
There is no cure for HIV at present. There are, however, several treatments for people living with HIV. While treatments will not cure the disease, they may lengthen the life expectancy of many individuals. Knowing how far the HIV infection has advanced is important because some treatments that may be effective in strengthening the immune system's ability to fight other potentially life-threatening diseases. Many people live healthy lives with HIV as long as one seeks medical treatment.
How to protect yourself?
There are many ways you can protect yourself from HIV. The surest way is to abstain from sexual intercourse and from sharing needles and "works" if you use steroids, hormones, or other drugs.
Many people have been infected with HIV by sharing needles. If you are using needles for steroids, hormones, tattoos or other drugs
If you choose to have sex, having sex only in a long term mutually monogamous relationship is safest. You can reduce the risk of transmission by using male condoms every time you have sex to reduce the risk of exchanging blood, semen, or vaginal fluids with your sex partner(s).
The most common test for HIV is a blood test for the antibodies to HIV. The test can be done in the health center with a small drop of blood and results can be given in about 10 minutes. It is recommended that sexually active men and women be tested for HIV each year.
Any other facts?
In the United States, more than 980,000 cases of AIDS have been reported to the government. About 40,000 women and men in the United States are diagnosed with HIV each year.
3 Condylomata Acuminata-Genital warts
What is it?
Genital Warts, also known as condyloma acuminata, are caused by a number of viruses in the human papilloma virus (HPV) family. There are over 100 types of HPV; types 6 and 11 cause most genital warts. Genital warts can occur in the genital and anal areas, both inside and outside the body.
Symptoms?
HPV begins with infection, followed by a period of time during which you have no signs or symptoms of the virus. This time period is different for each person. This makes it virtually impossible to determine exactly when and from what person the exposure or infection occurred.
Possible symptoms include:
How to treat it?
There is no cure for the virus that causes genital warts. Your health care provider can apply a mild acid to burn off the warts; this may require several treatments. A self-applied cream or gel is available by prescription; this may need to be used for up to 12 weeks. Genital warts cannot be adequately treated with over-the-counter medications. If left untreated, genital warts may go away, stay the same or grow in size or number. Because genital warts are contagious, abstinence or the use of condoms during intercourse is recommended.
How to protect yourself?
Any other facts?
Some of the same strains of HPV that cause warts and cervical dysplasia/cancer have been linked to vocal cord polyps and head and neck squamous cell cancers.
4. Gonorrhea-The Clap
What is it?
Gonorrhea is an STI caused by a bacterium.
Symptoms?
The majority of women and men do not have any symptoms until complications set in.
Women may experience:
Men may experience:
How to treat it?
Gonorrhea is treated with a short course of antibiotics or a single dose of antibiotics either taken by mouth or as a shot. All partners must also be treated.
How to protect yourself?
There is a lot you can do to prevent getting gonorrhea.
Any other facts?
Gonorrhea affects about 600,000 women and men in the United States every year. Gonorrhea can be transmitted to a newborn at the time of delivery and cause blindness. Gonorrhea can spread to infect the uterus and fallopian tubes causing a condition known as pelvic inflammatory disease. Pelvic inflammatory disease can permanently scar the fallopian tubes and lead to infertility.
5. Hepatitis B
What is it?
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, which has many causes. Hepatitis A and B are viruses that infect the liver and can cause inflammation, liver failure, liver cancer and death. There are many different types of Hepatitis viruses, with varying degrees of clinical presentation. The two most common are Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is transmitted similarly to HIV. Hepatitis A is transmitted through food that has been contaminated with the virus or through sexual activity.
Symptoms?
Most people do not have symptoms, especially early in the disease.
Possible symptoms include:
How to treat it?
No specific medication exists for the treatment of Hepatitis A or B. Often, Hepatitis A will go away after a period of sickness. There is no cure for Hepatitis B, which can be life-long. There are vaccines that can prevent both Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B before you are infected.
How to protect yourself?
It is now recommended that everyone receive the Hepatitis A and B vaccine as children and most infants receive a vaccine before discharge from the hospital. Almost everyone should consider receiving vaccines to prevent both viruses as some methods of transmission (such as through food for Hepatitis A) are hard to prevent. Anyone who is in a high risk group or who has had an STI should be vaccinated. In some parts of the world Hepatitis A& B are 'endemic' or very common, so before travel to these areas vaccination is especially important
Avoiding shared or contaminated needles and either abstinence or having sex only in a long term, mutually monogamous relationship are the best ways to prevent contracting Hepatitis B. Condom use with every sexual encounter can decrease the chance of transmission.
