Sexually transmitted diseases can most often occur through direct and unprotected sexual contact vaginally, anally, or orally. Commonly, symptoms usually include a combination of the following:
- pain or discomfort during sex or urination
- sores, bumps, or rashes on or around the vagina, anus, buttocks, thighs, or mouth
- unusual discharge or bleeding from the genitals
- itchiness in or around the genital area
These diseases can also be contracted by sharing needles.
Types of STI’s
The most common types are:
Chlamydia – Bacterial infection that causes pain during sex or urination and in the lower abdomen, and colored discharge from the genitals. It can lead to various infections as well as pelvic inflammatory diseases and infertility. Babies born to untreated mothers may develop blindness, eye infections, or pneumonia.
Gonorrhea – Bacterial infection that often does not present symptoms, but those that do include a lighter colored discharge from the genitals, pain during sex or urination, frequent urination, itching around the genitals, and sore throat. It can lead to other infections, infertility, and pelvic inflammatory disease, and it is treated with antibiotics. It can pass from mother to child during childbirth.
Herpes – Officially called the herpes simplex virus, there are two strains of the virus, which commonly are transmitted sexually. It causes cold sore, with are blisters on the genitals or mouth. They heal on their own within a few weeks. It can be passed to a fetus in the womb or to a baby during childbirth, and congenital herpes can be dangerous. There is no cure
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) – Immune system becomes damaged or compromised and can lead to contracting other diseases, developing cancer, and possibly to AIDS, a more severe form of the virus if not treated. Symptoms resemble the flu and include aches, chills, fever, headaches, nausea, rashes, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes. There is no cure yet, but management, starting in the early stages, is effective.
Human papillomavirus, (HPV) – Virus that is passed by skin-to-skin contact, and symptoms usually involve warts on the genitals, mouth, or throat, and certain strains can lead to cancers affecting the cervix, rectum, mouth, and vulva. There is no treatment, but infections are often clear on their own. There are vaccines for the more dangerous strains.
Lice – Small infects similar to head or body lice and live in the public hair. Symptoms include itching, bumps, low-grade fever, fatigue and irritability. They are easy to transmit to others through contact and by sharing clothes, bedding, towels, and touching other objects.
Syphilis – Bacterial infection characterized by a sore with later symptoms including rashes, fatigue, fever, headaches, joint pain, hair loss, or weight loss, and it can lead to a loss of sensory functions, mental illness, heart disease, other infections, and possibly death.
Trichomoniasis – Tiny organism that is hard to detect. A smaller percentage of people develop symptoms, which include genital discharge, itching or burning, painful sex or urination, and frequent urination. It can lead to infections, infertility, and pelvic inflammatory disease, but it is treated with antibiotics.
