Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
What is an STD?
There are lots of words for STDs such as VD, the clap, the drip, STIs. They all refer to a group of diseases known as sexually transmitted diseases. STDs are diseases that can be transmitted through sexual contact...that means vaginal, anal or oral sex. Some STDs, like HIV and Hepatitis, can also be transmitted through sharing needles with an infected person or from mother to infant.
STDs and HIV: What is the link between them?
Research and scientific studies have proven that if you have another STD, your chances of both transmitting and being infected with HIV is increased. Someone who is infected with an STD is at least 2 to 5 times more likely than an uninfected person to become infected with HIV if they are exposed to the virus through sexual contact. In addition, if an HIV-infected person is also infected with another STD, that person is more likely to transmit HIV through sexual contact than other HIV-infected persons.
STDs increase your susceptibility to HIV
STDs appear to increase susceptibility to HIV infection two ways - genital ulcers and inflammation. Genital ulcers (which can be caused by STDs such as syphilis or herpes) can cause breaks in the genital tract lining or skin. These breaks create a way for HIV to enter the body. Also, inflammation resulting from genital ulcers or other STDs (such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis) increases the concentration of cells in genital secretions that can serve as way for HIV to enter your body.
STDs increase your HIV infectiousness.
S TDs also appear to increase the risk of an HIV-infected person transmitting the virus to his or her sex partners. Studies have shown that HIV-infected individuals who are also infected with other STDs are more likely to shed HIV in their genital secretions. For example, men who are infected with both gonorrhea and HIV are more than twice more likely to have HIV in their semen than those who are infected only with HIV. The concentration of HIV in semen is as much as 10 times higher in men who are infected with both gonorrhea and HIV than in men infected only with HIV. The higher the concentration of HIV in semen or genital fluids, the more likely it is that HIV will be transmitted to a sex partner.
What is it?
Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD and is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, affecting the genitals (sex organs) of both men and women. It can also infect the rectum, throat and eyes. If left untreated it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility in women. Even though symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent, serious complications that cause serious damage that can't be repaired, including infertility, can happen "silently" before a woman ever knows she has a problem. Chlamydia also can cause discharge from the penis of an infected man and may lead to further problems if left untreated.
How can I get it?
Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Chlamydia may also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth.
What are the symptoms?
Chlamydia is known as a "silent" STD because about three quarters of infected women and about half of infected men have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure.
In females:
- Vaginal discharge
- Pain when passing water
- Bleeding between periods
- Bleeding after sex
- Abdominal pain
- Anal pain, discharge, bleeding (anal sex)
- Sore throat (oral sex)
In males:
- A discharge from the penis
- A burning sensation or pain when passing urine
- Anal pain, discharge, bleeding (anal sex)
- Sore throat (oral sex)
How is it diagnosed?
Chlamydia is diagnosed by taking a swab test or urine test.
How is it treated?
Chlamydia is treaded with antibiotics. Don't have sex for at least a week after you have the treatment to
ensure that it is treated properly. It is treatable, so get it checked out!
What is it?
Gonorrhea is an STD that is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that can grow and multiply easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix (opening to the womb), uterus (womb), and fallopian tubes (egg canals) in women, and in the urethra (urine canal) in women and men. The bacterium can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes and anus.
If left untreated it can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in women, which can lead to infertility and ectopic pregnancies. It is also possible to pass the infection onto a baby when you give birth. In men it can cause a narrowing of the urethra (urine pipe), abscesses and inflamed testicles and prostate gland.
How can I get it?
Gonorrhea is spread through contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus. Ejaculation does not have to occur for gonorrhea to be transmitted or acquired. Gonorrhea can also be spread from mother to baby during delivery.
What are the symptoms?
Some men with gonorrhea may have no symptoms at all. However, some men have signs or symptoms that appear two to five days after infection; symptoms can take as long as 30 days to appear. Symptoms and signs include a burning sensation when urinating, or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis. Sometimes men with gonorrhea get painful or swollen testicles.