Any other facts?
Hepatitis B can be transmitted from mother to newborn during pregnancy and delivery, although early vaccination and administration of special medications can decrease the chance of transmission.
6. Chancroid-Genital Ulcer
What is it?
Chancroid is an STI that is caused by a bacterium.
Symptoms?
In both men and women there may be a small bump on the genitals which turns into a single, or multiple, painful ulcer(s). Some women may have pain with urination and intercourse.
How to treat it?
Chancroid is treated with antibiotics. All sexual partners must be treated.
How to protect yourself?
Abstinence or having sex only in the context of a long term, mutually monogamous relationship are the only ways to avoid chancroid (condoms not shown to be helpful).
Any other facts?
7. Syphilis
What is it?
Syphilis is caused by an organism (spirochete) and may progress into a serious and painful disease.
Symptoms?
Syphilis infections have three phases that may overlap on one another and do not always follow the same sequence. First stage symptoms appear three weeks to 90 days after infection. Symptoms include red, circular, scooped-out sores with a firm raised edge. Sores usually heal after one to four weeks, leaving a small scar. These scores may occur in areas not easily visible such as the cervix or the anus. Left untreated, the syphilis organism continues to circulate through the body, and in four to six weeks then person begins to exhibit the following symptoms:
In the first and second stages, syphilis is highly contagious. If the infection is left untreated, the third stage may appear several years later, possibly causing paralysis, infertility, insanity or death.
How to treat it?
Syphilis can be treated and cured with antibiotics.
How to protect yourself?
There is a lot you can do to prevent getting syphilis.
Any other facts?
About 36,000 American women and men become infected with syphilis every year.
8. Chlamydia- The Silent disease
What is it?
Chlamydia is an STI that is caused by a bacterium that infects the reproductive and urinary tracts of both men and women. It is one of the most common STIs in the U.S.
Symptoms?
The majority of men and women do not have any symptoms until complications begin.
Women may experience:
Men may experience:
How to treat it?
Chlamydia is treated with a short course of antibiotics. All sexual partners must be treated.
How to protect yourself?
There is a lot you can do to prevent getting chlamydia.
Any other facts?
About three million American women and men become infected with chlamydia every year. It is especially common among women and men under 25.
9. Pubic Lice
What is it?
Pubic lice looks like tiny crabs. They are pale gray but darken in color when swollen with blood. They attach themselves to pubic hair. Their eggs are white and deposited in small clumps near the roots of pubic hair.
Symptoms?
How to treat it?
People infected with pubic lice can diagnose and treat themselves with over-the-counter medication.
All bedding, towels, and clothing that may have been exposed should be thoroughly washed or dry-cleaned. Since pubic lice cannot live if they are off of a person's body for more than 24 hours, it is usually not necessary to treat furniture and carpeting.
How to protect yourself?
Abstinence or long-term monogamous relationship - condoms do not prevent.
Any other facts?
10. Herpes
What is it?
Herpes is an STI that is caused by a virus. There are two strains of the virus: Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) and Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2). HSV-1 is most commonly associated with common oral cold sores and fever blisters. HSV-2 is more contagious and people with HSV-2 have more outbreaks. HSV-2 is commonly associated with genital sores. However, HSV-1 can be found in the genital area while HSV-2 can be found on the mouth. Both forms of HSV can be sexually transmitted.
Symptoms?
The first outbreak usually takes place 5-14 days (or up to 21 days) after the virus enters the body. The first outbreak is usually the most severe. Sores usually heal in 1-2 weeks. However, there is no cure for herpes - the virus will stay in the body.
How to treat it?
There is no known cure for herpes, but there is antiviral medication available that may relieve discomfort and speed the healing of sores.
How to protect yourself?
There are three main ways you can prevent spreading genital herpes.
Any other facts?
Up to 8 out of 10 American adults have oral herpes. And about 1 out of 4 American adults have genital herpes. Millions of people do not know they have herpes because they never had, or noticed, the herpes symptoms.
Stephani Cox, is the lead downstate clinician for Planned Parenthood of Illinois. She is a certified women's health nurse practitioner. She has been providing comprehensive reproductive health care services with Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) for nearly 20 years. For more information about PPIL, visit www.ppil.org.
For more information on sexually transmitted infections go to http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/sexually-transmitted-disease-std-testing-treatment-26175.htm
