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Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Sexually transmitted diseases (also known as STDs and once called
venereal diseases or VD) are infectious diseases that spread
from person to person through intimate contact. STDs affect
guys and girls of all ages and backgrounds who are having
sex — it doesn't matter if they're rich or poor.
Unfortunately, STDs have become common among teens. Because
teens are more at risk for getting some STDs, it's important
to learn what you can do to protect yourself.
STDs are more than just an embarrassment. They're a serious
health problem. If untreated, some STDs can cause permanent
damage, such as infertility (the inability to have a baby)
and even death (in the case of HIV/AIDS).
How STDs Spread
One reason STDs spread is because people think they need to
have sexual intercourse to become infected. That's wrong. A
person can get some STDs, like herpes or genital warts,
through skin-to-skin contact with an infected area or sore.
Another myth about STDs is that you can't get them if you
have oral or anal sex. That's also wrong because the viruses
or bacteria that cause STDs can enter the body through tiny
cuts or tears in the mouth and anus, as well as the
genitals.
STDs also spread easily because you can't tell whether
someone has an infection. In fact, some people with STDs
don't even know that they have them. These people are in
danger of passing an infection on to their sex partners
without even realizing it.
Some of the things that increase a person's chances of
getting an STD are:
-
Sexual activity at a young age. The younger a person starts having sex, the greater his or her
chances of becoming infected with an STD.
-
Lots of sex partners.
People who have sexual contact — not just
intercourse, but any form of intimate activity — with many
different partners are more at risk than those who stay
with the same partner.
-
Unprotected sex.
Latex condoms are the only form of birth control
that reduce your risk of getting an STD. Spermicides,
diaphragms, and other birth control methods may help
prevent pregnancy, but they don't protect a person against
STDs.
Preventing and Treating STDs
As with many other diseases, prevention is key. It's much
easier to prevent STDs than to treat them. The only way to
completely prevent STDs is to abstain from all types of
sexual contact. If someone is going to have sex, the best
way to reduce the chance of getting an STD is by using a
condom.
People who are considering having sex should get regular
gynecological or male genital examinations. There are two
reasons for this. First, these exams give doctors a chance
to teach people about STDs and protecting themselves. And
second, regular exams give doctors more opportunities to
check for STDs while they're still in their earliest, most
treatable stage.
In order for these exams and visits to the doctor to be
helpful, people need to tell their doctors if they are
thinking about having sex or if they have already started
having sex. This is true for all types of sex — oral,
vaginal, and anal.
Don't let embarrassment at the thought of having an STD keep
you from seeking medical attention. Waiting to see a doctor
may allow a disease to progress and cause more damage. If
you think you may have an STD, or if you have had a partner
who may have an STD, you should see a doctor right away.
If you don't have a doctor or prefer not to see your family
doctor, you may be able to find a local clinic in your area
where you can get an exam confidentially. Some national and
local organizations operate STD hotlines staffed by trained
specialists who can answer your questions and provide
referrals. Calls to these hotlines are confidential. One
hotline you can call for information is the National STD
Hotline at 1-800-227-8922.
Not all infections in the genitals are caused by STDs.
Sometimes people can get symptoms that seem very like those
of STDs, even though they've never had sex. For girls, a
yeast infection can easily be confused with an STD. Guys may
worry about bumps on the penis that turn out to be pimples
or irritated hair follicles. That's why it's important to
see a doctor if you ever have questions about your sexual
health.
For more information about the signs, symptoms, and
treatments of some common STDs, click on the links below.
Chlamydia
What Is It?
Chlamydia
(pronounced: kluh-mid-ee-uh)
is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by
bacteria called
Chlamydia trachomatis. Although you may not have
heard its name, chlamydia is one of the most common STDs.
Because there often aren't any symptoms, though, lots of
people can have chlamydia and not know it.
The bacteria can move from one person to another through
sexual intercourse, and possibly through oral-genital
contact. If someone touches bodily fluids that contain the
bacteria and then touches his or her eye, a chlamydial eye
infection is possible. Chlamydia also can be passed from a
mother to her baby while the baby is being delivered. This
can cause pneumonia and conjuntivitis, which can become very
serious for the baby if it's not treated. You can't catch
chlamydia from a towel, doorknob, or toilet seat.
How Does a Girl Know She Has It?
It can be difficult for a girl to know whether she has
chlamydia because most girls don't have any symptoms.
Chlamydia may cause an unusual vaginal discharge or pain
during urination. Some girls with chlamydia also have pain
in their lower abdomens, pain during sexual intercourse, or
bleeding between menstrual periods. Sometimes a chlamydia
infection can cause a mild fever, muscle aches, or headache.
How Does a Guy Know He Has It?
Like a girl, a guy can also have a difficult time telling
whether he has chlamydia. Some guys may have a discharge
from the tip of the penis (the
urethra —
where urine comes out), or experience itching or burning
sensations around the penis. Rarely, the testicles may
become swollen. Many times, a guy with chlamydia may have
few or no symptoms, so he might not even know he has it.
