The WHO (World Health Organization) estimated over ten years ago that

over 1 million people each day became infected with a sexually transmitted
infection.

The majority of these new infections occur in young adults aged up to 25

years, while approximately one third occur among individuals younger than 20
years of age. Globally, girls aged 14 to 19 are almost twice as susceptible to STIs
as boys of the same age.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

Diseases that are passed on from one person to another through sexual
contact, and sometimes by genital contact. The infection can be passed on via:
vaginal intercourse, oral sex and anal sex.

Some sexually transmitted infections can spread through the use of

unsterilized IV drug needles, from mother to baby during childbirth or
breastfeeding, and blood transfusions

Microorganisms that exists on the skin or mucus membranes of the male or

female genital area can be transmitted in semen, vaginal secretions or blood
during sexual intercourse.

The term "venereal disease" is much less used today, while "sexually
transmitted diseases" is slowly giving way to "sexually transmitted infections",
because the last term has a broader range of meaning - a person can pass on the
infection without having a disease (they do not have to be ill to infect other
people).

Venereal
STD STI
Disease
CHLAMYDIA

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 6.8% of
girls aged 14 to 19 years have Chlamydia today. In the United States, with over 2.8
million affected individuals each year. Among adults, about 5% of the population
is estimated to be infected. Among sexually active adolescent females, about 10%
are infected.

Chlamydia is an infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.

The infection is transmitted in 2 ways: From one person to another through sexual
contact (oral, anal, or vaginal) and from mother to child with passage of the child
through the birth canal.

Chlamydia can cause pneumonia or serious eye infections in a newborn,

especially among children born to infected mothers in developing countries.

Chlamydia Symptoms in Women

Bleeding after sexual relations or between menstrual periods,

Lower abdominal pain and burning pain during urination and Discharge from the
vagina.
Chlamydia Symptoms in Men

Estimates of those with no symptoms range from 25% to 50% of infected

men. Discharge from the penis, Pain, burning during urination, Inflammation or
infection of a duct in the testicles, tenderness or pain in the testicles

Diagnostic tests may be ordered that may include looking at samples of the
discharge under a microscope or obtaining cultures to identify the disease-causing
bacteria. Some diagnostic tests may include obtaining cultures or sending urine to
the laboratory to determine if you are infected.

The health care practitioner may prescribe a single-dose antibiotic, such as

azithromycin (Zithromax), taken as a pill and doxycycline (Atridox, Bio-Tab), to be
taken as a pill twice a day for a week. Up to 95% of people will be cured after one
course of antibiotics

Treated with antibiotics, chlamydial infections can be cured most of the

time. Complications of untreated chlamydia include: A significant number of
women will develop pelvic inflammatory disease; Some women with pelvic
inflammatory disease will develop a form of liver disease (perihepatitis).

Perihepatitis is inflammation of the serous or peritoneal coating of the liver.

Perihepatitis is often caused by one of the inflammatory disorders of the female
upper genital tract, known collectively as Pelvic inflammatory disease. Some
patients have sharp right upper abdominal quadrant pain. 

Preventive measures include:

 Use latex condoms when having sexual intercourse.

 Avoid sexual contact with high-risk partners.
 Treat infected sexual partners or have them tested before having sexual
relations.

Women may develop chronic pelvic pain and become sterile due to blockage

of the Fallopian tubes that allow the egg to be transported from the ovary to the
women's womb.

More common in men, some may develop sexually acquired reactive

arthritis or Reiter syndrome. Men may experience painful swelling of the testicles.
GENITAL HERPES

Genital herpes is a common sexually-transmitted disease caused by a virus

that infects genital areas. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is the cause of genital
herpes. Genital herpes causes lesions in the form of blisters or groups of small
ulcers (open sores) on and around the genitals in both men and women. There is
no cure for genital herpes, but medications are available that can treat outbreaks,
minimize the symptoms, and decrease recurrences. Genital herpes is highly
contagious. Carriers can transmit the disease without having any symptoms of an
active infection. Signs of genital herpes develop within 3 to 7 days after contact
with an infected person. Most people with genital herpes have recurring
outbreaks.

Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).

There are two types: HSV-1 and HSV-2. Most genital herpes infections are
caused by HSV-2.

