STI’s

1. STI’s Sexually Transmitted Infections http://kildare.ie/outreach/images/side-image-sex.jpg

2. What are STI’s? • Infections that are commonly passed from one partner to another through some form of sexual activity • They are more commonly known as sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s), and up until ~1990 were known as venereal diseases

3. How are STI’s contracted? Two Common Ways: • Contact of infected semen or vaginal fluids to mucosal surfaces (e.g., the male urethra, the vagina or cervix) Examples include: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis Contact with infected skin or mucosal surfaces Examples include: genital herpes, syphilis, chancroid, and human papillomavirus http://www.cec.gov/nchstp/od/latex.htm

4. In other words… you can get an STI simply by touching infected skin!

5. Here’s a popular crew of STI’s to stay away from… • Chlamydia • Crabs • Gonorrhea • Herpes • HPV • Trichomoniasis • Syphilis Now let’s meet some of these not-so-friendly STI’s!

6. Hi… I’m Chlamydia http://www.checkyoself.20m.com/photo5.html • I’m a curable infection caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. • You can catch me during vaginal, anal, and even oral sex! • Sometimes, you won’t even know I’ve arrived; most women and men don’t experience symptoms, and if they do, they usually occur 1 to 3 weeks afterwards. biology.kenyon.edu/.../ chlamydia/chlamydia.jpg

7. Hi… I’m Chlamydia (cont.) • You can find me by means of a urine test or by taking a specimen from the infected area. • If you don’t get rid of me, I can cause some major complications, including infertility. • I can be transmitted even if the penis or tongue does not enter the vagina, mouth, or rectum. Your best bet for avoiding me, if you’re sexually active, is to use a condom…correctly! www.euromed.uk.com/ images/chlamydia.jpg http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_chlamydia_facts.cfm

8. Hello there, we’re the crabs! www.phobros.com/ tim/pictures/crabs11.gif • We, the crabs (aka pubic lice), are small parasites that feed on human blood. • You can find us on pubic hair, or wherever you have coarse hair (i.e., armpits, eyelashes, and facial hair). We’re not too fond of head hair though. • We crawl from the pubic hair of one person to another…we don’t require penetration or exchange of body fluids to be transmitted. http://www.becomehealthynow.com/conditions/images/lice.jpg

9. Hello there, we’re the crabs! (cont.) http://herpes-coldsores.com/std/pubic_lice_pictures.htm • If we make you our host, you’ll be very itchy. • The only way to avoid us is to avoid contact with infested people, bed linens, clothing, and furniture. • Once we leave our human host, we can live for 24 hours, so we can crawl on you from infested bedding or clothing. • Latex condoms don’t work on us… haha! http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_crabs_facts.cfm

10. Meet Gonorrhea • I’m also a curable infection caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoea. • I’m transmitted during vaginal, anal, and oral sex. • Many men infected with gonorrhea show symptoms; most women don’t. • In men, symptoms usually appear within a possible range of 1 to 30 days.

11. Meet Gonorrhea (cont.) • Since symptoms may not be present, the only way to know if one has contracted me is to be tested, either by a urine test or by taking a specimen from the infected area. http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/Green-Revolution-Gonorrhea.jpg • I can be transmitted even if the penis or tongue does not enter the vagina, mouth or rectum. Latex condoms are a good thing to use to avoid me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonorrhea http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_gonnorhea_fact.cfm

12. And Herpes… http://www.dermatology.svhm.org.au/Primary%20School/Graphics/herpes%202.jpg http://www.nature.com/news/2001/010906/images/virus1_160.jpg • Symptoms include areas of red and sensitive skin where blisters and bumps may soon appear. After the blisters open, they then heal as new skin tissue forms. • Once you have me, you can’t get rid of me. • I’m an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. • I’m estimated to be present in 50 to 60 percent of the American population. http://www.microbes-edu.org/etudiant/imgderm/45-herpes-genital-1.jpg

13. And, of course, HPV… • I, the human papillomavirus, have more than 100 different strains. More than 30 of these are sexually transmitted and can affect the genitals of both men and women. • Most infected individuals will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own. • A BIG problem with me is that I may lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. http://www.cdcnpin.org/images/HPV.jpg

14. HPV (cont.) • Most people infected by me don’t even know it. I live in the skin or mucous membranes and usually cause no symptoms. Some people do get visible warts, however. • Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap tests. http://www.inca.gov.br/cancer/imagens/hpv_fig2.jpg • Unfortunately for you, no HPV tests are available for men. • There is no “cure” for me. A Pap test is the primary cancer-screening tool for cervical cancer. http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm

15. Trichomoniasis http://www.checkyoself.20m.com/images/trichomoniasis.jpg • I am caused by the single-celled protozoan known as Trichomonas vaginalis. • Symptoms typically begin anywhere from 5-28 days after I set up shop inside the body. • Symptoms of my presence include: lower abdominal pain, yellow-green discharge, painful urination, and irritation of the genitalia.

16. Trichomoniasis (cont.) • I’m so sneaky that often the only way to diagnose me is through lab tests (in additional to a physical examination) • However, I am easily defeated by the drug, metronidazole (given by mouth in a one dose). • I can contribute to early pregnancy and low-birth weight when my host gives birth. http://www.sexually-transmitted-diseases.info/images/std_trichomoniasis.jpg

17. Syphilis http://www.checkyoself.20m.com/images/syphilis.jpg • I begin as a painless sore on the penis/vagina, anus, or mouth • I am caused by the bacterium, Treponema pallidum. • Lucky for me, I can stay inside the body for years without producing any symptoms that would indicate my presence.

18. Syphilis (Cont.) http://euclid.dne.wvfibernet.net/~jvg/Bio208/Urogen_pix/syph1_Utex.jpg • When I do cause symptoms, however, they are typically in the form of sores, skin rash, or lesions • I am able to infect when one person comes into direct contact with my sores on another person (primarily through sexual contact). • If I get lucky enough to infect a woman who gets pregnant, I can even get passed down to the baby. http://www.emedicine.com/derm/images/411secondary.jpg

19. Syphilis (Cont.) • I make it easier to transmit and acquire HIV. • I can be diagnosed by looking at material from one of my sores under a dark-field microscope, or by a blood test. • Antibiotics typically get rid of me (Penicillin being the most commonly used). http://www.primer.ru/std/gallery_std/images/treponema0.JPG

20. Prevention? • Practicing abstinence is the BEST and only truly effective method of preventing against sexually transmitted infections. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/eroque/General_NoCondomNoSex.jpg

21. Prevention (Cont.) • To significantly lower your risk, you should: - use a condom EVERY time you have sex (including anal and oral sex) - limit your number of sex partners - have your partner tested for an STI - look for signs/symptoms of an STI in your partner - not have sex with someone still receiving treatment for an STI - wash your genitalia with soap and water after sexual intercourse http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/ohe/library/Sexhealth/news/condoms.jpg Be Smart. Be Safe. Be Informed.

22. References • http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm • http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_gonorrhea_fact.cfm • http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_crabs_facts.cfm • http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_chlamydia_facts.cfm • http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/latex.htm • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Std's *** Other references can be found throughout the presentation