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STD Sexually Transmitted Disease
Is an infection or disease passed from
person to person through sexual contact.
The United States has the highest rates
of STDs in the industrialized world. In the United States alone, about
19 million new infections are estimated to occur each year. Women suffer
more frequent and more serious complications from STDs than men.
You can get and pass STDs through
vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Trichomoniasis can also 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. Some STDs cause no symptoms. But STDs can still be passed from
person to person even if there are no symptoms.
Here are some STDs and their symptoms.
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Symptoms of Sexual Transmitted
Diseases |
|
STD |
Symptoms |
|
BV |
Most women have no symptoms.
Women with symptoms may have:
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vaginal itching
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pain when urinating
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discharge with a fishy odor
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Chlamydia |
Most women have no symptoms.
Women with symptoms may have:
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abnormal vaginal discharge
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burning when urinating
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bleeding between menstrual
periods
Infections that are not treated,
even if there are no symptoms, can lead to:
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lower abdominal pain
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low back pain
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nausea
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fever
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pain during sex
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bleeding between periods
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Genital Herpes |
Some people may have no
symptoms. During an “outbreak,” the symptoms are clear:
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small red bumps, blisters,
or open sores on the penis, vagina, or on areas close by
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vaginal discharge
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fever
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headache
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muscle aches
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pain when urinating
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itching, burning, or swollen
glands in genital area
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pain in legs, buttocks, or
genital area
Symptoms may go away and then
come back. Sores heal after two to four weeks. |
|
Gonorrhea |
Symptoms are often mild, but
most women have no symptoms. Even when women have symptoms, they
can sometimes be mistaken for a bladder or another vaginal
infection. Symptoms are:
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pain or burning when
urinating
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yellowish and sometimes
bloody vaginal discharge
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bleeding between menstrual
periods
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Hepatitis B |
Some women have no symptoms.
Women with symptoms may have:
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mild fever
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headache and muscle aches
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tiredness
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loss of appetite
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nausea or vomiting
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diarrhea
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dark-colored urine and pale
bowel movements
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stomach pain
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skin and whites of eyes
turning yellow
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HIV/AIDS |
Some women may have no symptoms
for 10 years or more. Women with symptoms may have:
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extreme fatigue
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rapid weight loss
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frequent low-grade fevers
and night sweats
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frequent yeast infections
(in the mouth)
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vaginal yeast infections and
other STDs
-
pelvic inflammatory disease
(PID)
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menstrual cycle changes
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red, brown, or purplish
blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or
eyelids
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Human
Papillomavirus (HPV) |
Some women have no symptoms.
Women with symptoms may have:
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visible warts in the genital
area, including the thighs. Warts can be raised or flat,
alone or in groups, small or large, and sometimes they are
cauliflower-shaped.
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lesions on the cervix and in
the vagina
|
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Pubic
Lice |
|
|
Syphilis |
Symptoms in the first, or
primary stage:
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a single, painless sore
appears, usually in the genital areas but may appear in the
mouth
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if infection is not treated,
it moves to the next stage
Symptoms in the next, or secondary,
stage are:
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skin rash on the hands and
feet that usually does not itch and clears on its own
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fever
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swollen lymph glands
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sore throat
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patchy hair loss
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headaches
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weight loss
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muscle aches
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tiredness
In the latent, or hidden, stage,
the symptoms listed above disappear, but the symptoms from the
second stage can come back. In the late stage, infection remains
in the body and can damage the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood
vessels, liver, bones, and joints. |
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Trichomoniasis |
Symptoms usually appear 5 to 28
days after exposure and can include:
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yellow, green, or gray
vaginal discharge (often foamy) with a strong odor
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discomfort during sex and
when urinating
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irritation and itching of
the genital area
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lower abdominal pain in rare
cases
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Talk with your doctor or nurse about
getting tested for STDs. She or he can tell you how to test for each
STD.
While each STD causes different health
problems, overall, they 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. HIV/AIDS can cause a number of health problems and
raise the risk of getting life-threatening diseases and certain forms of
cancer.
The treatment depends on the type of
STD. For some STDs, treatment may involve taking medicine or getting a
shot. For other STDs that can’t be cured, like herpes, there is
treatment to relieve the symptoms.
Ways to avoid getting an STD
There are steps you can take to keep
from getting an STD:
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Don’t have sex.
The best way to prevent any STD is to practice abstinence, or not
having vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
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Be faithful.
Have a sexual relationship with one partner who has been tested for
STDs and is not infected is another way to reduce your chances of
getting infected. Be faithful to each other, meaning that you only
have sex with each other and no one else.
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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. For vaginal sex, use a latex male condom or a female
polyurethane condom. For anal sex, use a latex male condom. For oral
sex, use a dental dam. A dental dam is a rubbery material that can
be placed over the anus or the vagina before sexual contact.
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Know that some methods of birth
control, like birth control pills, shots, implants, or diaphragms,
will not protect you from STDs.
If you use one of these methods, be sure to also use a latex condom
or dental dam (used for oral sex) correctly every time you
have sex.
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Talk with your sex partner(s)
about STDs and using condoms.
It’s up to you to make sure you are protected. Remember, it’s YOUR
body! For more information, call the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention at .
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Talk frankly with your doctor or
nurse and your sex partner(s) about any STDs you or your partner
have or had. Try not to
be embarrassed.
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Have regular pelvic exams.
Talk with your doctor about how often you need them. Many tests for
STDs can be done during an exam. Ask your doctor to test you for
STDs. The sooner an STD is found, the easier it is to treat.
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