Sexually Transmitted Diseases

What Are Sexually Transmitted Diseases?

Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infections that can be transferred from one person to another through sexual contact. Most STDs are treatable. Some however, such as AIDS, herpes (HSV) and genital warts, which are all caused by viruses, have no cure. Syphilis, AIDS, herpes and even gonorrhea have been known to cause death so education about these diseases is very important.

Many STDs can lead to other problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical cancer and problems during pregnancy. Gonorrhea is becoming resistant to traditional antibiotics that once cured it easily.

Some Common Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Chlamydia - Chlamydia is a very dangerous STD and it usually has no symptoms; 75% of infected women and 25% of infected men have no symptoms at all and therefore spread it to others.

Gonorrhea - Gonorrhea is one of the most frequently reported STDs. 40% of its victims contract PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) if not treated, and it can cause sterility.

Hepatitis B – There is a vaccine for Hepatitis B but no cure; can cause cancer of the liver.

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) - Painful and reoccurring; can be treated but there's no cure. Herpes simplex virus is the most common STD in the US. More than 1 million people acquire herpes each year and over 5 million people acquire HPV each year.

HIV/AIDS - First recognized in 1984, AIDS is the sixth leading cause of death among young men and women. The virus is fatal.

Human Papalloma Virus (HPV) & Genital Warts – This is the most common STD, 33% of all women have this virus, which can cause cervical or penile cancer and genital pain.

Syphilis - Untreated, can lead to serious damage of the brain or heart.
Trichomoniasis - Can cause foamy vaginal discharge or no symptoms at all and can cause premature birth in pregnant women.

Signs You Have an STD

Some common signs that you may have an STD are:

Itchiness or pain and discharge in the genital area
Painful urination or burning or itching sensation while urinating
Frequent need to urinate
Pain during intercourse
Red sores on the genitals or the throat or anal area
Persistent sore throat in people who have oral sex
Warts or open sores or blisters in the genital area
Yellow (jaundiced) skin color or eyes

What Causes STDs

STDs are caused by either bacteria or viruses. STDs caused by bacteria are Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. These can be treated with antibiotics. Other STDs are caused by viruses such as HIV/AIDS, genital herpes, and genital warts. Once the body is infected with one of these viruses, it will never leave the body. Some can be treated but there is no cure.
Important things to know:

Even if you have no symptoms, you can still have and spread an STD
Teenagers and young adults get more STDs than any other age group
Women have a higher chance of getting STDs than men
Condoms greatly reduce the risk of contracting an STD
Condoms should be worn during oral sex as well to help prevent transmission of STDs

You can prevent an STD by:

Abstinence. Refraining from sex is the only 100% way to prevent and STD.
If you do have sex:

Wear a condom
Ask your partner about their sexual health
Get regular check ups for STDs

What to do if you have an STD

If you have an STD, it is very important that you take the proper steps to protect and take care of yourself and others. You should always take any and all of your medication. You should also tell any or all of your sex partners so they can be treated right away. You may feel embarrassed or ashamed but it’s important that STDs get treated as soon as possible so you should tell anyone you may have infected. You should not have sex at all when you are being treated for an STD. After your treatment, you should use a condom whenever you have sex.

If you have open sores or rashes from an STD, you should not touch them. If you do touch them, you need to wash your hands immediately. STDs such as herpes are spread to other parts of the body quickly due to touching the sores.