Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

1. Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDSDavenport- Health

2. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) • Infectious diseases transmitted with some form of intimate, usually sexual, contact • Sexual intercourse • Oral-genital contact • Hand-genital contact • Anal intercourse

4. Chlamydia • If symptoms are present, • Males: painful and difficult urination, frequent urination and a watery pus-like discharge from the penis • Females: yellowish discharge, spotting between periods and occasional spotting after intercourse • This infection in women can damage the cervix or fallopian tubes, causing sterility and can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease

5. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) • A term used to describe the various infections of the female reproductive tract • Nonsexual causessuch as vaginal douching, smoking,and drugs are alsocommon

6. Gonorrhea (the clap) • Caused by a bacteria that usually infects the urethra, genital tract, pharynx, and rectum but may spread to the eyes or other areas of the body via the hands or fluids • Male symptoms: white milky discharge from the penis with painful, burning urination • Female symptoms: very few experience a discharge or burning sensation with a possible fever

7. Syphilis • Caused by a bacterium that is transferred only by direct sexual contact because it dies upon exposure to air, dryness, or cold • Primary syphilis • Development of a chancre (painless sore that oozes with bacteria) that disappears in 3 to 6 weeks • Secondary syphilis • A rash or white patches on the skin or mucus membranes of the mouth, throat, or genitals appears along with possible hair loss, lymph node enlargement, fever and headaches • Symptoms again will disappear • Latent syphilis • Organism begins to invade the body’s other organs • Infectious lesions may again reappear • Late syphilis • Heart and nervous system damage, blindness, deafness, paralysis, senility and insanity

8. Pubic Lice (crabs) • Small parasites that are usually transmitted during sexual contact • They attach to pubic hair where they deposit their eggs (nits) • When crab lice feed they can inject saliva into the host, causing itching

9. GenitalWarts • Caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) • The virus penetrates the skin and mucous membranes of the genitals or anus through sexual contact • Can be treated with topical medications or removed by being frozen with liquid nitrogen • Large warts may require surgical removal

10. Candidiasis (yeast infection) • This yeast like fungus normally inhabits the vaginal tract in most women • Under certain conditions, when the normal chemical balance of the vagina is disturbed, these organisms multiply and cause problems • Symptoms include severe itching and burning of the vagina and vulva, swelling of the vulva and a white, cheesy discharge

11. Trichomoniasis (trich) • Caused by a protozoan • Symptoms include a foamy, yellowish, unpleasant smelling discharge with a burning sensation, itching, and painful urination • Usually spread by sexual contact, but can also be spread by toilet seats, wet towels, or other items that have discharge fluid on them

12. Herpes • Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) • Symptoms include a redness at the site of infection followed by a blister filled with clear fluid containing the virus • The blister will crust over, dry up and disappear and the virus will travel to a nerve in the area and stay dormant until the virus becomes reactivated

13. HIV / AIDS • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the slow acting virus that causes AIDS • Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease that causes the immune system to become inoperative

14. Transmitting HIV • Engaging in High-Risk Behaviors • Unprotected sex, multiple partners • Exchange of Body Fluids • Vaginal or anal intercourse, deep wet kissing • Blood Transfusions prior to 1985 • Since 1985, all donated blood is tested • Injecting Drugs • Sharing or using contaminated needles and syringes • Mother-to-Infant (Perinatal) • In the womb or exposure during delivery

16. HIV Symptoms • A person may go months or years before any symptoms appear • A person may experience infections, colds, sore throats, fever, tiredness, nausea, night sweats and other non-life threatening conditions • Meanwhile, their immune system gradually weakens until they are diagnosed with AIDS.

18. HIV Testing • ELISA is a blood test that detects the presence of antibodies to the HIV virus • Western blot is a test more accurate than the ELISA to confirm the presence of HIV antibodies

19. AIDS Treatments • Current treatments combine different drugs • Older drugs worked by preventing the virus from infecting new cells • There are many side effects to the different drugs and getting the right combination and dosage is difficult

20. Preventing STD’s • Latex condoms are the only form of contraception now available that are highly effective in protecting against the transmission of HIV and other STDs • Condoms give good disease protection for vaginal sex and can also reduce the risk of disease transmission in oral and anal sex • Condoms may not be 100% effective, a lot depends on knowing the right way to buy, store and use them