Chlamydia is a common STD found in both men and women. The bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis causes this disease, and is easily transmitted through sexual contact. You only need to engage in vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has chlamydia to catch it. If your sex partner is male, he doesn’t have to ejaculate in order to spread it.
This bacterium may cause serious to permanent damage in a woman's reproductive system, making it unlikely or even impossible for her to get pregnant later on. Chlamydia has also been known to cause ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy occurring outside the uterus).
Symptoms may appear within one to three weeks after infection, but then disappear, even when left untreated. In fact, many people infected with chlamydia never show any signs at all.
Women may experience the following symptoms: itching or even pain around and on the vulva or vagina; vaginal discharge; unusual vaginal or anal bleeding; pain with urination; and/or pain when having sex. Remember though, around 80 percent of infected women have no symptoms.
Men may experience discharge from the head of the penis or the anus; pain or itching at the head of the penis; and/or pain with urination. Only around 50% of infected men have symptoms.
A strict schedule of antibiotics will cure chlamydia. Whenever you take a prescription of antibiotics, be sure to take them all, even if you feel better, so that all the bacteria are eliminated. If you do have chlamydia and you’ve successfully treated it, remember you can get it again if you have unprotected sex with the person who gave it to you. So it is very important that both you and your partner are tested. Also, if you’re pregnant, you can pass chlamydia on to your baby during his/her birth.
Of course, abstinence is the surest way of avoiding chlamydia or any STD. But if you're sexually active, using condoms for oral, anal and vaginal sex is your best bet for staying sexually healthy. Since chlamydia can easily be passed from the tip of the penis or tongue, penetration is not necessary; thus it is important to use correctly a condom before any sexual contact occurs.
The bacteria Neisseria gonorrhea causes gonorrhea. Gonorrhea can be transmitted by both male and female partners during vaginal, anal and oral sex. In some cases, gonorrhea is passed solely by the oral regions of the throat.
Only in 1% of untreated cases does someone develop the most serious case called Disseminated Gonococcal Infection (DGI). When this condition occurs, it spreads beyond the genital area to the bloodstream, skin, heart or joints.
Another serious development when gonorrhea is untreated is called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). In a PID case, the bacteria move from the vagina into the cervix, the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. This condition may cause blockage and scarring, and may damage the tubes, complicating pregnancies by bringing tubal pregnancies. Untreated gonorrhea may cause a number of other serious conditions, particularly for women, such as postpartum endometritis, cervical discharge, infertility, chronic menstrual problems, urinary tract infections, and even miscarriages.
Complications for men, when left untreated, are epididymitis, a painful infection of the testicles. Further problems may include inflammation of the prostate and urethral scarring (in the urine tract), which sometimes leads to infertility.
Gonorrhea infects your genital tract first, and then it may spread to your mouth, throat, eyes and anus. Symptoms of gonorrhea generally appear within 10 days after contact. Yet there are many cases when some people show no signs of infection for months.
Signs and symptoms may include:
There are several different testing options for gonorrhea. The two most common tests are urine samples or swabs taken from secretion of the genitals or anus. Your medical provider will decide which one is best for your situation.
Gonorrhea is easily curable with antibiotics. When prescribed antibiotics, you should always follow the dosage schedule, even when you feel better before finishing all of the prescription. Also remember, your sex partner(s) need to be examined and treated so that both you and your partner do not re-infect each other.
Abstinence is the easiest way to avoid any STD. However, the more sexual partners you have, the greater you risk contracting gonorrhea and vice versa. Staying STD-free will lead you and your partner to a healthier and fuller life. Gonorrhea and other bacterial STDs are easily treatable when diagnosed early.
Hepatitis is primarily an infection of the liver, and this infection is caused by a number of viruses called hepatitis viruses. Only three types of viruses can be sexually transmitted.
Hepatitis A (HAV)
Hepatitis A (HAV) is highly contagious and is normally spread by infected fecal matter in water or food that is consumed, and then the infected food/water enters the body through the mouth. This infection can simply be passed along by people who do not wash their hands after using the bathroom.
Hepatitis B (HBV)
HBV is transmitted usually through sex with an infected partner; injected by drug use that involves sharing needles, syringes, or drug-preparation equipment; birth to an infected mother; contact with blood or open sores of an infected person; and sharing items such as razors or toothbrushes with an infected person. HBV is the most commonly contracted hepatitis. In fact, the CDC estimates that 700,000 to 1.4 million Americans are infected with chronic hepatitis B. The numbers vary greatly because hepatitis is asymptomatic and often never reported. Most of these infections occur among male adults between the ages of 25 and 44.