In women, the symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild, but most women who are infected have no symptoms. Even when a woman has symptoms, they can be so non-specific as to be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. The initial symptoms and signs in women include a painful or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods. Symptoms of rectal infection in both men and women may include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or painful bowel movements. Rectal infection also may cause no symptoms. Infections in the throat may cause a sore throat but usually causes no symptoms.
How is it diagnosed?
Gonorrhea may be diagnosed from a swab or a urine test.
How is it treated?
Gonorrhea can be treated with antibiotics. Your doctor will take a swab or a urine sample. You will probably
be treated straight away. If you test positive your partners should be treated as well. You should not have
sex for at least a week after you have taken the treatment, so that the infection has a chance to clear
properly. Sometimes if you are pregnant, your doctor may want to check that the infection has cleared.
What is it?
Syphilis is an STD caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. It has often been called "the great imitator" because so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases.
How can I get it?
Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, penis, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores also can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Transmission of the organism happens during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Pregnant women with syphilis can pass it to the babies they are carrying. Although transmission occurs from persons with sores who are in the primary or secondary stage, many of these sores are unrecognized. Thus, transmission may occur from persons who are unaware of their infection. It is also important to note that syphilis CANNOT be spread through contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.
What are the symptoms?
Many people infected with syphilis do not have any symptoms for years, yet remain at risk for late complications if they are not treated. Syphilis has three stages:
Syphilis occurs in several different stages:
Primary Syphilis
In the first stage of syphilis, red, firm, and sometimes wet sores that don't hurt appear on the vagina, rectum, penis, or mouth. There is often just one sore, but there may be several. This type of sore is called a chancre (pronounced: shang-ker). Chancres appear on the part of the body where the spirochetes moved from one person to another. Someone with syphilis may also have swollen glands during this first stage. After a few weeks, the chancre will disappear, but that's not a sign that the disease has gone away. In fact, if the infection hasn't been treated, the disease will continue to get worse.
Syphilis is highly contagious during this first stage. Unfortunately, it can be easy to miss because the chancres are painless and can appear in areas that may not be easy to see, like in the mouth, under the foreskin, or on the anus. This means that people may not know that they are infected, and can pass the disease on to others without realizing it.
Secondary Syphilis
If syphilis hasn't been treated yet, the person will often break out in a rash (especially on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands) and may also notice flu-like symptoms, such as fever and achiness. This can happen weeks to months after the chancre first appears. Sometimes the rashes associated with syphilis can be very faint or look like rashes from other infections and, therefore, may not be noticed. Sores sometimes appear on the lips, mouth, throat, vagina, and anus - but many people with secondary syphilis don't have sores at all.
The symptoms of this secondary stage will go away with or without treatment. But if the infection hasn't been treated, the disease can continue to progress. Syphilis is still contagious during the secondary stage.
Latent Syphilis
If syphilis still hasn't been treated yet, the person will have a period of the illness called latent (hidden) syphilis. This means that all the signs of the disease go away, but the disease is still very much there. Even though the disease is "hiding," the spirochetes are still in the body. Syphilis can remain latent for many years.
Tertiary Syphilis
If the disease still hasn't been treated at this point, some develop tertiary (or late-stage) syphilis. This means the spirochetes have spread all over the body and can affect the brain, the eyes, the heart, the spinal cord, and bones. Symptoms of late syphilis can include difficulty walking, numbness, gradual blindness, and possibly even death.
How is it diagnosed?
Syphilis is diagnosed either by taking a scraping from the ulcer or by a blood test. The blood test may take up to three months to become positive after you have been exposed to this bug.
How is it treated?
Syphilis can be treated with penicillin, or sometimes other antibiotics. The sooner it is treated the better.
You will need to be followed up with blood tests to make sure the infection has been treated.
What is it?
Genital herpes is an STD caused by the herpes simplex viruses, either type 1 (Herpes-1) or type 2 (Herpes-2). Most genital herpes is caused by Herpes 2. Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from Herpes-1 or Herpes-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.
