Definition of Sex....pg. 1
Difference Between STD & STI.....pg. 2
The Epidemic.....pg. 3 - 4
Sexually Transmitted Disease Types.....pg. 5
Term Glossary.....pg. 6
Viral STDs.....pg. 7-18
Bacterial STDs.....pg. 19-31
Protozoan STDs.....pg. 32-35
Ectoparasites STDs.....pg. 36-38
Latest Pregnancy Report.....pg. 39
Reality Check Inc. defines sex as this way:
"Sex is anything from the top of your head to the tip of your toe in someone else's underwear zone or their anything in your underwear zone."
This definition covers all areas of sexual activity without being verbally explicit. The sexually transmitted diseases we will describe in this guide can be contracted if your are participating in activity defined by our definition of sex.
Sexually transmitted disease (STD)
and sexually transmitted infection (STI)
many times are used identically.
However, they are by no means equal.
STI is the broader term with the definition including that, ". . . dangerous pathogenic organisms . . ." are ". . . present in the human body without causing disease."
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) ". . . result from damage caused by a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that has progressed.
Although all STDs are preceded by STIs, not all STIs result in the development of STDs."
STD
=
Specific
STI
Broad
Wouldn't it be nice if all we had to worry about was something this simple?
That however, is not the reality when 1 out 4 teen girls has an STD. This information below is what we actually face.
*Special Thanks to the Producer of "Cooties", James Murray, for the generous use of his work.
STDs have emerged as a significant threat to adolescent health.
The consequences include chronic pelvic pain, genital lesions, lifetime infection, infertility, ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, damage to unborn children, cancer, and in some cases death. *1013
Adolescent STD rates are higher than rates for all other age groups. One quarter of sexually active teens have an STD, and adolescent rates for most STDs are on the rise. *11,14,15
The growing STD problem has been called a hidden epidemic. *11,16
The direct medical cost of 9 million new cases of STDs that occurred among U.S. adolescents and young adults (1524-year olds) in the year 2000 was estimated at $6.5 billion (in year 2000 dollars). *17
CDC estimates that there are 19 million new STD infections every year, making STDs the most commonly reported infectious diseases in the United States. STDs are estimated to cost the U.S. health care system about $16 billion annually, and can cause serious long-term health consequences. Left untreated, STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can lead to infertility, and many STDs increase the risk of HIV infection..
(http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/Newsroom/stdconferencepressrelease.html)
Before we get into the names of the STDs, we need to cover the TYPES of STDs (categories) out there.
Viral:
A viral infection is any type of infection that is caused by a virus, which is even smaller than bacteria and is encapsulated by a protective coating so it is more difficult to kill than bacteria. This is why it is so difficult to treat viral infections.
Bacterial:
A bacterial infection is any type of infection that is caused by bacteria (rather than a virus). When we get bacterial infections, they usually have to be treated with antibiotics.
Sign & Symptoms:
A characteristic sign or indication of the existence of something else. An indication of disorder or disease, especially when experienced by an individual as a change from normal function, sensation, or appearance.
Transmission:
The transfer of an infection from person to person.
Incubation Period:
The period of time between infection and the appearance of symptoms of the disease.
Congenital:
Present at birth but not necessarily hereditary; acquired during fetal development.
Your body must fight the infection off on it's own. If it cannot, then you will have the virus for a lifetime.
HOW COMMON?
It's a member of the herpes virus family and one of the most common human viruses. When infection with EBV occurs during adolescence or young adulthood, it causes infectious mononucleosis 35% - 50% of the time.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS?
•Fever
•Sore Throat
•Swollen Lymph Nodes
Continued.....
(Signs & Symptoms continued)
Although symptoms of infectious mononucleosis usually resolve in 1 or 2 months, EBV remains dormant or latent in a few cells in the throat & blood for the rest of a person's life. Periodically, the virus can reactivate & is commonly found in the saliva of infected persons. This reactivation usually occurs without symptoms of illness.
TRANSMISSION?
Requires intimate contact with the saliva (found in the mouth) of an infected person. Incubation period, time from infection to appearance of symptoms, ranges from 4 to 6 weeks.
