Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Chancroid
What is it: A bacterial infection
Symptoms: Painful sores on the skin of the genitals in men and women. Symptoms can occur within 3 to 14 days.
How is it transmitted: Chancroid is contagious as long as the infected person has open sores, and reinfection can occur immediately following cure
Treatment: Chancroid bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics, but treatment is still effective
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk
Chlamydia
What is it: A common and serious infection bacterium. If left untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility in women and urethritis in men.
Symptoms: Though most often symptomless, chlamydia may produce symptoms such as abnormal genital discharge or pain during urination within 6-19 days.
How is it transmitted: Transmitted during vaginal, oral or anal sexual contact with an infected partner. A pregnant woman may pass the infection to her newborn during delivery, causing serious eye infection or pneumonia
Treatment: Chlamydia can be treated and cured with oral antibiotics
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk of transmission
Genital warts
(HPV):
What is it: A common viral STD caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV)
Symptoms: Certain strains of HPV are associated with the development of cervical cancer. Some individuals may have no signs of warts, but HPV is highly contagious whether or not warts are visible. Warts will appear from months to years after sex with an infected partner
How is it transmitted: HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact, especially through sexual activity with an infected partner
Treatment: Treatment of the warts may reduce, but does not eliminate, infectiousness. Although some people have had no recurrences after treatment, a permanent cure of HPV cannot be guaranteed
Prevention: Condoms may reduce the risk of transmission
Genital herpes (HSV):
What is it: a very common and serious STD caused by herpes simplex viruses (HSV). There are two types of HSV occurring worldwide: Type 1 causes fever blisters or cold sores on the lips, and Type 2 typically causes genital sores. However, both types can cause oral or genital infection through skin-to-skin contact.
Symptoms: Some infected individuals may be symptomless, while others can have recurrent episodes more than once a month. Initial symptoms, usually blisters, generally occur within 2 weeks after the virus is transmitted
How is it transmitted: Both types are caused by skin-to-skin contact
Treatment: There is no cure for genital herpes, but treatment may shorten the attacks and make the sores less painful
Prevention: Condoms may reduce the risk of transmission
Gonorrhea:
What is it: a common and serious bacterial
Symptoms: Gonorrhea may be symptomless or have symptoms such as discharge from the vagina or penis and extremely painful or difficult urination, appearing 2 to 7 days after sex.
How is it transmitted: Also referred to as the "clap" or “dose”, gonorrhea is transmitted through oral, vaginal and anal sex. A pregnant woman can pass gonorrhea to her baby during birth, causing serious eye infection or blindness. If left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to sterility in both women and men
Treatment: Gonorrhea is treated and can be cured with antibiotics
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk of transmission
Hepatitis B & C:
What is it: A disease caused by different but related viral organisms that attack the liver.
Symptoms: Symptoms are also similar, including gradual development of fever, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, nausea and vomiting, joint pain, rash and jaundice. Its severity varies, but hepatitis B can cause liver failure and death. For hepatitis C, symptoms may be absent or mild, such as general tiredness and pain in the liver. Hepatitis C in adults is more likely to result in chronic infection than hepatitis B, causing cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer years after the initial infection, which can lead to death.The incubation period is similar for both diseases, approximately 45 to 180 days.
How is it transmitted: Hepatitis B and C appear in the blood, semen and vaginal fluids of infected persons. Hepatitis B is much more easily transmitted through sexual activity than hepatitis C.
Treatment: A vaccination against hepatitis B is available.
Prevention: Condoms may reduce the risk of transmission.
Intestinal infections:
What is it: comprise a variety of intestinal disorders transmitted through anal-oral sexual activity that can cause diarrhea, blood poisoning and abscesses.
Symptoms: Symptoms can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and inflammation of the rectum.
How is it transmitted: anal-oral sexual activity
Treatment: Intestinal infections can be treated and cured with antibiotics.
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk of infection.
Pubic lice & scabies:
What is it: parasitic infestations of the skin caused by a crab louse and a mite respectively.
Symptoms: Symptoms occur when the insects bite or burrow into the skin to lay their eggs. For scabies, severe itching and a rash on fingers, wrists, elbows, abdomen, genitals and ankles, begins 2 to 6 weeks after the first exposure or 1 to 4 days after re-exposure. For lice, some people have no symptoms, while others experience severe itching around the genitals and may see white eggs on pubic hair.