How can I get it?
HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be found in and released from the sores that the viruses cause, but they also are released between outbreaks from skin that does not appear to have a sore. Generally, a person can only get HSV-2 infection during sexual contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. Transmission can occur from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know that he or she is infected along with skin-to-skin contact.
HSV-1 can cause genital herpes, but it more commonly causes infections of the mouth and lips, so-called "fever blisters." HSV-1 infection of the genitals can be caused by oral-genital or genital-genital contact with a person who has HSV-1 infection. Genital HSV-1 outbreaks recur less regularly than genital HSV-2 outbreaks.
What are the symptoms?
Most people infected with Herpes-2 are not aware of their infection. However, if signs and symptoms occur during the first outbreak, they can be quite severe. The first outbreak usually occurs within two weeks after the virus is transmitted, and the sores usually heal within two to four weeks. Other signs and symptoms during the primary episode may include a second set of sores, and flu-like symptoms, including fever and swollen glands. However, most individuals with HSV-2 infection never have sores, or they have very mild signs that they do not even notice or that they mistake for insect bites or another skin condition.
People diagnosed with a first episode of genital herpes can expect to have several (typically four or five) outbreaks within a year. Over time these outbreaks usually decrease in frequency. It is possible that a person becomes aware of the "first episode" years after the infection is acquired.
How is it diagnosed?
Herpes is diagnosed by analysing a swab of the blister fluid. This should be done early in the infection, so try
to see a doctor soon after your symptoms start.In some special circumstances a blood test may be done to
see if you have been exposed to this virus in the past.
How is it treated?
As yet there is no cure, but there are anti-viral antibiotics that can be used to control a flare up. If you're
planning on getting pregnant be sure to speak to your doctor beforehand as a potentially fatal herpes
infection can be passed onto your baby.
What is it?
Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STD. The virus infects the skin and mucous membranes. There are more than 40 types of HPV that can infect the genital areas of men and women, including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), and anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix and rectum. You cannot see HPV. Most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.
How can I get it?
Genital HPV is passed on through sexual contact, most often during vaginal and anal sex. Most infected persons do not realize they are infected or that they are passing the virus to a sex partner. Very rarely, a pregnant woman with genital HPV can pass HPV to her baby during vaginal delivery. In these cases, the child may develop warts in the throat or voice box.
What are the symptoms?
Most people with HPV do not have symptoms or health problems. But sometimes, certain types of HPV can cause genital warts in men and women. Other HPV types can cause cervical cancer and other less common cancers, such as cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, and penis. The types of HPV that can cause genital warts are not the same as the types that can cause cancer.
HPV types are often referred to as "low-risk" (wart-causing) or "high-risk" (cancer-causing), based on whether they put a person at risk for cancer. In 90% of cases, the body's immune system clears the HPV infection naturally within two years. This is true of both high-risk and low-risk types.
Genital warts usually appear as small bumps or groups of bumps, usually in the genital area. They can be raised or flat, single or multiple, small or large, and sometimes cauliflower shaped. They can appear on the vulva, in or around the vagina or anus, on the cervix, and on the penis, scrotum, groin, or thigh. Warts may appear within weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected person. Or, they may not appear at all. If left untreated, genital warts may go away, remain unchanged, or increase in size or number. They will not turn into cancer.
How is it diagnosed?
HPV sometimes can be suspected by changes that appear on a Pap smear, since pap smears identify
infected abnormal cells that may be precursors to cancer. The pap smear itself cannot definitely establish
the diagnosis of HPV infection, unless special testing for the DNA of HPV is done on the material obtained
from the pap smear. When there is an abnormal pap smear, the doctor often will do advanced testing on the
material to determine if, and which kind, of HPV may be present. HPV also can be detected if a biopsy (for
example, from a genital wart or from the uterine cervix) is sent to the laboratory for analysis.