When Do Symptoms Appear?
Someone who has contracted chlamydia may see symptoms a week
later. In some people, the symptoms take up to 3 weeks to
appear, and many people never develop any symptoms.
What Can Happen?
If left untreated in girls, chlamydia can cause an infection
of the urethra (where urine comes out) and inflammation
(swelling and soreness caused by the infection) of the
cervix. It can also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID),
which is an infection of the uterus, ovaries, and/or
fallopian tubes. PID can cause infertility and ectopic (tubal)
pregnancies later in life.
If left untreated in guys, chlamydia can cause inflammation
of the urethra and epididymis (the structure attached to the
testicle that helps transport sperm).
How Is It Treated?
If you think you may have chlamydia or if you have had a
partner who may have chlamydia, you need to see your family
doctor, adolescent doctor, or gynecologist. Some local
health clinics, such as Planned Parenthood, can also test
and treat people for chlamydia.
The doctor will do an exam that may include swabbing the
vagina or penis for secretions, which will then be analyzed.
Sometimes doctors can diagnose chlamydia by testing a
person's urine. Talk to your doctor about which test is best
for you.
If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, the doctor will
prescribe antibiotics, which should clear up the infection
in 7 to 10 days. Anyone with whom you've had sex will also
need to be tested and treated for chlamydia because that
person may be infected but not have any symptoms. This
includes any sexual partners in the last 2 months or your
last sexual partner if it has been more than 2 months since
your last sexual experience. It is very important that
someone with a chlamydia infection abstain from having sex
until they and their partner have been treated.
If a sexual partner has chlamydia, quick treatment will
reduce his or her risk of complications and will lower your
chances of being reinfected if you have sex with that
partner again. (You can become infected with chlamydia again
even after you have been treated because having chlamydia
does not make you immune to it.)
It's better to prevent chlamydia than to treat it, and the
only way to completely prevent the infection is to abstain
from all types of sexual intercourse. If you do have sex,
use a latex condom every time. This is the only birth
control method that will help prevent chlamydia.
Genital Herpes (HSV-2)
What Is It?
Genital herpes is caused by a virus called herpes simplex (HSV).
There are two different types of herpes virus that cause
genital herpes — HSV-1 and HSV-2. Most forms of genital
herpes are HSV-2. But a person with HSV-1 (the type of virus
that causes cold sores or fever blisters around the mouth)
can transmit the virus through oral sex to another person's
genitals.
HSV-2 is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). It causes
herpes sores in the genital area and is transmitted through
vaginal, oral, or anal sex, especially from unprotected sex.
Because the virus does not live outside the body for long,
you cannot catch genital herpes from an object, such as a
toilet seat.
Symptoms of a Genital Herpes Outbreak
Someone who has been exposed to the genital herpes virus may
not be aware of the infection and may never have an outbreak
of sores. However, if a person does have an outbreak, the
symptoms can cause significant discomfort.
Someone with genital herpes may first notice itching or
pain, followed by sores that appear a few hours to a few
days later. The sores, which may appear on the vagina,
penis, scrotum, buttocks, or anus, start out as red bumps
that soon turn into red, watery blisters. The sores may make
it very painful to urinate. The sores may open up, ooze
fluid or bleed, and then heal within the next 2 to 4 weeks.
The entire genital area may feel very tender or painful, and
the person may have flu-like symptoms including fever,
headache, and swollen lymph nodes. If someone has
an outbreak in the future, it will tend to be less severe
and shorter in duration, with the sores healing in about 10
days.
How Long Until Symptoms Appear?
Someone who has been exposed to genital herpes will notice
genital itching and/or pain about 2 to 20 days after being
infected with the virus. The sores usually appear within
days afterward.
What Can Happen?
After the herpes blisters disappear, a person may think the
virus has gone away — but it's actually hiding in the body.
Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can stay hidden away in the body until
the next herpes outbreak, when the virus reactivates itself
and the painful sores return.
Over time, the herpes virus can reactivate itself again and
again, causing discomfort and episodes of sores each time.
Usually a person has about four to five herpes outbreaks
each year — but in some people, the number of outbreaks will
lessen over time.
There is no
cure for herpes; it will always remain in the body and can
always be passed to another person with any form of
unprotected sex. This is the case even if blisters aren't
present on the genitals. Many cases of genital herpes are
transmitted when symptoms are not present.
Genital herpes also increases the risk of HIV infection.
This is because HIV can enter the body more easily whenever
there's a break in the skin (such as a sore) during
unprotected sexual contact. In addition, if a pregnant woman
with genital herpes has an active infection during
childbirth, the newborn baby is at risk for getting herpes
infection. Herpes infection in a newborn can cause
meningitis (an inflammation of the membranes that surround
the brain and spinal cord), seizures, and brain damage.
How Is It Prevented?
The only surefire way to prevent genital herpes is
abstinenceabstinence. Teens who do have sex must properly
use a latex condom every time they have any form of sexual
intercourse (vaginal, oral, or anal sex). Girls receiving
oral sex should have their partners use dental dams as
protection. These sheets of thin latex can be
purchased online or from many pharmacies.
