Sexually Transmitted Diseases: An Overview
 
 


What is a sexually transmitted disease (STD)?

  • An STD (sometimes called a sexually transmitted infection or STI) is an infection or disease passed from person to person through sexual contact.

How many people have STDs?

  • The United States has the highest rate of STDs in the industrialized world.
  • In the United States alone, an estimated 15.3 million new cases of STDs are reported each year.
  • Women suffer more frequent and more serious complications from STDs than men.

How do you get an STD?

  • You can get and pass STDs through vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
  • Trichomoniasis (a protozoa) can also be picked up from contact with damp or moist objects such as towels, wet clothing, or a toilet seat if the genital area gets in contact with these damp objects.
  • STDs can be passed from person to person even if there are no symptoms of an infection.

How do you get tested for STDs?

  • Talk with your doctor or nurse about getting tested for STDs. Simple tests can be done on your blood, urine, or a swab of the genital area.

Can STDs cause health problems?

  • STDs can cause cervical cancer and other cancers, liver disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, pregnancy problems, and other complications.
  • Some STDs increase your risk of getting HIV/AIDS

How are STDs treated?

  • The treatment depends on the type of STD.
  • For some STDs, treatment may involve taking medicine or getting a shot.
  • For other STDs that cannot be cured, like herpes, there are treatments to relieve the symptoms.

How do STDs affect pregnant women and their babies?

  • An STD may cause early labor, cause the water to break early, and cause infections in the uterus after the birth.
  • Some STDs can be passed from a pregnant woman to the baby before and during the baby's birth.
    • STDs like syphilis or HIV can cross the placenta and infect the baby while it is in the uterus.
    • Other STDs, like gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis B, and genital herpes, can be passed from the mother to the baby during delivery as the baby passes through the birth canal.
  • The harmful effects on babies may include low birth weight (less than 5 pounds), eye infections, pneumonia, infections in the baby's blood, brain damage, lack of coordination of body movements, blindness, deafness, acute hepatitis, meningitis, chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, or stillbirth.
  • Some of these problems can be prevented if the mother receives early, routine prenatal care which includes screening tests for STDs. These tests are done early in pregnancy so that the mother can be treated as soon as possible.

What can pregnant women do to prevent problems from STDs?

  • Pregnant women should be tested for these STDs at their first prenatal visit:
    • Chlamydia
    • Gonorrhea
    • Hepatitis B
    • HIV
    • Syphilis
  • Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, and bacterial vaginosis (BV) can be treated and cured with antibiotics during pregnancy.
  • There is no cure for viral STDs such as genital herpes and HIV, but antiviral medications may reduce symptoms in the pregnant woman.
  • For women who have active genital herpes lesions at the time of delivery, a cesarean delivery (c-section) will likely be performed to protect the newborn against infection.

What can I do to avoid getting an STD?

  • Don't have sex.
    • The best way to prevent any STD is to practice abstinence. That means not having vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
  • Limit your sexual partners.
    • If you do engage in a sexual relationship, be faithful to each other. Both parties should be tested for STDs.
    • Keep your number of sexual partners small, that way you can limit the chances of being exposed to an STD.
  • Use condoms.
    • Protect yourself with a condom every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Condoms should be used for any type of sex with every partner. You can obtain several different barrier products such as the latex male condom, a female polyurethane condom, or a dental dam (for oral sex).
    • Condoms cannot protect you from every STD. If an infection is present on an area not covered by the condom (on the scrotum for instance) it can still be passed during sexual contact.
    • Birth control pills, IUDs, diaphragms, and other birth control methods do not provide protection against STDs.
  • Talk with your sexual partner(s) about STDs and using condoms.
    • It is up to you to make sure that your are protected. It is your body.
  • Talk openly with your healthcare provider about any STDs.
    • Try not to be embarrassed. Your healthcare provider can offer you and your partner treatment options and preventative measures.
  • Have regular, yearly pelvic exams.
    • Many tests for STDs can be done at the time of your yearly annual exam.

What are the symptoms of STDs and how are they contracted?

