stds_factsheet

Sex & STDs: Factsheet

Here is some information about the most common STD's in the US:

Chlamydia

Gonorrhea

Chlamydia

What is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium which can damage a woman’s reproductive organs. Even though symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent, serious complications that cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur “silently” before a woman ever recognizes a problem. Chlamydia also can cause discharge from the penis of an infected man.

Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STD (bacterial STDs can be cured but may still cause serious damage to your body).
Chlamydia is spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex.
Chlamydia can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal birth.
Often the disease has no symptoms so many people are unaware of infection.
Over 1,210,523 cases were reported in the U.S. in 2008.
Because of underreporting, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates 2,291,000 Americans are infected each year.
74% of cases reported are in persons under age 25.
About 50% of sexually active women have had Chlamydia by age 30.
Symptoms of Chlamydia
About 75% of women and 50% of men have no symptoms.
When symptoms occur, they can show up 1-3 weeks after exposure and may include:

Women
Men
Discharge from vagina, burning or pain when urinating Discharge from the penis, burning or pain when urinating
When the infection spreads: abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during sex, bleeding between periods Burning or itching at opening of penis, swollen or tender testicles,
Treatment of Chlamydia
If detected, chlamydia can be treated and cured with antibiotics.
Danger of not treating Chlamydia

More serious infection(s) (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in women is common)
Damage to reproductive organs
Possible infertility in both men and women
Tubal (ectopic) pregnancies in women
A mother with Chlamydia can transmit it to her baby during childbirth

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Gonorrhea

What is Gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea is caused by 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.

Gonorrhea is the second most common bacterial STD (bacterial STDs can be cured but may still cause serious damage to your body).
Gonorrhea is spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex.
About 358,366 new infections were reported to the CDC in 2006
Because of underreporting, the CDC estimates 700,000 new gonorrhea infections a year
Symptoms of Gonorrhea
Many cases of gonorhea infections show no sumptoms at all. If symptoms do occur, they can appear 2-30 days after infection.

Women
Men
Many women have no symptoms, some have very mild symptoms Symptoms often appear within 2-5 days, can take up to 30 days
Thick yellow or white discharge from vagina, painful urination Thick yellow or white drip from the penis, painful urination
Abnormal period or bleeding between periods Sometime painful, swollen testicles
Abdominal cramps, fever
Treatment of Gonorrhea
If detected, gonorrhea can be treated and cured with antibiotics.
There are currenlgy some drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea in the US.
Danger of not treating Gonorrhea

More serious infection (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in women & Epididymitis in men)
Damage to reproductive organs
Possible infertility in both men and women
Can be life-threatening, if it spreads to blood and joints
A mother can give it to her baby during childbirth, which leads to blindness, joint infections, or a life- threatening infection.

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Syphilis

What is Syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium. It has often been called “the great imitator” because so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases.

Syphilis is a bacterial STD (bacterial STDs can be cured but may still cause serious damage to your body).
Syphilis is spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex or skin to skin contact.
Over 36,000 cases were reported in the U.S. in 2006.
Most cases were reported in men aged 35-39 and women 20-24.
Symptoms of Syphilis
Syphilis is a 3-stage bacteria STD.
Stage 1 (Primary Stage)
Symptoms show up 10-90 days (avg. 21 days) after infection
A painless, reddish-brown sore(s) appears on the mouth, sex organs, breasts or fingers (where syphilis entered the body)
Sore(s) last 3-6 weeks and go away, but without treatment the infection stays in the body and continues to Stage 2
Stage 2 (Secondary Stage)
Symptoms show up as stage 1 sore(s) heal or several weeks after
A rash (rough red or reddish brown spots without itching) anywhere on the body
Flu-like symptoms can occur (fever, headache, muscle aches, etc.)
Symptoms go away, but without treatment the infection stays in the body and moves to Stage 3.
Stage 3 (Late/Latent Stage)
Can appear 10-20 years after Stage 2
Causes damage to internal organs
Can cause dementia, gradual blindness, paralysis & death if left untreated.
Treatment of Syphilis
If detected, syphilis can be treated and cured with antibiotics. However, damage done by the infection cannot be reversed.
Danger of not treating Syphilis

Late stage syphilis can infect internal organs and cause heart disease, brain damage, blindness, and death.
A pregnant woman with syphilis may miscarry or spread the infection to her baby resulting in serious infant health problems.
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HIV/AIDS

What is HIV/AIDS?

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. There are two types of HIV, HIV-1 and HIV-2. In the United States, unless otherwise noted, the term “HIV” primarily refers to HIV-1.