Hepatitis C (HCV)
Hepatitis C (HCV) is now a curable condition. Over the past two years several new all-oral therapies have become available that have minimal toxicities and a cure rate approaching 100%. HCV is primarily a blood-borne condition that may become serious if left untreated. Usually it is passed along by direct contact with an infected person’s blood. Needle sharing is a common way to contract HCV. If either sexual partner has another STD, then HCV can be spread to the other partner more easily during sex. For most people, HCV is a long-term infection that may cause chronic liver disease, and in the most severe cases even death, but if detected, this condition is fully treatable.
The good news here is that HAV usually runs its course and needs no treatment. Plus, once you’re infected, you cannot be re-infected. On the other hand, both hepatitis B and C can occur in either an acute or chronic form. The acute form resembles a severe illness—with extreme fatigue and a high fever—lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. If the illness becomes chronic (lasting longer than a few months), then it may ultimately lead to liver failure and even death.
The most commonly transmitted type of hepatitis from sexual contact is HBV. Infection is possible through anal and vaginal sex, from the sharing of bodily fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal. People who share needles with contaminated blood can be infected. Although rare in the U.S., blood transfusions may cause HBV infections. Other procedures that may infect the blood are body piercing and acupuncture because of improperly sterilized needles, but they account for a tiny proportion of cases.
HCV is transmitted mostly through blood. People sharing needles can be infected with HCV, and thus are at the greatest risk.
The severity of each type of hepatitis differs greatly. With HAV, symptoms may appear with 2-6 weeks after exposure. With HBV, symptoms might appear 6 weeks to 6 months after infection, but sometimes there are no symptoms. Hepatitis C symptoms, if any, will show up 2 weeks to 6 months after contact. Symptoms may be brief or last several weeks.
The most common hepatitis infection is B, and if you do have this infection, you’ll most likely experience the following:
Blood tests are the most common ways to screen for hepatitis, because they detect the body’s hepatitis antibodies. If these antibodies are present, they may be detected as early as the onset of symptoms. For HBV, it might take between 3 weeks to 2 months to test positive in the blood. The average person infected with Hepatitis C develops antibodies within 8-9 weeks after contact.
Once you have tested positive for one of the hepatitis viruses, your healthcare provider may offer a variety of solutions. Often a regimen of fluids to prevent dehydration, along with much rest, is all that is needed. Fortunately, hepatitis A and acute forms of B and C will commonly run their course over time, although this may take several months.
Chronic HBV is treatable now, but can be fatal when left untreated. New prescription drugs are available, including Lamivudine (Epivir) and Adefovir dipivoxil (Hepsera). Talk to your healthcare provider for more information to see whether they may be right for you.
HCV is fully treatable. New studies have shown that up to nearly 50% of those undergoing treatments can be cured. Therapies differ and their effectiveness depends on what stage the illness is at. Your health care provider can help you make the best decisions about your treatment based on your personal needs and health status.
There are vaccinations for hepatitis A and B that offer some protection, especially for those who engage in anal sexual activities. Plus using condoms for intercourse, latex dams for oral/anal sex have been proven to significantly reduce your risk of contracting hepatitis. Furthermore, immediately washing your hands and sex toys after anal contact offers some protection.
Both men and woman can catch either one of the two herpes viruses. The two types are called herpes simplex 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2). Both viruses are easily transmissible through direct skin-to-skin contact when a herpes sore is present. The virus remains in the body for life and can produce symptoms that come and go.
Both kinds of herpes can infect the oral area, the genital area, or both. When the infection is near or on the mouth, it is called oral herpes, which is usually caused by HSV-1. When a herpes infection is near or on the sex organs, it is called genital herpes, which is most often caused by HSV-2. More than half of U.S. adults have oral herpes. And nearly 1 out of 6 U.S. adults has genital herpes. Unfortunately, some people with herpes asymptomatically share the virus, and so they can’t tell if they have it because there aren’t any symptoms—such as sores. It’s important to know that asymptomatic-infected people spread the herpes virus only about half as much as do people who have herpes symptoms.
Genital herpes is seldom a severe or dangerous infection by itself. More often it is the psychological distress caused by the nature of the sores and the length of time the virus stays in your system.