If one partner has a herpes outbreak, avoid sex — even with
a condom or dental dam — until all sores have healed. Herpes
can be passed sexually even if a partner has no sores or
other signs and symptoms of an outbreak.
How Is It Treated?
If you think you may have genital herpes or if you have had
a partner who may have genital herpes, see your family
doctor, adolescent doctor, gynecologist, or health
clinic for a diagnosis. Right now, there is no cure for
genital herpes, but a doctor can prescribe antiviral
medication to help control recurring HSV-2 and clear up the
painful sores. The doctor can also tell you how to keep the
sores clean and dry and suggest other methods to ease the
discomfort when the virus reappears
Genital Warts
What Are They?
Genital warts are warts that are located near or in the
genital areas. In a female, that means on or near the vulva
(the outside genital area), vagina, cervix, or anus. In a
male, that means near or on the penis, scrotum, or anus.
Warts appear as bumps or growths. They can be flat or
raised, single or many, small or large. They tend to be
whitish or flesh colored. They are not always easy to see
with the naked eye, and many times a person with genital
warts doesn't know that they are there.
Genital warts are caused by a group of viruses called HPV
(short for human
papillomavirus). There are more than 100
types of HPV. Some of them cause the regular kind of warts
you see on people's hands and feet — these common warts
usually are caused by types of viruses that are different
from those that cause genital warts.
More than 30 types of HPV cause genital warts. Genital warts
can be passed from person to person through intimate sexual
contact (vaginal, oral, or anal sex). In some rare cases,
genital warts are transmitted from a mother to her baby
during childbirth. You cannot catch genital warts from a
towel, doorknob, or toilet seat.
HPV infections are common in teens and young adults. As many
as 1 in 2 people can have them. The more sexual partners
someone has, the more likely it is that the person will get
an HPV infection.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
Most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms. So someone
can be infected and pass the disease on to another person
without knowing. However, some people do get visible warts.
People often don't have any symptoms from genital warts —
the warts usually do not hurt or itch, which is one reason
why people may not know they have them. Doctors can diagnose
warts by examining the skin closely (sometimes with a
magnifying glass) and using a special solution to make them
easier to see. A Pap smear (a test that is performed during
a gynecologic exam) and other tests can help diagnose an HPV
infection.
Experts believe that when a wart is present, the virus is
active and more likely to be contagious. When the wart
disappears, the virus is still there but may be less likely
to spread.
How Long Until You See the Symptoms?
A person who has been exposed to genital warts may have
warts appear any time from several weeks to several months
after exposure. Sometimes warts can take even longer to
appear; the virus can live in the body for a very long time
without causing any symptoms. Because many people who are
infected with HPV don't show any symptoms, it's important
for anyone who is having sex to get regular medical
checkups.
What Can Happen?
Sometimes, if left untreated, genital warts may grow bigger
and multiply. Often, they go away on their own without
treatment — but this doesn't mean people can ignore genital
warts. Some types of genital warts are especially worrisome
for girls because HPV can cause problems with the cervix
(the opening to the uterus that is located at the top of the
vagina) that may lead to cervical cancer.
Since HPV can have such serious consequences, girls who have
had sex should see a gynecologist, who can test for HPV with
a Pap smear.
How Are Genital Warts Prevented?
The only surefire way to prevent genital warts is abstinence
(the decision not to have sex). Teens who do have sex can
get some protection by properly using a latex condom every
time they have any form of sexual intercourse (vaginal,
oral, or anal sex). Condoms may not give complete protection
because the virus can spread from the areas of the genitals
not covered by the condom. Condoms also reduce the risk of
other sexually transmitted infections as well as pregnancy.
The U.S. government recently approved a vaccine that
protects against some of the strains of HPV that can cause
cervical cancer.
How Are They Treated?
There is no cure that will get rid of the HPV virus
completely. But treatments can reduce the number of warts —
or help them go away faster. When the warts disappear, the
HPV virus is still there, though it may not spread as
easily. If you are having sex, think you may have genital
warts, or if you have had a partner who may have genital
warts, you need to see your doctor or gynecologist. If the
warts are not obviously visible, doctors can detect the
presence of HPV in girls through a Pap smear. Doctors can
examine a guy to see if he has warts.
Your doctor will do an examination, make a diagnosis, and
then provide treatment, if necessary. There are a number of
different treatments. Depending on where the warts are
located, how big they are, and how many there are, your
doctor can treat them in several ways. Some genital warts
can be treated by putting special medications on them. If
warts are large, the doctor may carefully "freeze" them off
by using a chemical or laser treatment to remove them.
Because HPV lives in the skin, warts can come back. So you
may need to visit the doctor again. Anyone with whom you've
had sex also should be checked for genital warts.
Not all bumps on a person's genitals are warts. Some can be
pimples, some can be other types of infections or growths.
An exam by a doctor can help determine what a bump is.