Treatment: Lice and scabies are treated with special creams, lotions or shampoos.
How is it transmitted: Pubic lice and scabies are transmitted through sex and other close body contact, such as the sharing of bed sheets, towels or clothes of an infected person.
Prevention: The only protection against these parasites is knowing your partner's sexual history. If you think you've been infected, dry clean or wash clothing and linen in hot water.
Syphilis:
What is it: a serious disease caused by the bacterium, Treponema pallidum. The bacterium is found in sores and rashes anywhere on the skin or inside the mouth or genitals
Symptoms: If untreated, syphilis develops as a three-stage disease. Stage 1, in which a painless sore on the genitals or in the mouth may appear where bacteria first entered the body, usually occurs 9 to 90 days after sexual contact with an infected person. This sore will resolve on its own, but the individual remains infected. Stage 2 takes place a few months later with flu-like symptoms that may include a rash. Again, the symptoms may resolve, but the infection remains. Stage 3 leads to serious health problems a few years later, such as heart disease or brain damage that can lead to death
How is it transmitted: during sexual activity and from an infected mother to her unborn child, sometimes causing birth defects or death
Treatment: Syphilis can be treated and cured with antibiotics, although the late stages of syphilis can cause permanent damage to the heart, brain, skin, bones and other organs.
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk of transmission
Vaginitis:
What is it: a vaginal irritation, with a discharge, of varying severity that can be caused by a parasite, bacteria or fungus (yeast)
Symptoms: Most men with trichomoniasis have no symptoms. Symptoms in women usually appear within 5 to 28 days of exposure and can include vaginal discharge with a strong odour, discomfort during intercourse and urination, genital itching and lower abdominal pain
How is it transmitted: A common forms of vaginitis - trichomoniasis - is sexually transmitted.
Treatment: Treatment of vaginitis depends on its cause, and infected individuals who have no symptoms must still be treated
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk of transmission
- compiled by Kate Fried
What is it: A bacterial infection
Symptoms: Painful sores on the skin of the genitals in men and women. Symptoms can occur within 3 to 14 days.
How is it transmitted: Chancroid is contagious as long as the infected person has open sores, and reinfection can occur immediately following cure
Treatment: Chancroid bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics, but treatment is still effective
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk
Chlamydia
What is it: A common and serious infection bacterium. If left untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility in women and urethritis in men.
Symptoms: Though most often symptomless, chlamydia may produce symptoms such as abnormal genital discharge or pain during urination within 6-19 days.
How is it transmitted: Transmitted during vaginal, oral or anal sexual contact with an infected partner. A pregnant woman may pass the infection to her newborn during delivery, causing serious eye infection or pneumonia
Treatment: Chlamydia can be treated and cured with oral antibiotics
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk of transmission
Genital warts
(HPV):
What is it: A common viral STD caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV)
Symptoms: Certain strains of HPV are associated with the development of cervical cancer. Some individuals may have no signs of warts, but HPV is highly contagious whether or not warts are visible. Warts will appear from months to years after sex with an infected partner
How is it transmitted: HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact, especially through sexual activity with an infected partner
Treatment: Treatment of the warts may reduce, but does not eliminate, infectiousness. Although some people have had no recurrences after treatment, a permanent cure of HPV cannot be guaranteed
Prevention: Condoms may reduce the risk of transmission
Genital herpes (HSV):
What is it: a very common and serious STD caused by herpes simplex viruses (HSV). There are two types of HSV occurring worldwide: Type 1 causes fever blisters or cold sores on the lips, and Type 2 typically causes genital sores. However, both types can cause oral or genital infection through skin-to-skin contact.
Symptoms: Some infected individuals may be symptomless, while others can have recurrent episodes more than once a month. Initial symptoms, usually blisters, generally occur within 2 weeks after the virus is transmitted
How is it transmitted: Both types are caused by skin-to-skin contact
Treatment: There is no cure for genital herpes, but treatment may shorten the attacks and make the sores less painful
Prevention: Condoms may reduce the risk of transmission
Gonorrhea:
What is it: a common and serious bacterial
Symptoms: Gonorrhea may be symptomless or have symptoms such as discharge from the vagina or penis and extremely painful or difficult urination, appearing 2 to 7 days after sex.