It is vital to understand that open herpes sores play a role in the spread of HIV. A person with a herpes sore is 3-5 times more likely to acquire HIV when exposed to an HIV-positive sex partner. Also, people with herpes and HIV carry increased amounts of HIV fluid in their open sores, and that makes transmitting both diseases to a partner more likely.
Pregnancy also further complicates herpes transmission. When a woman has her first episode of genital herpes near delivery, she may transmit her herpes to her infant. This situation can be serious if herpes is unknown, but now infection of infants is rare among women with recurrent genital herpes.
Most people with genital herpes are unaware of their condition because they have no symptoms. Others will notice the condition but may have very mild symptoms. There is a third category of people who are symptomatic. That means the first outbreak of sores is easily recognizable. This primary outbreak may last the longest, be the most severe and cause much discomfort. Lasting anywhere from five to ten days, the initial outbreak of sores generally begins with sores filled with puss that leak, followed by scabbing, and lastly they’ll heal over. Besides blisters or open sores, a person may experience swollen glands, fever, and body aches. Generally, women tend to have more severe symptoms than men.
Recurrence of the sores has been linked to stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, menstruation, and possibly genital friction. Recurrence also appears most frequently in the first year of sores. Symptoms may be hard to recognize, and range from mild tingling or itching at the site of the sores right before they appear. Because of the mild itchiness, people have often mistaken the sores for jock itch, insect bites, or ingrown hairs. Another sign is that outbreaks of the sores may change location over time.
In most cases, you healthcare provider will be able to diagnose an initial herpes outbreak by its appearance. However, there are viral PCR tests (special blood tests) available that can identify the exact type of HSV I or HSV II. These tests are used during initial outbreaks, when blisters are present, in order to collect fluid from an open sore.
There are several treatment options for herpes. Currently, there are three FDA-approved antiviral medications available to treat herpes: acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir) and valacyclovir (Valtrex). These medications can help speed the healing process of an outbreak or be used as a preventative measure to help reduce future outbreaks.
Another breakthrough drug for herpes is Valacyclovir. This medication has been effective when taken daily to reduce the risk of transmission between sexual partners. Some common short-term side effects are nausea and headaches. There have been no reported long-term side effects so far.
Managing herpes means reducing the number of outbreaks. This is essential because, psychologically, people are stressed by the appearance of the sores. To reduce the stress, there are a number of habits you can develop that will allow you to live a full and healthy lifestyle, such as eating well, exercising regularly and getting a lot of rest. Besides a lifestyle adjustment, your ability to recognize the symptoms that precede an outbreak will also lower or lessen the recurrence and severity of sores. When you feel symptoms developing, you might feel a tingling or burning feeling. Taking medications at this time may reduce the duration and even prevent the severity of an outbreak.
To avoid transmission, we advise discussing your herpes diagnosis with you partner so that you can maintain a full and healthy relationship. Your potential partner needs to understand that it's possible for him or her to be infected even when using condoms since not all affected areas can be covered by a condom. The more informed both partners are, the more understanding about living with herpes you’ll both be. Gather the necessary information and take the time necessary to adjust to the fact of having herpes. If your relationship is serious and long-term, surely your partner will want to live with this easily manageable condition.
Condoms provide some but not complete protection against catching herpes. Some simple measures such as abstaining from sexual activities when sores are present have proven effective. Be honest and learn to work with your partner(s) in making decisions about engaging in risky behavior.
Syphilis can be a life-threatening sexually transmitted disease (STD). Named after the bacteria T. Pallidum, syphilis may damage organs, even cause brain damage. It normally spreads through physical contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. This serious condition is treatable and curable with antibiotics.
Although rare in the U.S., if left untreated, syphilis can lead to severe damage to organs and the brain with some cases ending in death. Equally important is understanding how those with syphilis make contracting HIV easier for both sex partners. In fact, new data show people who have HIV can dramatically increase their viral concentrations. This increase can be resolved with syphilis treatment.
Syphilis develops into four stages: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary (late).
Primary Syphilis
Symptoms at this stage are easily recognizable and appear within 2-12 weeks after being exposed. The first sign would normally be one or more skin sores, called chancres (shank-erz), and there may be several of them. Sometimes they are not easy to see since they may be inside your anus or vagina. Chancres may also appear on the scrotum, penis, or in the mouth, and they are not usually painful. These sores will go away after several weeks without treatment, but the individual will still be infected.