Almost everyone who gets a genital wart gets upset, and it's
normal to be worried. Talk to your doctor or nurse about
what it means to have HPV and what you can do.
Gonorrhea
What Is It?
Gonorrhea
(pronounced: gah-nuh-ree-uh)
is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by bacteria
called Neisseria
gonorrhoeae. The bacteria can be passed from one
person to another through vaginal, oral, or anal sex, even
when the person who is infected has no symptoms. It can also
be passed from a mother to her baby during birth. You cannot
catch gonorrhea from a towel, a doorknob, or a toilet seat.
How Does a Girl Know She Has It?
A girl who has gonorrhea may have no symptoms at all or her
symptoms may be so mild that she doesn't notice them until
they become more severe. In some cases, girls will feel a
burning sensation when they urinate, or they will have a
yellow-green vaginal discharge. Girls may also experience
vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods.
If the infection becomes more widespread and moves into the
uterus or fallopian tubes, it may cause abdominal pain,
fever, and pain during sexual intercourse, as well as the
symptoms above. (This widespread infection is called pelvic
inflammatory disease or PID.)
How Does a Guy Know He Has It?
Guys who have gonorrhea are much more likely to notice
symptoms, although a guy can have gonorrhea and not know it.
Guys often feel a burning sensation when they urinate, and
yellowish-white discharge may ooze out of the urethra (at
the tip of the penis).
How Long Until There Are Symptoms?
Symptoms usually appear 2 to 7 days after a person has been
exposed to gonorrhea, and in girls they may appear even
later.
What Can Happen?
Gonorrhea can be very dangerous if it is left untreated,
even in someone who has mild or no symptoms. In girls, the
infection can move into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and
ovaries (causing PID) and can lead to scarring and
infertility (the inability to have a baby). Gonorrhea
infection during pregnancy can cause problems for the
newborn baby, including meningitis (an inflammation of the
membranes around the brain and spinal cord) and an eye
infection that can result in blindness if it is not treated.
In guys, gonorrhea can spread to the epididymis (the
structure attached to the testicle that helps transport
sperm), causing pain and swelling in the testicular area.
This can create scar tissue that might make a guy infertile.
In both guys and girls, untreated gonorrhea can affect other
organs and parts of the body including the throat, eyes,
heart, brain, skin, and joints, although this is less
common.
How Is It Treated?
If you think you may have gonorrhea or if you have had a
partner who may have gonorrhea, you need to see your doctor
or gynecologist. He or she will do an exam which may include
swabbing the vagina or penis for discharge, which will then
be analyzed. Sometimes doctors can diagnose gonorrhea by
testing a person's urine. Talk to your doctor about which
test is best for you. The doctor may also test for other
STDs, such as syphilis or chlamydia.
If you are diagnosed with gonorrhea, your doctor will
prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. Anyone with
whom you've had sex should also be tested and treated for
gonorrhea immediately. This includes any sexual partners in
the last 2 months, or your last sexual partner if it has
been more than 2 months since your last sexual experience.
If a sexual partner has gonorrhea, quick treatment will
reduce the risk of complications for that person and will
lower your chances of being reinfected if you have sex with
that partner again. (You can become infected with gonorrhea
again even after you have been treated because having
gonorrhea does not make you immune to it.)
It's better to prevent gonorrhea than to treat it, and the
only way to completely prevent the infection is to abstain
from all types of sexual intercourse. If you do have sex,
use a latex condom every time. This is the only birth
control method that will help prevent gonorrhea.
Hepatitis B (HBV)
What Is It?
Hepatitis (pronounced: hep-uh-tie-tiss)
is a disease of the liver. It is usually caused by a virus,
although it can also be caused by long-term overuse of
alcohol or other toxins (poisons).
Although there are several different types of hepatitis,
hepatitis B is a type that can move from one person to
another through blood and other bodily fluids. It can be
transmitted through sexual intercourse and through needles —
such as those shared by intravenous drug or steroid users
who have the virus, or tattoo needles that haven't been
properly sterilized. A pregnant woman can also pass
hepatitis B to her unborn baby. You cannot catch hepatitis B
from an object, such as a toilet seat.
What Are the Symptoms?
Someone with hepatitis B may have symptoms similar to those
caused by other viral infections, such as the flu — for
example, tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite, mild fever,
and vomiting — as well as abdominal pain or pain underneath
the right ribcage where the liver is.
Hepatitis B can also cause jaundice, which is a yellowing of
the skin and the whites of the eyes, and may cause the urine
to appear brownish.
How Long Until Symptoms Appear?
Someone who has been exposed to hepatitis B may have
symptoms 1 to 4 months later. Some people with hepatitis B
don't notice symptoms until they become quite severe. Some
have few or no symptoms, but even someone who doesn't notice
any symptoms can still transmit the disease to others. Some
people carry the virus in their bodies and are contagious
for the rest of their lives.
What Can Happen?