CURE?
No cure, only treament for symptoms.
An estimated 800,000-1.4 million persons in the US have chronic HBV infection.
Fever
Fatigue
Loss of Appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal Pain
Dark Urine
Clay-colored bowl movements
Joint Pain
Jaundice
Transmitted through activities that involve percutaneous (i.e. puncture through the skin) or mucosal contact with infectious blood or body fluids (e.g. semen, saliva) including:
QUICK FYI:
Herpes Simplex Virus has two types: TYPE 1 (HSV-1) and TYPE 2 (HSV-2). Most GENITAL HERPES is caused by HSV-2. HSV-1 more commonly causes fever blisters. (Fever Blisters can be transmitted to the genital area as well.)
Nationwide, 16.2%, or about one out of six, people 14 to 49 years of age have genital HSV-2 infection (GENITAL HERPES).
Most individuals have no or only minimal signs of symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infections.
When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more painful blisters on or around the genitals or rectum.
You can get either types by coming in contact with the herpes sores, but can also be acquired between outbreaks from skin that does not appear to have a sore.
A SORE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE VISITBLE TO GET HERPES.
NO, the infection can stay in the body indefinitely. There is no treatment that can cure herpes.
Visit the HERPES COUNTERnow and write down the current number of herpes cases reported since Jan. 01, 2010. THEN finish reading The Facts book. Feel free to browse the website but keep track of your time. Before you log off, go back to the HERPES COUNTER and see how many cases were reported since you last logged on.
You'll be surprised.
Between 50% & 80% of adults in the U.S. are infected with CMV by 40 years of age. CMV is the most common virus transmittted to a pregnant woman's unborn child.
Approximately 1 in 150 children is born with congenital CMV infection.
Approximately 1 in 750 children is born with or develops disabilities caused by CMV.
Approximately 8,000 children each year suffer permanent disabilities caused by CMV.
Congenital CMV (meaning present at birth) is as common a cause of serious disability as Down's Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and Neural Tube Defects.
Most CMV infections are "silent", meaning they cause no signs or symptoms in an infected person.
However, CMV can cause disease in unborn babies and in people with a weakened immune system.
Mental Disability
Hearing Loss
Vision Loss
Sign & Symptoms Continued...
Growth Problems
Lung Problems
Bleeding Problems
Liver Problems
Spleen Problems
CMV can cause symptoms when the baby is born or later in the baby's life. Most babies born with CMV never develop symptoms or disabilities. In some infants, hearing or vision loss occurs months or years after birth.
CMV is found in body fluids, including:
Urine
Saliva (Spit)
Breast Milk
Blood
Tears
Semen
Vaginal Fluids
NO, once CMV is in a person's body, it stays there for life.
HIV is the virus that can lead to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS.
At the end of 2006, an estimated 1,106,400 persons in the U.S. were living with HIV infection, with 21% undiagnosed. In 2008, CDC estimated that approximately 56,300 people were newly infected with HIV in 2006 (the most recent year that data are available).
Within a few weeks of being infected with HIV, some people develop flu-like symptoms that last for a week or two, but others have no symptoms at all. People living with HIV may appear and feel healthy for several years. However, even if they feel healthy, HIV is still affecing their bodies.
HIV can be transmitted by coming in contact with the 5 body fluids:
Vaginal Fluid
NO
AIDS?
AIDS is the last stage of HIV infection, when a person's immune system is severly damaged and has difficulty fighting diseases and certain cancers.
Human Paillomavirus (pap-ah-LO-mah-VYE-rus) (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the U.S.
At least 50% of sexually active people will have genital HPV at some time in their lives.
Genital human paillom There are more than 40 HPV types than can infect the genital areas of males & females. These HPV types can also infect the mouth & throat.
There are 80 - 100 different types of HPV.
It is possible to get more than one types of HPV.
HPV is NOT the same as Herpes or HIV. A person can have HPV even if years have passed since he or she had sexual contact with an infected person.
Most people with HPV DO NOT develop symptoms or signs from it. In 90% of cases, the body's immune system clears HPV naturally within two...