HSV-1 is the usual cause of what most people call "fever blisters" in and
around the mouth and can be transmitted from person to person through kissing.
Less often, HSV-1 can cause genital herpes infections through oral sexual contact.

Genital herpes is spread by direct contact with an infected person. Sexual

intercourse and oral sex are the most common methods of spreading genital
herpes.

Although anyone can spread the disease, transmission from an infected

male to a female partner is more common than spread from an infected female to
a male partner.

Note: People with herpes may spread the disease even if they do not
realize they have an infection. Furthermore, people with herpes can transmit the
infection to others even while their disease appears to be inactive and no sores
can be visibly seen.
 Many people remember having an episode of genital herpes when it
occurs. Many of those infected fail to recognize the symptoms or have no
symptoms at all. It is not clear whether these people never had an initial herpes
outbreak or whether they never noticed a mild infection. In these individuals
genital herpes is still contagious, and they may have additional outbreaks,
nonetheless.

People with genital herpes outbreaks are highly contagious. Anyone with
active disease should avoid any sexual contact when sores are present. Even the
use of a condom does not prevent the spread of disease because not all sores are
covered by the condom

Early symptoms and signs of genital herpes tend to develop within 3 to 7

days of skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. This 3 to 7 day period is
known as the incubation period.

Genital herpes infections look like a rash composed of small blisters or

ulcers (round areas of broken skin) on the genitals. Each blister or ulcer is typically
only 1 to 3 millimeters (1/32 inch to 1/8th inch) in size, and the blisters or ulcers
tend to be grouped into "crops.“ Usually the blisters form first, then soon open to
form ulcers.

Herpes infections may be painless or slightly tender. In some people,

however, the blisters or ulcers can be very tender and painful.

In men, genital herpes sores (lesions) usually appear on or around the

penis.

In women, the lesions may be visible outside the vagina, but they
commonly occur inside the vagina where they can cause discomfort or vaginal
discharge and may not be seen except during a doctor's examination.

The ulcers or blisters may also be found anywhere around the genitals (the
perineum) and in and around the anus.
 The first genital herpes outbreak is usually the most painful, and the initial
episode may last longer than later outbreaks. Symptoms may last for 2 to 4
weeks.

Some people develop other signs of genital herpes infection, particularly

with the first episode including fever, muscle aches, headaches (may be severe),
vaginal discharge or painful urination, and swollen and tender lymph nodes in the
groin (these swell as the body tries to fight the infection).

If the disease returns, later outbreaks generally have much less severe
symptoms. Many people with recurrent disease develop pain or a tingling
sensation in the area of the infection even before any blisters or ulcers can be
seen.

This is due to irritation and inflammation of the nerves leading to the

infected area of skin. These are early signs that an outbreak is about to begin. The
condition is particularly contagious during this period, even though the skin still
appears normal.

 A number of types of tests may be ordered to establish the diagnosis,

including a culture of the virus and tests using antibodies to the genital herpes
virus to demonstrate the presence of the virus in clinical specimens.

These types of tests generally require at least a few days for results to be
obtained. In some cases, blood tests to confirm the presence of an immune
response to the herpes virus may be ordered

Treatment with medication is effective in shortening the initial outbreak of

the infection, lowers the chance that the infection will come back, and makes any
later outbreaks less severe.

There are similar antiviral drugs available for the treatment of genital
herpes infection, these antiviral medications vary in cost and how often they
should be taken. All should be taken for 7 to 10 days.
 The patient's doctor may extend the course of therapy if ulcers have not
healed in 10 days. Examples of these antiviral medications include
acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir), and valacyclovir (Valtrex).

For preventing later genital herpes outbreaks, people with recurring

infections also may benefit from the antiviral medications.
Treatment is started when the recurrence first begins and continues for five
days.
For continuous prevention, individuals who have frequent outbreaks
(generally over six recurrences per year) can control the outbreaks by taking
medication every day.

Acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir are all used to treat recurrent

disease. This is known as suppressive therapy.

Suppressive therapy has been shown to decrease the frequency of genital

herpes recurrences in those who have frequent recurrences, and many individuals
taking this treatment report no symptomatic outbreaks.