Hepatitis B can be very dangerous to a person's health,
leading to liver damage and an increased risk of liver
cancer. Of babies born to women who have the hepatitis B
virus, 90% will have the virus unless they receive a special
immune injection and the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine
at birth.
How Is It Prevented?
Because hepatitis B can easily be transmitted through blood
and most body fluids, it can be prevented by:
-
abstaining from sex (not having oral, vaginal, or anal
sex)
-
always using latex condoms for all types of sexual
intercourse
-
avoiding contact with an infected person's blood
-
not using intravenous drugs or sharing any drug
paraphernalia
-
not sharing things like toothbrushes or razors
Tattoo parlors sometimes reuse needles without properly
sterilizing them, so be sure to research and choose tattoo
and piercing providers carefully.
To help prevent the spread of hepatitis B, health care
professionals wear gloves at all times when in contact with
blood or body fluids, and are usually required to be
immunized against the hepatitis B virus.
There is an immunization (vaccine) against hepatitis B. The
immunization is given as a series of three shots over a
6-month period. Newborn babies in the United States now
routinely receive this immunization series. Teens who see
their health care provider for yearly exams are also likely
to be given the hepatitis B immunization if they haven't had
it before. Immunization programs have been responsible for a
significant drop in the number of cases of hepatitis B among
teens over the past 10 years.
Sometimes, if someone has been recently exposed to the
hepatitis B virus, a doctor may recommend a shot of immune
globulin containing antibodies against the virus to try to
prevent the person from coming down with the disease. For
this reason, it's especially important to see a doctor
quickly after any possible exposure to the virus.
How Is It Treated?
If you think you may have hepatitis B or if you have been
intimate with someone who may have hepatitis B, you need to
see your doctor or gynecologist. He or she will do blood
tests, and if a diagnosis of hepatitis B is made, you may
also be treated with medicines to help fight it. Sometimes,
people need to be hospitalized for a little while if they
are too sick to eat or drink. Most people with hepatitis B
feel better within 6 months.
HIV and AIDS
What Is It?
AIDS is one of the most serious, deadly diseases in human
history.
More than 20 years ago, doctors in the United States
identified the first cases of AIDS in San Francisco and New
York. Now there are an estimated 42 million people living
with HIV or AIDS worldwide, and more than 3 million die
every year from AIDS-related illnesses.
AIDS is caused by the
human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV). HIV destroys a type of defense
cell in the body called a CD4 helper lymphocyte (pronounced:
lim-fuh-site). These lymphocytes are part of the body's
immune system, the defense system that fights infectious
diseases. But as HIV destroys these lymphocytes, people with
the virus begin to get serious infections that they normally
wouldn't — that is, they become immune deficient. The name
for this condition is
acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS).
As the medical community learns more about how HIV works,
they've been able to develop drugs to inhibit it (meaning
they interfere with its growth). These drugs have been
successful in slowing the progress of the disease, and
people with the disease now live much longer. But there is
still no cure for HIV and AIDS.
Hundreds of U.S. teens become infected with HIV each year.
HIV can be transmitted from an infected person to another
person through blood, semen (also known as "cum," the fluid
released from the penis when a male ejaculates), vaginal
fluids, and breast milk.
The virus is spread through high-risk behaviors including:
-
unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sexual intercourse
("unprotected" means not using a condom)
-
sharing needles, such as needles used to inject drugs
(including needles used for injecting steroids) and those
used for tattooing
People who have another sexually transmitted disease, such
as syphilis, genital herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or
bacterial vaginosis are at greater risk for getting HIV
during sex with infected partners.
If a woman with HIV is pregnant, her newborn baby can catch
the virus from her before birth, during the birthing
process, or from breastfeeding. If doctors know an expectant
mother has HIV, they can usually prevent the spread of the
virus from mother to baby. All pregnant teens and women
should be tested for HIV so they can begin treatment if
necessary.
How Does HIV Affect the Body?
A healthy body is equipped with CD4 helper lymphocyte cells
(CD4 cells). These cells help the immune system function
normally and fight off certain kinds of infections. They do
this by acting as messengers to other types of immune system
cells, telling them to become active and fight against an
invading germ.
HIV attaches to these CD4 cells, infects them, and uses them
as a place to multiply. In doing so, the virus destroys the
ability of the infected cells to do their job in the immune
system. The body then loses the ability to fight many
infections.
Because their immune systems are weakened, people who have
AIDS are unable to fight off many infections, particularly
tuberculosis and other kinds of otherwise rare infections of
the lung (such as
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia), the surface
covering of the brain (meningitis), or the brain itself
(encephalitis). People who have AIDS tend to keep getting
sicker, especially if they are not taking antiviral
medications properly.
AIDS can affect every body system. The immune defect caused
by having too few CD4 cells also permits some cancers that
are stimulated by viral illness to occur — some people with
AIDS get forms of lymphoma and a rare tumor of blood vessels
in the skin called Kaposi's sarcoma. Because AIDS is fatal,
it's important that doctors detect HIV infection as early as
possible so a person can take medication to delay the onset
of AIDS.
How Do People Know They Have HIV?