Genital warts are fairly common; approximately 500,000 new cases of genital warts are diagnosed each year
in the U.S. A typical appearance of a genital wart may prompt the physician to treat without further testing,
especially in someone who has had prior outbreaks of genital warts. Genital warts usually appear as small,
fleshy, raised bumps, but they sometimes can be extensive and have a cauliflower-like appearance. They
may occur on any sexually-exposed area. Over 90% of genital warts are caused by HPV-6 and HPV-11, the
so-called "low risk" HPV types.
How is it treated?
In order to reduce the size of the warts you can use a special solution called podophyllin, which is painted
onto the warts. This will not take away the virus which remains in your skin, and the wart may therefore
come back. Sometimes your doctor will advise freezing the warts off.
Prevention: There is a vaccine to prevent infection with some of the viruses which cause genital warts. Ask
your doctor for details.
What is it?
Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease that ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness. It results from infection with the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B can be either "acute" or "chronic."
Acute hepatitis B virus infection is a short-term illness that occurs within the first six months after someone is exposed to the hepatitis B virus. Acute infection can - but does not always - lead to chronic infection. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is a long-term illness that occurs when the hepatitis B virus remains in a person's body.
How can I get it?
Hepatitis B is spread when blood, semen, or other body fluid infected with the hepatitis B virus enters the body of a person who is not infected. People can become infected with the virus during activities such as: Birth (spread from an infected mother to her baby during birth), sex with an infected partner, sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment, sharing items such as razors or toothbrushes with an infected person, direct contact with the blood or open sores of an infected person and exposure to blood from needle sticks or other sharp instruments.
What are the symptoms?
For most people, symptoms appear 90 days (or three months) after exposure, but they can appear any time between six weeks and six months after exposure. Symptoms usually last a few weeks, but some people can be ill for as long as six months.
Symptoms of acute hepatitis B, if they appear, can include: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain and jaundice (yellow color in the skin or the eyes).
How is it diagnosed?
Hepatitis B is diagnosed by a blood test
How is it treated?
Most adults infected will recover and develop life-long immunity; however a small percentage will become
chronic and may have problems in the long term. These problems include liver failure and liver cancer. If you
develop chronic hepatitis B you should be seen by a liver specialist.
Prevention: Hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccination. In some parts of the world you will automatically be vaccinated against hepatitis B. If you are a man who has sex with men, you have multiple sexual partners, you live with someone who has chronic hepatitis B, you use drugs (either injecting or snorting), check HIV Express for a location near you that offers Hep A & B vaccine.
What is it?
Trichomoniasis is a common STD that affects both women and men, although symptoms are more common in women.
How can I get it?
Trichomoniasis is caused by the single-celled protozoan parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis. The vagina is the most common site of infection in women, and the urethra (urine canal) is the most common site of infection in men. The parasite is sexually transmitted through penis-to-vagina intercourse or vulva-to-vulva (the genital area outside the vagina) contact with an infected partner. Women can acquire the disease from infected men or women, but men usually contract it only from infected women.
What are the symptoms?
Most men with trichomoniasis do not have signs or symptoms; however, some men may temporarily have an irritation inside the penis, mild discharge, or slight burning after urination or ejaculation.
Some women have signs or symptoms of infection which include a frothy, yellow-green vaginal discharge with a strong odor. The infection also may cause discomfort during intercourse and urination, as well as irritation and itching of the female genital area. In rare cases, lower abdominal pain can occur. Symptoms usually appear in women within 5 to 28 days of exposure.
How is it diagnosed?
For both men and women, a health care provider must perform a physical examination and laboratory test to
diagnose trichomoniasis. The parasite is harder to detect in men than in women. In women, a pelvic
examination can reveal small red ulcerations (sores) on the vaginal wall or cervix.
How is it treated?
Trichomoniasis can usually be cured with prescription drugs, either metronidazole or tinidazole, given by
mouth in a single dose. The symptoms of trichomoniasis in infected men may disappear within a few weeks
without treatment. However, an infected man, even a man who has never had symptoms or whose
symptoms have stopped, can continue to infect or re-infect a female partner until he has been treated.