Signs & Symptoms Continued...
years. BUT there is no way to know which people who get HPV will go on to develop cancer or other health problems.
Most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.
Genital Warts are caused by the HPV virus.
HPV is passed through ANY type of sexual activity or coming in contact with the genitals and surrounding areas of an infected person. You cannot tell someone has HPV just by looking at them.
Coming in contact with the warts of an infected person, and sometimes warts do not have to be present.
A pregnant woman with genital HPV can pass HPV to her baby during delivery.
Check out a candid conversation about
HPV, from our Executive Director!!
www.realitycheckincorporated.blogspot.com
Molluscum contagiosum is a common skin disease that is caused by a virus. The disease is generally mild. However, it can be transmitted.
It causes small white, pink, or flesh-colored bumps or growths with dimple or pit in the center. The bumps are usually smooth
The virus can be spread from person to person. This can happen if the growths on one person are touched by another person. Molluscum can also be spread from one person to another by sexual contact. Bumps in these areas sometimes mean that molluscum or some other disease was spread through sexual contact.
The virus lives only in the skin & once the growths are gone, the virus is gone & you cannot spread the virus to others.
No, however treatment is not usually required because the bumps disappear on their own within 6 months. Sometimes they may not go away completely for up to 4 years.
Bacterial STDs are curable, HOWEVER, there is no cure for the damage done to your body by a bacterial STD.
BV is the most common vaginal infection in women of childbearing age.
BV is the name of a condition in women where the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted & replaced by an overgrowth of certain bacteria.
Women with BV may have:
Abnormal vaginal discharge
Discharge with an unpleasant odor
Discharge that is white or gray
Burning during urination
Itching
However, most women with BV report no signs or symptoms at all.
Transmitted through sexual contact.
BV is treatable with antibiotics.
Although BV will sometimes clear up without treatment, all women with symptoms of BV should be treated to avoid complications
BV can recur after treatment.
In the U.S., Chancroid usually occurs in discrete outbreaks, although the disease is prevalent in some areas.
Chancroid is a cofactor for HIV transmission.
The combination of a painful genital ulcer as well as tender suppurative inguinal adenopathy.
Transmitted through sexual contact regardless of whether sypmptoms of the disease are present.
Successful treatment for chancroid cures the infections, resolves the clinical symptoms, and prevents transmission to others.
In advanced cases, scarring can results, despite successful therapy.
Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. In 2008, 1,210,523 chlamydial infections were reported to CDC. Under-reporting is substantial because most people with chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing.
Chlamydia is known as a "silent" disease because the majority of infected people have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure.
Women might have:
abnormal vaginal discharge,
a burning sensation when urinating,
lower abdominal pain,
low back pain,
nausea,
fever,
pain during intercourse,
bleeding between menstrual periods.
Men might have:
discharge from their penis,
burning sensation when urinating,
burning and itching.
Chlamydia can be transmitted during any type of sexual activity (see our definition on page 1). Chlamydia can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth. Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia.
There are treaments available for Chlamydia but damage done cannot be reversed.
If untreated, chlamydial infections can progress to serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences. Like the disease itself, the damage that chlamydia causes is often "silent."
In women, untreated infection can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease(PID). This happens in about 10 to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia.
Gonorrhea is a very common infectious disease. CDC estimates that more than 700,000 persons in the U.S. get new gonorrheal infections each year.
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:
or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis,
(Sometimes) painful or swollen testicles,
can cause epididymitis (a painful condition of the ducts attached to the testicles that may lead to infertility if left untreated)
In women, the symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild, but most women who are infected have no symptoms. The initial symptoms and signs in women include:
a painful or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal discharge,
vaginal bleeding between periods,
and can lead to PID (pelvic inflammatory disease).
About one million women each year develop PID in the U.S.
Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection, regardless of the presence or severity of symptoms.
For both men & women, Gonorrhea can spread to the blood or joints. This condition can be life threatening. In addition, people with gonorrhea can more easily contract HIV.
Infections in the throat may cause a sore throat but usually causes no symptoms.
Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems in both women and men.
Gonorrhea is spread through simple contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus.
