Sexually Transmitted

Diseases (STD’S)

STD’s in General:
A Summary
Signs and Symptoms
See a Medical Professional if These
Symptoms are Present

IN WOMEN:
 Unusual discharge or odor from the vagina

 Burning or itching around the vagina

 Bleeding from vagina not associated with

period
 Pelvic pain during sexual intercourse

 Persistent unexplained pain in pelvic area

IN MEN:
 Pus or other discharge from the penis
Signs and Symptoms

IN BOTH WOMEN AND MEN:

 Sores, bumps or blisters on or near
the sex organs, mouth or anus
 Burning or pain during urination or
bowel movement
 Flu-like symptoms, with fever, chills,
body aches
 Key Points to Remember
 Many STD’S have no signs or symptoms
 At times, symptoms may go away even
though the STD is still present
 You may believe your medical provider is
checking you for STD’s during a regular
physical, when, in fact they are not.
During most visits you will need to
specifically ask for these tests and discuss
your risk with your provider.
 Transmission
Most STD’s are spread by:
 Vaginal sex

 Oral sex

 Anal sex

 Sharing needles when injecting

drugs, performing body piercing, or
tattooing
 Infected mother to newborn
 Complications / Consequences
If left untreated, some STD’s can:
 Be serious and painful
 Cause permanent damage to reproductive organs
 Lead to infertility in both men and women
 Spread to other sex partners or needle sharing
partners
 Infect newborns possibly leading to serious
complications or even death of the infant
 Cause heart disease, blindness, arthritis, brain
damage, or death
 Many STD’s increase susceptibility to HIV/AIDS
 Prevention
Recommendations to Reduce the
Spread of STD’s

ABSTAIN!

 Total
abstinence / avoidance of
vaginal, oral or anal sex is the best
way of preventing most STD’s
 Prevention
Recommendations to Reduce the
Spread of STD’s

 Latex condoms, when used

consistently and correctly, are highly
effective in preventing transmission
of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
In addition, correct and consistent
use of latex condoms can reduce the
risk of other STD’s
 ABSTINENCE IS STILL BEST!
 Prevention
Recommendations to Reduce the
Spread of STD’s

 Genital ulcer diseases and HPV infections

can occur in genital areas that are not
covered or protected by a latex condom.
Latex condoms can reduce the risk of
genital herpes, syphilis, chancroid, and
HPV infection only when the infected areas
are covered or protected by the condom.
 Reducing your risk of HPV also reduces
your risk of cervical cancer.
 Prevention
Recommendations to Reduce the
Spread of STD’s
 Use a latex condom for oral sex on a penis
 Use a latex barrier for oral sex on a vagina
or anus (dental dam or a condom cut in
half lengthwise)
 Use condoms even if your partner claims
he or she does not have a STD. Many
people don’t know they have it, and others
won’t openly discuss their sexual history.
 ABSTINENCE IS STILL BEST!
 Prevention
Recommendations to Reduce the
Spread of STD’s

 NEVER have sex with someone you

suspect may have a STD
 Limit your number of sexual partners

 See a medical professional

immediately if you suspect you have
been exposed to a STD
 HAVE WE MENTIONED ABSTINENCE?
 Prevention
Recommendations to Reduce the
Spread of STD’s
 Notify all sexual partners immediately if you are
diagnosed with a STD to prevent the transmission
to others
 Many STD’s are required to be reported to the
Health Department by the medical provider
(without your consent)
 Advise all sex partners that they should also be
tested and receive treatment
 If sexually active, have regular STD checks
(ideally twice per year, or at least annually)
 Use of a female condom is another option for
protection during vaginal sex
 TREATMENT
If You Suspect you have been exposed to a
STD:
 See a medical provider for examination,
tests and treatment as soon as possible
 Follow treatment recommendations
exactly, as many STD’s are curable with
medications
 Don’t use home remedies – THEY DON’T
WORK
 With most STD’S, partners must also be
treated
 TESTING
IN L.U. HEALTH CENTER OFF-CAMPUS
 EXAM FREE  EXAM $100-$150
EXAM FEE PLUS EXAM FEE PLUS
 STD SCREEN $35  STD SCREEN $140
 STD + PAP $55  STD + PAP $180
 HIV $15  HIV $70
 GEN. WART $5  GEN. WART $200
 HERPES $30-$50  HERPES $140
 STATISTICS
 More than half of all people will have
an STD at some point in their
lifetime
 Less than half of adults ages 18-44
have ever been tested for an STD
 Each year one in four teens contracts
an STD
 STATISTICS
 One in two sexually active persons
will contract an STD by age 25
 About half of all new STD’s in 2000
occurred among ages 15 to 24
 LAMAR STATISTICS