HIV /AIDS is a viral STD (viral STDs can be treated but not cured)
The CDC estimates 1,106,400 adults and adolescents are living in the US in2006 with HIV/AIDS.
As of December 2009 California’s Department of Public health reported 236,369 individuals with HIV/AIDS.
HIV / AIDS is spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex, by sharing needles, and by contact with infected blood.
Symptoms of HIV/AIDS
Symptoms show up several months to several years after contact with HIV, the virus that can lead to AIDS.
Virus may be present for many years with no symptoms
Unexplained weight loss or tiredness
Flu-like symptoms
Diarrhea
White spots in mouth
In women, yeast infections that don?t go away
AIDS is the late stage of an HIV infection causing a person’s immune system to be severely damaged making it difficult to fight diseases and certain cancers.
Treatment of HIV/AIDS
HIV cannot be cured and it can cause immune deficiency and death.
Antiviral medications help the symptoms, but cannot cure the disease.
Danger of not treating HIV/AIDS

Treatment can prolong life and the quality of life
A mother with HIV can give it to her baby in the womb, during childbirth or while breastfeeding.
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Genital Herpes

What is Herpes?

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2). Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2. Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-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.

Herpes is a viral STD (viral STDs can be treated but not cured)
Nationwide 1 in 6 people age 14-49 have Genital Herpes
One out of four women, and almost one out of five men have genital herpes.
Genital herpes is spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex, or skin to skin contact.
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.
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.
You also can get the herpes virus from kissing, touching, and caressing infected areas.
Symptoms of Herpes
Most individuals infected with Genital Herpes are not aware of the infection
Symptoms vary, early symptoms may include a burning sensation, lower back pain, pain when urinating, and flu-like symptoms.
Small red bumps may appear in the genital area. Later, these bumps can develop into painful blisters, which then crust over, form a scab, and heal. Blisters last 1-3 weeks. Blisters often come back.
HSV-2 typically causes genital blisters while HSV-1 causes cold sores and fever blisters around the mouth but can infect the genital area.
Symptoms can show up 1-30 days after infection.
People with symptomatic herpes often average 4 to 5 outbreaks a year.
Regardless of the severity of the infection, genital herpes frequently causes psychological distress in people who know they are infected.
Treatment of Herpes
There is no cure for herpes.
Antiviral medications can be taken to manage symptoms.
Treatment of outbreaks, especially when started early, shortens the duration of the outbreak and reduces the symptoms.
Danger of not treating Herpes

Recurrent painful outbreaks
A mother can pass herpes to her baby during childbirth. Herpes can cause severe birth defects, potentially fatal infections, or death.
Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection.
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HPV

What is HPV?

Genital human papillomavirus (also called HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are more than 40 HPV types that can infect the genital areas of males and females. These HPV types can also infect the mouth and throat. Most people who become infected with HPV do not even know they have it.

Human papiloma virus (HPV) is a viral STD (viral STDs can be treated but not cured).
HPV is most often spread during foreplay or vaginal, anal or oral sex (any skin-to-skin contact or contact with infected body fluids).
20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV
Another 6 million people become newly infected each year.
HPV causes 99% of cervical cancer in women. HPV also causes genital warts.
Experts estimate that between 50-75% of sexually active people acquire HPV at some point in their lives.
Over 6.2 million Americans contract HPV every year.
Symptoms of HPV
Most people have no symptoms.
Sometimes there are visible genital warts: soft, moist, pink or red swellings on or in the sex organs and anus.
Some strains of HPV have been linked to causing cervical cancer. Cervical cancer generally does not have symptoms until it is in advanced stages.
Sometimes there is itching or burning around the sex organs.
After warts go away, the virus sometimes stays in the body; warts can come back.
Treatment of HPV
There is no medical cure for the HPV.
Warts can be treated, but may return after treatment.
Regular Pap smears are necessary to detect cervical cancer and other problems caused by HPV.
Two vaccines (Cervarix and Gardasil) are currently available to help protect females against the types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers.*
One available vaccine (Gardasil) protects males against most genital warts.*
*please consult a heathcare provider for the most up-to date informatino regarding HPV vaccines and how they work.
Danger of not treating HPV

Warts can increase in size and spread
Certain strains of HPV can cause cell changes in the cervix, penis or anus; sometimes these cell changes lead to cancer.
A mother can give HPV to her baby during childbirth.
Even after treating warts, HPV is transmittable to others.

For more detailed information these and other STD's please visit the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) website. Please note clicking this link open a new window leaving this page.

This data is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical care or diagnosis from a healthcare professional.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009) Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2008. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta.

California Department of Public Health: Office of AIDS. 2009 Quarterly Cumulative Report. December 2009. http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/aids/Documents/SSQtr4Dec09.pdf