Gonorrhea can also be spread from mother to baby during delivery.
People who have had gonorrhea and received treatment may get infected again if they have sexual contact with a person infected with gonorrhea.
Several antibiotics can successfully cure gonorrhea in adolescents and adults.
However, drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea are increasing in many areas of the world, including the United States, and successful treatment of gonorrhea is becoming more difficult.
Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a systemic, sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a type of Chlamydia trachomatis (serovars L1, L2, or L3) that rarely occurs in the United States and other industrialized countries. However, the Netherlands (MMWR Oct. 29, 2004) and other European countries have reported increases in LGV proctitis among men who have sex with men (MSM).
mucoid /purulent anal discharge,
rectal bleeding,
constipation,
inguinal/femoral lymphadenopathy (buboes), genital or rectal ulcer or papule,
anal spasms,
and/or tenesmus.
MORE INFO?
For additional information, click on the title name at the top of the page. Currently there is not a vast amount of information on the CDC regarding Lymphogranuloma Venereum.
In the United States, health officials reported over 36,000 cases of syphilis in 2006 (most recent reportable year), including 9,756 cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis.
It has often been called the "great imitator" because so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases.
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 occurs in three stages of signs & symptoms. They are as follows:
PRIMARY STAGE
This stage is usually marked by the appearance of a single sore (called a chancre), but there may be multiple sores. The time between infection with syphilis and the start of the first symptom can range from 10 to 90 days (average 21 days). The chancre is usually firm, round, small, and painless. It appears at the spot where syphilis entered the body. The chancre lasts 3 to 6 weeks, and it heals without treatment.
However, if adequate treatment is not administered, the infection progresses to the secondary stage.
SECONDARY STAGE
This stage typically starts with the development of a rash on one or more areas of the body. The rash usually does not cause itching. Rashes associated with secondary syphilis can appear as the chancre is healing or several weeks after the chancre has healed.
The characteristic rash of secondary syphilis may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. However, rashes with a different appearance may occur on other parts of the body, sometimes resembling rashes caused by other diseases. Sometimes rashes associated with secondary syphilis are 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, & fatigue.
The signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis will resolve with or without treatment, but without treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and possibly late stages of disease.
LATE & LATENT STAGES
The latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when primary and secondary symptoms disappear. Without treatment, the infected person will continue to have syphilis even though there are no signs or symptoms; infection remains in the body.
This latent stage can last for years. The late stages of syphilis can develop in about 15% of people who have not been treated for syphilis, and can appear 10-20 years after infection was first acquired. In the late stages of syphilis, the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints may be damaged.
Signs and symptoms of the late stage of syphilis include:
difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis,
numbness,
gradual blindness,
and dementia.
This damage may be serious enough to cause death.
Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores also can occur on the lips and in the mouth.
Transmission of the organism can occur during sexual activity (see our definition on page 1).
Pregnant women with the disease can pass it to the babies they are carrying.
Syphilis is easy to cure in its early stages. A single antibiotic will cure a person who has had syphilis for less than a year. (Additional doses are needed to treat someone who has had syphilis for longer than a year.)
Treatment will kill the syphilis bacterium and prevent further damage, but it will not repair damage already done.
Just because you have had Syphilis before, DOES NOT mean you cannot get it again. You can contract it as long as you come in contact with someone who has it.
A protozoan std is caused by a parasite infection.
Just click on each Protozoan to go directly to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website!
Giardiasis is caused by a microscopic parasite. It is a common cause of waterborne disease but can also be transmitted by sexual contact.
Diarrhea, Gas or flatulence, Greasy stools that tend to float, Stomach or abdominal cramps, Upset stomach or nausea.
People exposed to human feces through sexual contact. Also by having contact with someone who is ill with giardiasis.
Several prescription drugs are available to treat Giardia infection.
Amebiasis (am-e-BI-a-sis) is caused by the parasite Entamoeba histolytica. It can affect anyone, although it is more common in people who live in tropical areas with poor sanitary conditions. Diagnosis can be difficult because other parasites can look very similar to E. histolytica when seen under a microscope.