Once a person's blood lacks the number of CD4 cells required
to fight infections, or the person has signs of specific
illnesses or diseases that occur in people with HIV
infection, doctors make a diagnosis of AIDS.
Severe symptoms of HIV infection and AIDS may not appear for
10 years. And for years leading up to that, a person may not
have symptoms of AIDS. The amount of time it takes for
symptoms of AIDS to appear varies from person to person.
Some people may feel and look healthy for years while they
are infected with HIV. It is still possible to infect others
with HIV, even if the person with the virus has absolutely
no symptoms. You cannot tell simply by looking at someone
whether he or she is infected.
When a person's immune system is overwhelmed by AIDS, the
symptoms can include:
-
extreme weakness or fatigue
-
rapid weight loss
-
frequent fevers that last for several weeks with no
explanation
-
heavy sweating at night
-
swollen lymph glands
-
minor infections that cause skin rashes and mouth,
genital, and anal sores
-
white spots in the mouth or throat
-
chronic diarrhea
-
a cough that won't go away
-
trouble remembering things
Girls may also experience severe vaginal yeast infections
that don't respond to usual treatment, as well as pelvic
inflammatory disease (PID).
How Can It Be Prevented?
One of the reasons that HIV is so dangerous is that a person
can have the virus for a long time without knowing it. That
person can then spread the virus to others through high-risk
behaviors. HIV transmission can be prevented by:
-
abstaining from sex (not having oral, vaginal, or anal
sex)
-
always using latex condoms for all types of sexual
intercourse
-
avoiding contact with the bodily fluids through which HIV
is transmitted
-
never sharing needles
How Is It Diagnosed and Treated?
If you think that you may have HIV or AIDS or if you have
had a partner who may have HIV or AIDS, see your family
doctor, adolescent doctor, or gynecologist. He or she will
talk with you and perform tests. The doctor may do a blood
test or a swab of the inside of your cheek. Depending on
what type of test is done, results may take from a few hours
to several days.
People can also get tested for HIV/AIDS at special AIDS
clinics around the country. Clinics offer both anonymous
(meaning the clinic doesn't know a person's name) and
confidential (meaning they know who a person is but keep it
private) testing. Most AIDS testing centers will ask you to
follow up for counseling to get your results, whether the
test is negative or positive.
If you're not sure how to find a doctor or get an AIDS test,
you can contact the National AIDS Hotlines at (800) 342-AIDS
(English) or (800) 344-7432 (Spanish). A specialist there
will explain what you should do next.
There is no cure for AIDS, which makes prevention so
important. Combinations of antiviral drugs and drugs that
boost the immune system have allowed many people with HIV to
resist infections, stay healthy, and prolong their lives,
but these medications are not a cure. Right now there is no
vaccine to prevent HIV and AIDS, although researchers are
working on developing one.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Pelvic inflammatory disease, sometimes called PID, is a
progressive (meaning it becomes worse over time) infection
of the fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, or ovaries. Most
girls develop PID as a result of sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs), such as chlamydia or gonorrhea.
In the United States, each year more than a million women
will develop PID, with the highest infection rate amongst
teenagers. Teen girls with multiple partners and those who
don't use condoms are most likely to get STDs and are at
risk for PID. If PID goes untreated, it can lead to internal
scarring that can result in chronic pelvic pain,
infertility, or a tubal pregnancy.
What Are the Symptoms of PID?
PID can cause severe symptoms or very mild to no symptoms.
Teens who do have symptoms however, may experience:
-
pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen
-
large amounts of foul-smelling or abnormally colored
discharge
-
pain during sexual intercourse
-
heavier than normal periods
-
more painful periods with more cramps than usual
-
spotting between periods
-
chills, fever, and vomiting
-
increased tiredness
-
loss of appetite
-
backache and perhaps even difficulty walking
-
painful or more frequent urination
What Can Happen if You Get PID?
Any teen girl with symptoms of an STD should get medical
care as soon as possible. An untreated STD has a greater
chance of becoming PID.
If it is not treated or goes unrecognized, the PID can
continue to spread through a girl's reproductive organs and
may lead to long-term reproductive problems:
-
PID can cause scarring in a girl's ovaries, fallopian
tubes, and uterus, and widespread scarring may lead to
infertility
(the inability to have a baby). A teen girl or woman who
has had PID three times (or more) has an almost 50% chance
of being infertile.
-
If someone who has had PID does get pregnant, scarring of
the fallopian tubes may cause the fertilized egg to
implant in one of the fallopian tubes rather than in the
uterus. The fetus would then begin to develop in the tube,
where there is no room for it to keep growing. This is
called an
ectopic pregnancy. An untreated ectopic
pregnancy could cause the fallopian tube to burst
suddenly, which might lead to life-threatening bleeding in
a pregnant woman.
