Health tip: Fast Killing sexual transmitted disease you don’t know about

Approximately 20 different infections are known to be transmitted through sexual contact. Here are descriptions of some of the most common and well known:

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
• Genital Herpes
• HIV/AIDS
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Syphilis
• Bacterial Vaginosis
• Trichomoniasis
• Viral Hepatitis 

Chlamydia

Chlamydia1 (pronounced kla-MID-ee-uh) is a common STD/STI caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, oral, or anal sexual contact with an infected partner. While many individuals will not experience symptoms, chlamydia can cause fever, abdominal pain, and unusual discharge of the penis or vagina.

In women, whether or not they are having symptoms and know about their infection, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). In PID, the untreated STD/STI progresses and involves other parts of the woman's reproductive system, including the uterus and fallopian tubes. This progression can lead to permanent damage to the woman's reproductive organs. This damage may lead to ectopic pregnancy (in which the fetus develops in abnormal places outside of the womb, a condition that can be life-threatening) and infertility

 

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea (pronounced gon-uh-REE-uh) is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which can grow rapidly and multiply easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract. The most common symptoms of gonorrheal infection are a discharge from the vagina or penis and painful or difficult urination.

Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is a contagious infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two different strains, or types, of HSV: herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). Both can cause genital herpes, although most cases of genital herpes are caused by HSV-2. When symptomatic, HSV-1 usually appears as fever blisters or cold sores on the lips, but it can also infect the genital region through oral-genital or genital-genital contact. Symptomatic HSV-2 typically causes painful, watery skin blisters on or around the genitals or anus. However, substantial numbers of people who carry these viruses have no or only minimal signs or symptoms.

HIV/AIDS

HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus,is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV destroys the body's immune system by killing the blood cells that fight infection. Once HIV destroys a substantial proportion of these cells, the body's ability to fight off and recover from infections is compromised. This advanced stage of HIV infection is known as AIDS.

People whose HIV has progressed to AIDS are very susceptible to opportunistic infections that do not normally make people sick and to certain forms of cancer.

AIDS can be prevented by early initiation of antiretroviral therapy in those with HIV infection. Transmission of the virus primarily occurs during unprotected sexual activity and by sharing needles used to inject intravenous drugs, although the virus also can spread from mother to infant during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

HPV is the most common STD/STI. More than 40 HPV types exist, and all of them can infect both men and women. The types of HPVs vary in their ability to cause genital warts; infect other regions of the body, including the mouth and throat; and cause cancers of the cervix, vulva, penis, and mouth.

Syphilis

Syphilis infections, caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, are passed from person to person during vaginal, anal, or oral sex through direct contact with sores, called chancres. Between 2001 and 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show that the syphilis rate increased each year. Those people at highest risk for syphilis include men having sex with both men and women and people residing in the south. The first sign of syphilis is a chancre, a painless genital sore that most often appears on the penis or in and around the vagina. Beyond being the first sign of a syphilis infection, chancres make a person two to five times more likely to contract an HIV infection.

Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis is a common, possibly sexually transmitted, vaginal infection in women of reproductive age. While it is healthy and normal for a vagina to have bacteria, just like the skin, mouth, or gastrointestinal (GI) tract, sometimes changes in the balance of different types of bacteria can cause problems.

Bacterial vaginosis occurs when problematic bacteria that are normally present only in small amounts increase in number, replace normal vaginal lactobacilli bacteria, and upset the usual balance. This situation becomes more likely if a woman douches frequently or has new or multiple sexual partners. The most common sign of a bacterial vaginosis infection is a thin, milky discharge that is often described as having a "fishy" odor. However, some women will have no symptoms at all.

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis12 (pronounced trik-uh-muh-NAHY-uh-sis) infection is caused by the single-celled protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis and is common in young, sexually active women. The parasite also infects men, though less frequently. The parasite can be transmitted between men and women as well as between women whenever physical contact occurs between the genital areas. Although Trichomonas infections do not always cause symptoms, they can cause frequent, painful, or burning urination in men and women as well as vaginal discharge, genital soreness, redness, or itching in women. 

Viral Hepatitis

Viral hepatitis is a serious liver disease that can be caused by several different viruses, which can be transmitted through sexual contact.