Only about 10% to 20% of people infected with Amebiasis become sick from the infection.
The symptoms often are quite mild and can include:
loose stools,
stomach pain,
and stomach cramping.
Amebic dysentery is a severe form of amebiasis associated with stomach pain, bloody stools, and fever.
Rarely, E. histolytica invades the liver and forms an abscess.
Even less commonly, it spreads to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or brain.
If your doctor determines that you are infected and need treatment, medication is available.
The most common curable STD in young, sexually active men & women. An estimated 7.4 million new cases occur each year.
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.
Men & women can contract this single-cell parasite by sexual contact with an infected person. Please reference our definition of sexual activity or contact on page 1.
It can usually be cured with prescription drugs. Having trichomoniasis once does not protect a person from getting it again.
Cryptosporidiosis is a diarrheal disease caused by microscopic parasites, Cryptosporidium, that can live in the intestine of humans and animals and is passed in the stool of an infected person or animal. Both the disease and the parasite are commonly known as "Crypto."
The most common symptom of cryptosporidiosis is watery diarrhea. Other symptoms include:
Stomach cramps or pain
Dehydration
Weight loss
Other people may have no symptoms at all.
By exposure to human feces through sexual contact. Please reference our definition of sexual activity or contact on page 1.
Most people who have healthy immune systems will recover without treatment.
Just click on each Ectoparasite to go directly to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website!
An Ectoparasite is an external parasitic organism.
Scabies is found worldwide and affects people of all races and social classes. Scabies can spread rapidly under crowded conditions where close body and skin contact is frequent.
When a person is infested with scabies mites the first time, symptoms usually do not appear for up to two months (2-6 weeks) after being infested; however, an infested person still can spread scabies during this time even though he/she does not have symptoms.
If a person has had scabies before, symptoms appear much sooner (1-4 days) after exposure.
Severe itching (pruritus), especially at night, is the earliest and most common symptom of scabies.
Itching and rash may affect much of the body or be limited to common sites such as:
between the fingers, wrist, elbow, armpit, penis, nipple, waist, buttocks, shoulder blades.
Burrows (caused by scabies mite tunneling) appear as tiny raised and crooked (serpiginous) grayish-white or skin-colored lines on the skin surface.
The microscopic scabies mite almost always is passed by direct, prolonged, skin-to-skin contact with a person who already is infested. An infested person can spread scabies even if he or she has no symptoms. Humans are the source of infestation; animals do not spread human scabies.
Scabicides used to treat human scabies are available only with a doctors prescription. No "over the counter" medications will work. Itching and rash will persist a few weeks after treatment.
Also called crab lice or "crabs," pubic lice are parasitic insects found primarily in the pubic or genital area of humans. Pubic lice infestation is found worldwide and occurs in all races, ethnic groups, and levels of society.
A pubic lice infestation is diagnosed by finding a crab louse or egg (nit) on hair in the pubic region or, less commonly, elsewhere on the body (eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, mustache, armpit, perianal area, groin, trunk, scalp).
Pubic lice may be difficult to find because there may be only a few.
Persons infested with pubic lice should be investigated for the presence of other sexually transmitted diseases.
Pubic lice usually are spread through sexual contact and are most common in adults.
The lice can be killed by over-the-counter lice medication. Infected persons MUST follow the directions carefully for the medication to be effective.
Now that we're done with STD/STI's, let's look at...
For every 1 girl that gets pregnant, 5 will get an STD.
(Oh, wait, I said we were done with STDs! Just thought that fact would peak your interest.)
Each year, almost 750,000 women aged 15-19 become pregnant. Overall, 71.5 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15-19 occurred in 2006; the rate declined 41% from its peak in 1990 to a low of 69.5 in 2005.
Ten percent of all U.S. births are to teens.
Fifty-nine percent of pregnancies among 15-19 year-olds ended in birth in 2006.
Seven percent of teen mothers receive late or no prenatal care. Babies born to teens are more likely to be low-birth-weight than are those born to women in their 20s and 30s.
BETTER YET, READ THE
PREGNANCY REPORT FOR
YOURSELF.
CDC Pregnancy
Report
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