-
Untreated PID also puts a woman at risk for a
tubo-ovarian abscess
(TOA). A TOA is a collection of bacteria, pus, and fluid
that occurs in the fallopian tube. It is most often seen
in teens. A TOA is also more likely to occur in teens or
adult women who use intrauterine devices (IUDs) as birth
control. A teen girl with a TOA often looks sick and has a
fever and pain that makes it difficult to walk. The
abscess will be treated in the hospital with antibiotics,
and surgery may be needed to remove it.
Pubic Lice
(Crabs)
What Are They?
Pubic lice are tiny insects that can crawl from the pubic
hair of one person to the pubic hair of another person
during sexual intercourse. People can also catch pubic lice
from infested clothing, towels, and bedding. Once they are
on a person's body, the insects live by sucking blood from
their host. Pubic lice are sometimes called "crabs" because
when seen under a microscope they look like tiny crabs.
What Are the Symptoms?
Pubic lice cause intense itching. A person who has been
exposed to pubic lice may notice tiny tan to grayish-white
insects crawling in their pubic hair. He or she may also see
tiny oval-shaped, yellow to white blobs called nits clinging
to the hair. Nits are about the size of a pinhead, and are
the louse eggs. Nits can't be easily removed from the hair
with the fingers — "nit combs" made especially to remove the
eggs are sold at drugstores and many grocery stores.
Someone who has been exposed to pubic lice will usually
notice symptoms within a week. But it can take up to 2–3
weeks for the mature lice to appear. That means itching may
start in the first week, but people may not actually notice
the lice for 2–3 weeks after they have been exposed. The
primary symptom of pubic lice is itching, but lice can also
leave bluish-grayish marks on the thighs and pubic area from
bites.
What Can Happen?
It's unusual for pubic lice to create any serious health
problems, but the itching can be very uncomfortable, and
it's easy to transmit pubic lice to others. The female louse
survives an average of 25 to 30 days and each can lay 20 to
30 eggs. Lice can also live away from the body for 1 to 2
days. So it's important to get properly diagnosed and
treated, or it can take forever to get rid of them.
How Is It Treated?
If you think you may have pubic lice or if you have had a
partner who may have pubic lice, see a doctor or
gynecologist right away. If the doctor diagnoses pubic lice,
you may be prescribed medication or told to buy an
over-the-counter medicine that kills the lice and their
eggs. The important thing to remember is that the treatment
you use may need to be repeated after 7 to 10 days to kill
any lice you didn't get the first time.
You will also need to dry clean or use very hot water and a
hot dryer cycle to wash and dry all your bedding, towels, or
recently worn clothing to properly kill the lice and their
eggs. Anyone with whom you've had sex should also check for
pubic lice immediately. Although condoms help protect
against other STDs, a partner could still get pubic lice
because the condom does not
Syphilis
What Is It?
Syphilis (pronounced:
siff-ill-iss)
is a
sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a type of
bacteria known as a
spirochetespirochete (through a microscope, it looks like a
corkscrew or spiral). It is extremely small and can live
almost anywhere in the body.
The spirochetes that cause syphilis can be passed from one
person to another through direct contact with a syphilis
sore during sexual intercourse (vaginal, anal, or oral sex).
The infection can also be passed from a mother to her baby
during pregnancy. You cannot catch syphilis from a towel,
doorknob, or toilet seat.
In the 1990s there was a decrease in the number of people
infected with syphilis. However, more recently there has
been a steady increase in reported cases of syphilis,
especially in young adults and in men who have male sexual
partners.
In its early stages, syphilis is easily treatable. However,
if left untreated, it can cause serious problems — even
death. So it's important to understand as much as you can
about this disease.
What Are the Symptoms?
Syphilis occurs in several different stages:
Primary Syphilis
In the first stage of syphilis, red, firm, and sometimes wet
sores that don't hurt appear on the vagina, rectum, penis,
or mouth. There is often just one sore, but there may be
several. This type of sore is called a
chancre (pronounced:
shang-ker). Chancres appear on the part of the body
where the spirochetes moved from one person to another.
Someone with syphilis may also have swollen glands during
this first stage.
After a few weeks, the chancre will disappear, but that's
not a sign that the disease has gone away. In fact, if the
infection hasn't been treated, the disease will continue to
get worse.
Syphilis is highly contagious during this first stage.
Unfortunately, it can be easy to miss because the chancres
are painless and can appear in areas that may not be easy to
see, like in the mouth, under the foreskin, or on the anus.
This means that people may not know that they are infected,
and can pass the disease on to others without realizing it.
Secondary Syphilis
If syphilis hasn't been treated yet, the person will usually
break out in a rash (especially on the soles of the feet and
palms of the hands) and may also notice flu-like symptoms,
such as fever and achiness. Sometimes the rashes associated
with syphilis can be very faint or look like rashes from
other infections and, therefore, may not be noticed. Sores
sometimes appear on the lips, mouth, throat, vagina, and
anus — but many people with secondary syphilis don't have
sores at all.
This secondary stage usually lasts 1 to 2 weeks and will go
away with or without treatment. But if the infection hasn't
been treated, the disease will continue to progress.
Syphilis is still contagious during the secondary stage.