Secondary Syphilis
At this stage, most people notice a skin rash covering their body beginning anywhere between 4 to 12 weeks after infection. The essential identifying feature of this rash is how it shows up on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Secondary syphilis may also cause swollen glands in various areas of the body, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, fever, and fatigue. Because these symptoms are so common to other conditions, syphilis has been called “the great imitator.”
Other symptoms during secondary syphilis—such as warts and white patches—are vital to recognize because these symptoms are highly infectious, occurring in moist areas of the body like the mouth, side of the tongue and anus. Secondary syphilis symptoms may last longer than three months, and have been known to come and go over the course of a year or two. Even after the symptoms clear up, when left untreated, the infection will remain in your body.
Latent Syphilis
This stage of syphilis can be the most dangerous because, if it evolves, the infected person may suffer organ damage. Another reason for this dangerous stage it that there are no symptoms, and the only way of detection is by a blood test. If left untreated, latent syphilis will remain for life. Although those with latent syphilis never have serious complications, some will progress to the final stage, called tertiary syphilis.
Tertiary (late) Syphilis
Because syphilis symptoms come and go and are so common to other more harmless conditions, as many as one-third of untreated people with tertiary syphilis experience serious damage to various organ systems. This late phase of syphilis can appear anytime between one year and 50 years, but most cases occur within 20 years after exposure. As this stage, the brain, heart, liver, and bones are most vulnerable. Tertiary syphilis may also cause blindness, mental problems, paralysis, heart failure, and death.
A complete examination for syphilis generally includes learning about your sexual history, examining any symptoms you might have (chancres or rashes) and a blood test.
Syphilis is cured by taking penicillin shots. For those allergic to penicillin, alternative antibiotics are possible such as doxycycline, which is known to be safe and effective.
Even though most symptoms will clear up after the first treatment, sometimes another schedule of treatment will be needed to completely cure the infection. Therefore, most cases are not resolved from the initial schedule of penicillin therapy. Follow-up blood tests are commonly scheduled to be sure the disease is eliminated.
Both you and your sex partner must be examined and treated at the same time. Otherwise, one of the partners will re-infect the other. Open and honest communication is very important here so that both of you maintain a healthy relationship.
The risk of contracting syphilis increases with the number of sex partners you have. The more sex partners, the greater the risk of contracting it and vice versa. Of course, the surest way to remain syphilis- and STD-free is through abstinence. But if you're sexually active, use some sort of protection such as condoms correctly for oral, anal and vaginal sex. Protection is your best bet for staying sexually healthy. Also remember how easy and confidential an STD checkup is. If you have more than one partner per year, consider getting tested at least twice a year. Remember, syphilis and other bacterial STDs are completely curable with proper diagnosis and treatment.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. It’s a virus that can easily be shared through skin-to-skin genital contact. There are many types of HPV. Some kinds cause genital warts and are low-risk. Other kinds may lead to cervical, anal, or oral cancer, and are high-risk for health complications. Although no complete cure for HPV exists, there is a vaccine that can protect against some types of the virus.
Genital warts grow on the surface of the skin in the groin, genital or anal regions. They grow into different sizes and shapes, and may look like flat white patches, or like tiny cauliflower. Sometimes they are not visible.
The warts may be large, or they may be too small for the naked eye. They may appear individually or in groups, like patches of tiny cauliflower.
In men, genital warts may occur on the penis, scrotum, or around the anus. Men are often unaware they have them, even when they can be seen, until the warts are identified by a doctor. The warts may be small, too small to be seen, or grow quite large and become obvious.
For women, genital warts may appear around the anus or on the vulva, vagina, or cervix. Women will most likely be unaware of warts inside the vagina or on the cervix until a doctor discovers them.
Depending on the type of HPV, genital warts are either visible or not. If they are visible, then they may disappear on their own. If they don’t, your medical professional can easily remove them with lasers, by freezing them, or some type of topical treatment.
Those warts that are invisible, which may be found with a Pap test, can be linked to precancerous cervical cell changes and cervical cancer. In this case, your doctor will consult with you about treatment options.
Treatments for genital warts include topical medications, freezing, laser, or surgery.
The medical treatment for genital warts will depend on several factors:
Dr. McMeeking often recommends topical drug treatment as the first choice. Doctors may apply the medication if there’s a high risk of causing damage to the skin around the warts. Other times you can apply the medication at home.