Therefore, both partners should be treated at the same time to eliminate the parasite. Persons being treated
for trichomoniasis should avoid sex until they and their sex partners complete treatment and have no
symptoms. Metronidazole can be used by pregnant women.
What is it?
Crabs (also called pubic lice) are small, wingless insects that infest pubic hair. Both men and women can get crabs.
How can I get them?
Crabs are usually spread through sexual contact. They can also be spread through close contact with infected towels, bedding, or clothing, pubic crabs are easy to catch and pass on to other people. Luckily, they are also easy to treat and pose no serious threat to your health.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms, which usually appear within 5 days of being exposed, include itching in the groin area. The crabs look like small flakes of skin to the naked eye, but you can actually see the insects with a magnifying glass. You may also see white or gray dots in your pubic hair; these are louse eggs. You may also notice dark spots on your skin or underwear. These spots are the crab feces and indicate a definite infection. It is also not uncommon to feel irritated and run down and even have a slight fever.
How is it diagnosed?
Generally speaking, pubic crabs pose no serious harm to your body. However, it is not recommended to let your infection continue without treatment. Crabs will not go away on their own and could cause skin damage from frequent feeding. Your skin may become infected if you scratch too much. If you notice pus in the area, or any open sores, consult your doctor. If you begin to experience a high fever or an unusual discharge it is also necessary to see the doctor. A correlation has been found between pubic crabs and other sexually transmitted diseases. More than 30% of people infected with crabs also have another STD.
How is it treated?
Medicated creams and shampoos can cure crabs. Some of these treatments are available without a prescription at the drug store. Follow directions carefully. You do not need to shave your pubic hair to remove crabs. Clothes, bedding, towels, and other items that may contain the lice should be machine washed and dried on a hot cycle setting, or dry-cleaned. Articles that cannot be washed can be sealed in a plastic bag for 72 hours. Fumigation of living areas is not necessary. A person can become re-infested after treatment if exposed to crabs again.
In addition to the discomfort of the infestation, repeated scratching of the infested area can result in a serious skin infection. If you have symptoms or think you've been exposed to crabs, get examined and treated immediately to avoid any complications and continued transmission.
What is it?
Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by mites, tiny insects that burrow their way under the skin. The mite feeds on human blood and lays eggs under the skin. Both men and women can get scabies.
How can I get them?
Scabies is spread through close person-to-person contact between sex partners or among people who live in the same household. Scabies mites can also be spread through contaminated clothing and bedding.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms may include itching in the infested area, especially at night.This is the result of the body's allergic reaction to the mites, their eggs, and their waste products.The first time a person is ever infested, symptoms usually begin 3 to 4 weeks after exposure. People who have been infested with scabies in the past may develop symptoms much more quickly when re-infested, usually within 24 hours after exposure. Bumps may appear on the external genitals, between the fingers, and in skin folds such as the inside of the wrist and elbow, the buttocks, and in the creases of the groin.The bumps may become inflamed, crusty, or hard.
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor or other health-care provider can tell if you have scabies by examining the infested area. In addition to the discomfort of the infestation, repeated scratching of the infested area can result in a serious skin infection. If you have symptoms or think you've been exposed to scabies, get examined and treated immediately to avoid any complications. People with a weakened immune system, such as persons with advanced HIV infection, are at higher risk for crusted scabies, a serious skin infection that is more difficult to treat.
How is it treated?
Medicated creams and lotions can cure scabies. Although the mites themselves will be dead at the end of treatment, itching may continue for a few more weeks because of the body's continuing allergic reaction. If symptoms continue for more than 2 weeks after being treated, you should see your provider again. Clothes, bedding, towels, and other items that may contain the mites should be machine-washed and dried on a hot cycle setting, or dry-cleaned. Articles that cannot be washed can be sealed in a plastic bag for 72 hours. Fumigation of living areas is not necessary. A person can become re-infested after treatment if exposed to scabies again.