Latent Syphilis
If syphilis still hasn't been treated yet, the person will
have a period of the illness called latent (hidden)
syphilis. This means that all the signs of the disease go
away, but the disease is still very much there. Even though
the disease is "hiding," the spirochetes are still in the
body. Syphilis can remain latent for many years.
Tertiary Syphilis
If the disease still hasn't been treated at this point, it
becomes known as tertiary (or late-stage) syphilis. This
means the spirochetes have spread all over the body and can
affect the brain, the heart, the spinal cord, and bones.
Symptoms of late syphilis can include difficulty walking,
numbness, gradual blindness, and possibly even death.
How Long Until Symptoms Appear?
A person who has been exposed to the spirochetes that cause
syphilis may notice a chancre from 10 days to 3 months
later, though the average is 3 weeks. If the syphilis is not
treated, the second stage of the disease may occur anywhere
from about 2 to 10 weeks after the original sore (chancre).
It's important to keep in mind that many people never notice
any symptoms of syphilis. This means it is important to let
your doctor know that you are having sex, so that he or she
can test you for syphilis even if you don't have any
symptoms.
What Can Happen?
Syphilis can be very dangerous to a person's health if left
untreated. In both guys and girls, the spirochetes can
spread throughout the whole body, infecting major organs.
Brain damage and other serious health problems can occur,
many of which can't be treated. A woman who is pregnant and
hasn't been effectively treated is at great risk of putting
her baby in danger. Untreated syphilis can also cause major
birth defects. Syphilis also increases the risk of HIV
infection because HIV can enter the body more easily when
there's a sore present.
How Is It Treated?
If you think you may have syphilis or if you have had sexual
contact with someone who may have syphilis, you need to see
your doctor or gynecologist right away. As it can sometimes
be difficult to spot chancres, it's important to get checked
on a regular basis, especially if you have had unprotected
sex and/or more than one sex partner.
Depending on the stage, the doctor can make a diagnosis by
examining the discharge from chancres under a special
microscope or by doing a blood test to look for signs of
infection.
Early stages of syphilis are easily cured with antibiotics.
Someone who has been infected for a while will need
treatment for a longer period of time. Unfortunately, damage
to the body from the late stage of syphilis cannot be
treated. However, even in the late stage, it is important to
get treatment. This can prevent further damage to the body.
Anyone with whom you've had unprotected sex should also be
checked for syphilis immediately.
How Is Syphilis Prevented?
The best way to prevent any STD is to not have sex. However,
for people who decide to have sex, it's important to use
protection and to have as few sexual partners as possible.
Latex
condoms are effective against most STDs; however, if
there are any sores or rashes that cannot be covered by the
condom, it's wise to not have sex until rashes or other skin
breaks have healed.
Trichomoniasis
What Is It?
Trichomoniasis is one of the most common
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The parasite that
causes trichomoniasistrichomoniasis can be passed from one
person to another during sexual intercourse.
Unlike most STDs, the parasite can live for about an hour on
damp towels, washcloths, and bathing suits. If someone uses
these towels or washcloths or puts on the bathing suit, the
disease may be passed on that way. The good news is that
trichomoniasis is curable.
How Does a Girl Know She Has It?
A girl with trichomoniasis can get vaginitis, which is the
medical term for inflammation of the vagina. A girl who has
trichomoniasis will usually have vaginal discharge that can
be gray or yellowish green, and may be foamy. This discharge
may have a foul odor, and a girl's vagina may feel very
itchy.
A girl with trichomoniasis may find it very painful to
urinate. Trichomoniasis can also cause an achy abdomen and
pain during sexual intercourse.
How Does a Guy Know He Has It?
In most cases, guys won't notice any symptoms. However, a
guy who has trichomoniasis may notice some temporary
irritation inside his penis or a mild burning feeling when
he pees.
When Do Symptoms Appear?
Symptoms usually appear 5 to 28 days after a person has been
exposed.
What Can Happen?
Trichomoniasis by itself isn't very dangerous to a person's
health, but it can be uncomfortable. It can also make
someone more susceptible to getting other STDs. In pregnant
women, trichomoniasis can cause the baby to be born early or
to be born with a low birth weight.
If a patient has trichomoniasis a doctor will typically also
test for gonorrhea and chlamydia because these STDs
sometimes occur together.
How Is It Treated?
If you think you may have trichomoniasis or if you have had
a partner who may have trichomoniasis, you need to see your
family doctor, adolescent doctor, or gynecologist. He or she
will do an exam and swab the vagina or penis for secretions,
which will then be tested.
Doctors usually prescribe antibiotics for people who are
diagnosed with trichomoniasis. Sexual partners should be
treated at the same time, and people being treated should
not have sex until they have finished their treatment and no
longer have symptoms.
It's better to prevent trichomoniasis than to treat it, of
course. The only way to completely prevent infection is to
not have any type of sexual intercourse (called abstinence).
People who choose to have sex should use a latex
condom every time. This is the only birth control method
that will help prevent trichomoniasis.
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