How is it transmitted: Also referred to as the "clap" or “dose”, gonorrhea is transmitted through oral, vaginal and anal sex. A pregnant woman can pass gonorrhea to her baby during birth, causing serious eye infection or blindness. If left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to sterility in both women and men
Treatment: Gonorrhea is treated and can be cured with antibiotics
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk of transmission
Hepatitis B & C:
What is it: A disease caused by different but related viral organisms that attack the liver.
Symptoms: Symptoms are also similar, including gradual development of fever, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, nausea and vomiting, joint pain, rash and jaundice. Its severity varies, but hepatitis B can cause liver failure and death. For hepatitis C, symptoms may be absent or mild, such as general tiredness and pain in the liver. Hepatitis C in adults is more likely to result in chronic infection than hepatitis B, causing cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer years after the initial infection, which can lead to death.The incubation period is similar for both diseases, approximately 45 to 180 days.
How is it transmitted: Hepatitis B and C appear in the blood, semen and vaginal fluids of infected persons. Hepatitis B is much more easily transmitted through sexual activity than hepatitis C.
Treatment: A vaccination against hepatitis B is available.
Prevention: Condoms may reduce the risk of transmission.
Intestinal infections:
What is it: comprise a variety of intestinal disorders transmitted through anal-oral sexual activity that can cause diarrhea, blood poisoning and abscesses.
Symptoms: Symptoms can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and inflammation of the rectum.
How is it transmitted: anal-oral sexual activity
Treatment: Intestinal infections can be treated and cured with antibiotics.
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk of infection.
Pubic lice & scabies:
What is it: parasitic infestations of the skin caused by a crab louse and a mite respectively.
Symptoms: Symptoms occur when the insects bite or burrow into the skin to lay their eggs. For scabies, severe itching and a rash on fingers, wrists, elbows, abdomen, genitals and ankles, begins 2 to 6 weeks after the first exposure or 1 to 4 days after re-exposure. For lice, some people have no symptoms, while others experience severe itching around the genitals and may see white eggs on pubic hair.
Treatment: Lice and scabies are treated with special creams, lotions or shampoos.
How is it transmitted: Pubic lice and scabies are transmitted through sex and other close body contact, such as the sharing of bed sheets, towels or clothes of an infected person.
Prevention: The only protection against these parasites is knowing your partner's sexual history. If you think you've been infected, dry clean or wash clothing and linen in hot water.
Syphilis:
What is it: a serious disease caused by the bacterium, Treponema pallidum. The bacterium is found in sores and rashes anywhere on the skin or inside the mouth or genitals
Symptoms: If untreated, syphilis develops as a three-stage disease. Stage 1, in which a painless sore on the genitals or in the mouth may appear where bacteria first entered the body, usually occurs 9 to 90 days after sexual contact with an infected person. This sore will resolve on its own, but the individual remains infected. Stage 2 takes place a few months later with flu-like symptoms that may include a rash. Again, the symptoms may resolve, but the infection remains. Stage 3 leads to serious health problems a few years later, such as heart disease or brain damage that can lead to death
How is it transmitted: during sexual activity and from an infected mother to her unborn child, sometimes causing birth defects or death
Treatment: Syphilis can be treated and cured with antibiotics, although the late stages of syphilis can cause permanent damage to the heart, brain, skin, bones and other organs.
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk of transmission
Vaginitis:
What is it: a vaginal irritation, with a discharge, of varying severity that can be caused by a parasite, bacteria or fungus (yeast)
Symptoms: Most men with trichomoniasis have no symptoms. Symptoms in women usually appear within 5 to 28 days of exposure and can include vaginal discharge with a strong odour, discomfort during intercourse and urination, genital itching and lower abdominal pain
How is it transmitted: A common forms of vaginitis - trichomoniasis - is sexually transmitted.
Treatment: Treatment of vaginitis depends on its cause, and infected individuals who have no symptoms must still be treated
Prevention: Condoms reduce the risk of transmission
- compiled by Kate Fried
