Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Quick Guide

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/std/default.htm

STD

SYMPTOMS

FACTS

Chlamydia

(Curable)

· Most people have no symptoms.

· Women may notice:

· Abnormal discharge from vagina;

· Vaginal bleeding (between periods); and

· Pain during urination and while having sex.

· Men may notice:

· Discharge from penis;

· Pain during urination; and

· Pain/swelling in testicles.

· Most common bacterial STD.

· Can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, and throat.

· If left untreated it can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).

· May be passed from mother to child during childbirth.

· Can be cured with antibiotics, but repeat infection is possible.

· Preventable with condoms and dental dams.

Gonorrhea

(Curable)

· Most people have no symptoms.

· Women may notice:

· Pain during urination and while having sex

· Increased vaginal discharge; and

· Vaginal bleeding between periods.

· Men may notice:

· Pain during urination and while having sex;

· A white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis; and

· Painful or swollen testicles.

· Can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, and throat.

· If left untreated it can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).

· May be passed from mother to child during childbirth.

· Can be cured with antibiotics, but repeat infection is possible.

· Preventable with condoms and dental dams.

Syphilis

(Curable)

· You can get syphilis by direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

· Syphilis progresses in three stages:

· Primary: A painless chancre sore appears where syphilis enters the body (penis, vagina, anus, rectum, and mouth), and lasts 3– 6 weeks.

· Secondary: A rash appears in one or more areas of the body. The rash usually appears on the palms of the hands and bottom of the feet and look rough and reddish brown.

· Latent: Period where there are no visible signs or symptoms. Without treatment, syphilis will remain in the body for years.

· Tertiary: Happens 10-30 years after infection. This stage damages your internal organs (muscle weakness, eye pain, and changes to mental state) affects and may result in death.

· Untreated syphilis can result in heart disease, brain damage, blindness, and even death.

· Can be passed from a pregnant woman to her unborn child.

· Can be cured with penicillin, but repeat infection is possible

· Preventable with condoms and dental dams.

Trichomoniasis

(Curable)

· About 70% of infected people do not have any symptoms.

· Men with trichomoniasis may notice:

· Itching or irritation inside the penis;

· Burning after urination or ejaculation;

· Discharge from the penis.

· Women with trichomoniasis may notice:

· Itching, burning, redness or soreness of the genitals;

· Discomfort with urination and sex;

· A change in their vaginal discharge (i.e., thin discharge or increased volume) that can be clear, white, yellowish, or greenish with an unusual fishy smell.

· Some people with symptoms get them within 5 to 28 days after being infected.

· Trichomoniasis is caused by a parasite and is the most common curable STD.

· Infection is more common in women than in men. Older women are more likely than younger women to have been infected with trichomoniasis.

· Trichomoniasis can cause genital inflammation that makes it easier to get infected with HIV and other STDs.

· Can be cured with antibiotics, but repeat infection is possible.

· Preventable with condoms and dental dams.

Herpes

(Not Curable)

· Herpes is caused by two viruses—herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).

· Oral Herpes: Cold sores or fever blisters on or around the mouth

· Genital Herpes: Sores/blisters on genitals

· You can get genital herpes by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the infection.

· You can get herpes if you have contact with:

· A herpes sore;

· Fluids from a partner with a herpes infection;

· Skin in the oral area of a partner with oral herpes; or

· Skin in the genital area of a partner with genital herpes.

· Most people with oral herpes get it during childhood from non-sexual contact with saliva.

· You also will not get it from touching objects, such as silverware, soap, or towels.

· No cure for the virus, but medications are available to lessen symptoms.

· Preventable with condoms and dental dams.

· Abstain if you are having an outbreak.

Human Papillomavirus—HPV

(Not Curable)

· There are more than 60 strains of HPV. Some types can cause health problems, including genital warts and cancers.

· In most cases, HPV goes away on its own within two years, but HPV does not go away.

· May cause health problems like genital warts and cancer (cervical, throat, and cancer of the genitals).

· Genital warts appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area.

· They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower.

· HPV is the most common STD in the United States.

· Most commonly spread during unprotected sex and skin-to-skin contact.

· A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms.

· No cure for the virus, but medications are available to lessen symptoms.

· Preventable with condoms and dental dams.

· Abstain if you are having an outbreak.

· HPV vaccines can prevent some of the health effects HPV causes.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

&

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

(Not Curable)

· HIV weakens a person’s immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection.

· Some people may have flu-like symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks after infection. These symptoms may last for a few days or several weeks and include:

· Fever/chills/night sweats;

· Rash;

· Muscle aches/fatigue; and

· Sore throat, ulcers, and Swollen lymph nodes.

· If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS. This is the most severe phase of HIV.

· People living with AIDS may have such damaged immune systems that it is easy to get sick.

· There is no effective cure for HIV, but with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled.

· HIV can only be spread through five body fluids:

· Blood, semen and pre-semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breastmilk.

· To protect yourself from HIV:

· Get tested at least once or more often if you are at risk.

· Use condoms the right way every time you have anal or vaginal sex.

· Don’t share needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment.

· Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medication that prevents HIV. 

· PrEP is for anyone at risk of being infected with HIV from sex or injection drug use.

Hepatitis B

(Not Curable)

· Hepatitis B is a virus that affects the liver.

· Hepatitis B is spread when blood, semen, or other body fluids from a person infected with the virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. This can happen through:

· Sexual contact;

· Sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment; or

· From mother to baby at birth.

· Not all people with HBV have symptoms, but for those that do, symptoms include:

· Fatigue, poor appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and jaundice.

· A chronic infection can lead to serious health issues like cirrhosis or liver cancer.

· Hepatitis B is the primary cause of liver cancer, which is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the world.

· Hepatitis B is vaccine preventable.

Hepatitis C

(Curable)

· Hepatitis C is a virus that affects the liver.

· Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood from an infected person.

· For some people, Hepatitis C is a short-term illness, but for most, it becomes a long-term, chronic infection.

· A chronic infection can lead to serious health issues like cirrhosis or liver cancer.

· Today, many people become infected with the Hepatitis C virus by sharing needles or other equipment used to prepare and inject drugs.

· There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, but treatments can cure most people with Hepatitis C in 8 to 12 weeks.