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"Saying no is the best way to protect yourself from getting Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS. But it's also important to stay in school, get a good education and be prepared so that when the time is right, you can have a healthy family."
There are about 12 million new infections reported every year.
About 3 million new cases are among 13 to 18 year olds.
STDs fall into two categories: bacterial and viral
|
Bacterial |
Viral |
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Chlamydia |
Genital warts (HPV) |
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Gonorrhea |
Herpes (HSV) |
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Syphilis |
Hepatitis (HBV) |
|
Trichomoniasis |
HIV/AIDS |
Bacterial STDs can be treated and cured, while the symptoms of viral STDs can be treated. Once someone has a viral STD they have it for life.
|
STD |
Transmitted |
Signs/ Symptoms |
Treatment |
|
Chlamydia |
vaginal, anal, oral intercourse with infected partner or from infected mother to child |
Women--frequent and/or painful urination, vaginal discharge and abdominal pain. Men-- watery, white, or yellow discharge from penis or pain during urination. |
Use of antibiotics |
|
HPV |
vaginal, anal, oral intercourse with an infected partner, or from infected mother to child during childbirth |
small, bumpy warts on the sex organs and anus, itching or burning around the sex organs, the virus stays in the body. |
Warts can be removed by a physician using laser or cryosurgery. |
|
Gonorrhea |
vaginal, anal, oral intercourse with infected partner or from infected mother to child |
Women--vaginal discharge, burning or pain during urination, abdominal cramps Men-- penile discharge, frequent and burning during urination. |
Antibiotics |
|
Herpes |
vaginal, anal, oral intercourse with infected partner during an outbreak |
Genital sores or lesions, itching or burning before sores appear, sores go away but can come back |
Antiviral drugs can relieve symptoms |
|
Syphilis |
vaginal, anal, oral intercourse with infected partner |
painless reddish-brown sore on sex organs, mouth, breasts or fingers, if left untreated the infection may progress through several stages |
Antibiotics |
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HBV |
vaginal, anal, oral intercourse with infected partner, sharing needles with an infected partner, contact with infected blood. |
flu-like feelings, abdominal pain, fever, tiredness, jaundice, dark urine, light colored bowel movements. |
No cure exists, usually treated with bed-rest, and possible use of alpha interferon. |
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Trichomoniasis |
vaginal, anal, oral intercourse with infected partner |
Women-- some have no symptoms, itching, burning, or pain in the vagina, discharge looks and/or smells different. Men-- typically asymptomatic |
Oral administration of the drug metronidazole. |
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HIV/AIDS |
vaginal, anal, oral intercourse with infected partner, sharing needles with an infected partner, contact with infected blood or from an infected mother to child during childbirth. |
Asymptomatic for several months to several years after contact, unexplained weight loss or tiredness, flu-like symptoms that do not go away, white spots in mouth, fever, night sweats, appearance of opportunistic illnesses. |
No available cure is available, the antiviral drug AZT may retard the progress of the disease. Another drug, DDI, may help strengthen the immune system. Use of stress management techniques and adoption of recommended nutritional and exercise guidelines may help improve psychological and physical functioning. |
Facts about some STDs
Chlamydia
-affects 4 million each year in US
-80% women and 20% men are asymptomatic
-if left untreated in women it can spread to the reproductive tract and possibly cause PID and could cause future infertility
Gonorrhea
-affects 1.1 million each year in the US
-80% of women are asymptomatic during the early stages
-initial symptoms may subside, if continue to leave untreated can spread to the reproductive tract and possibly cause PID and future infertility
Syphilis
-if left untreated the disappearance of the symptoms does not mean that the disease is cured. The disease can progress and if still left untreated may result in serious complications or even death.
Herpes
-two most common types
-herpes simplex virus type 1 (oral)
-herpes simplex virus type 2 (genital)
since both of the herpes virus can be transmitted through oral genital contact they are not exclusive to just appearing on the mouth or on the genital region. A person can have herpes simplex virus type 2 orally, or have herpes simplex virus 1 genitally.
-HSV-2 40 million in US affected, 500,000 new cases each year
-HSV-1- 100 million in US affected
Genital Warts
- are caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
- an abnormal pap smear in a woman may be the first sign
- women who start having intercourse before age 18 and who have had multiple partners are more at risk.
- 750,000 affected each year in US
HIV/AIDS
- people between the ages of 18-25 have a better chance of dying of an AIDS related death, than dying in a car accident.
- HIV is transmitted via blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is a disease which destroys the human immune system
AIDS is almost always fatal
Abstinence is defined as voluntarily refraining form any type of sexual intercourse (oral, vaginal or anal).
Abstaining from intercourse is the only 100% effective way to prevent sexual transmission of HIV. (condoms are an adequate method of protection, if they are used correctly and consistently, every time, they can greatly reduce the risk of infection; however, they are not 100% effective at preventing transmission).