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)

  • BV is an overgrowth of bacteria normally found in a woman's vagina.
  • Most women have no symptoms. Women with symptoms may have:
    • Vaginal itching
    • Pain when urinating
    • Vaginal discharge with a "fishy" odor

Chlamydia

  • You can get chlamydia by having sex with someone who is infected.
  • Most women have no symptoms. Women with sypmtoms may have:
    • Abnormal vaginal discharge
    • Burning when urinating
    • Bleeding between menstrual periods
  • Infections that are not treated, even if there are no symptoms, can lead to:
    • Lower abdominal pain
    • Low back pain
    • Nausea
    • Fever
    • Pain during sex
    • Bleeding between periods
    • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
    • Infertility

Crabs or Pubic Lice

  • Crabs or Pubic Lice are passed from person to person during sex. You can also get them from sharing clothes, bed sheets, or towels with someone who is infected.
  • Symptoms include:
    • Itching or severe itching
    • You may see lice on your pubic hair or around the genitals

Genital Herpes

  • You can get genital herpes by having sex with someone who is infected. You can also get the herpes virus from kissing, touching, or caressing the infected areas.
  • Some people have no symptoms or can go long periods of time without symptoms.
  • During an "outbreak" the symptoms are clear:
    • Small red bumps, blisters, or open sores on the vagina, penis, rectum, or other nearby areas
    • Vaginal discharge
    • Fever
    • Headache
    • Muscle aches
    • Pain when urinating
    • Itching, burning, or swollen glands in the genital area
    • Pain in legs, buttocks, or genital area
  • Symptoms may go away and then come back
  • Sores usually heal after 2-4 weeks

Gonorrhea

  • You can get gonorrhea by having sex with someone who is infected
  • Symptoms are often mild, but most women have no symptoms. Even when women have symptoms, they can sometimes be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. Symptoms can include:
    • Pain or burning when urinating
    • Yellowish or bloody vaginal discharge
    • Bleeding between menstrual periods

Hepatitis B

  • You can get hepatitis B by having sex with someone who is infected. You can also get it from contaminated blood.
  • Some women may not have symptoms. Women with symptoms may have:
    • Mild fever
    • Headache or muscle aches
    • Tiredness
    • Loss of appetite
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Diarrhea
    • Dark-colored urine and pale bowel movements
    • Stomach pain
    • Skin and whites of the eyes turning yellow (jaundice)

HIV/AIDS

  • You can get HIV, which often leads to AIDS, by having sex with someone who is infected. It is also transmitted through infected blood or blood products.
  • Symptoms of HIV may not apear for 10 years or longer after infection. Symptoms can include:
    • Extreme tiredness
    • Rapid weight loss
    • Frequent low-grade fevers and night sweats
    • Frequent yeast infections in the mouth
    • Vaginal yeast infections and other STDs
    • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
    • Menstrual cycle changes
    • Red, brown, or purplish blotches on (or under) the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

  • You can get HPV by having sex with someone who is infected
  • Some women have no symptoms. Women with symptoms may have:
    • Visible warts in the genital area, including the thighs. Warts can be raised or flat, alone or in groups, small or large.
    • Lesions on the cervix or in the vagina
    • Abnormal Pap smears
    • Cervical cancer or pre-cancer

Syphilis

  • You can get syphilis by having sex with someone who is infected
  • Syphilis has 3 stages:
    • Symptoms of the first, or primary stage:
      • A single, painless sore appears, usually in the genital area but may also appear in the mouth
      • If infection is not treated it moves to the next stage
    • Symptoms of the secondary stage are:
      • Skin rash on the hands and feet that usually does not itch and clears on its own
      • Fever
      • Swollen lymph glands
      • Sore throat
      • Patchy hair loss
      • Headaches
      • Weight loss
      • Muscle aches
      • Tiredness or fatigue
    • In the thrid stage, oftern referred to as the latent or hidden stage, the symptoms above disappear. Some of the symptoms from the seconds stage can come back. The infection remains in the body and can damage the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints.

Trichomoniasis

  • You can get trichomoniasis by having sex with someone who is infected
  • Symptoms usually appear 5-28 days after exposure and can include:
    • Yellow, green, or gray vaginal discharge with a strong odor. This discharge can appear "foamy"
    • Discomfort or pain during sex or while urinating
    • Irritation and itching of the genital areas
    • Lower abdominal pain in rare cases

 For more information on these and other STDs
please visit the Centers for Disease Control website at
www.cdc.gov



Printable View