Academic Year 05 – 06

Less than 6% of visits to Student

Health Center were for STD screens
 LAMAR STATISTICS
Of the 564 STD screens performed in
academic years 05-06, 86 (15%) were
positive as follows:
 Syphilis 0

 Chlamydia 37
 Gonorrhea 17
 HPV 18
 Herpes 14
 HIV 0
 LAMAR STATISTICS
During academic year 05 – 06:

 364 Pap Smears were performed

 39 of these (11%) were abnormal

 Most of these abnormal Paps are

probably due to HPV
SOME OF THE MORE
COMMON STD’S
 CHLAMYDIA
 CURABLE with appropriate medication taken
exactly as directed
 Symptoms begin 7 – 21 days after exposure
 Many people have no symptoms
 Left untreated, chlamydia can lead to ectopic
(tubal) pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease
(PID), infertility in both men and women
 In pregnancy, can be passed to newborn and
cause eye infection and pneumonia; or lead to
premature delivery or low birth weight
 CHLAMYDIA STATISTICS
 There are almost 3 million new cases of
chlamydia each year
 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
recommends that sexually active females
25 and under be screened at least once
per year, even if no symptoms are present
 In 2003 only 30-45% of women under 25
were screened for chlamydia
 Genital Herpes
 NO CURE
 Symptoms develop 2 – 30 days after
exposure, or not at all
 Small painful fluid filled blisters on sex
organs, mouth, or anus; or hidden inside
vagina
 Initial infection may be accompanied by
fever, swollen glands, headache
 Blisters go away but infection still present
 Blisters usually return periodically-may be
preceded by burning or itching
 GENITAL HERPES
Transmission by:
 Vaginal sex, oral sex, anal sex

 Contact with infected person’s lesions

 Infected mother to newborn

 Viral shedding may occur in absence of

lesions so transmission is still possible
even when there are no blisters
 In fact, most transmission occurs in
absence of sores
 GENITAL HERPES
In pregnancy:
 Newborn may acquire infection from
mother during delivery
 Infection in newborn may cause
death or severe damage to brain,
lungs, liver
 GENITAL HERPES
Treatment:
 NO CURE. Infection persists for life
 Recurrent episodes of blisters can
sometimes be prevented by taking a
daily antiviral medication
 Can still be transmitted to others
while taking antiviral even when no
blisters present
 Increases susceptibility to HIV
 HERPES STATISTICS
 In 1997, it was estimated that as
many as one in four Americans have
genital herpes
 Up to 90% of these are unaware
they have it
 Estimates suggest that by 2025 up
to 40% of all men and half of all
women could be infected
 GENITAL WARTS / HPV
(Human Papillomavirus)
 NO CURE
 Most people have no symptoms
 Symptoms may develop weeks or
months after exposure or not at all
 Soft fleshy lumps on or near sex
organs or anus
 Warts may be hidden inside
 May be spread to others even when
no warts are present
 GENITAL WARTS / HPV
(Human Papillomavirus)
If left untreated, can:
 Be passed to newborn during childbirth;
can cause warts in infants throat
 Spread to other sex partners

 Some strains lead to abnormal Pap Smear,

increased risk of cervical, or penile cancer
 Sexually active women should have annual
Pap Smear!
 GENITAL WARTS / HPV
(Human Papillomavirus)
Treatment:
 Warts may go away with treatment but
infection is still there
 Requires special treatment by a medical
professional
 Drugstore treatment for other kinds of
warts not helpful, and could be harmful
 The body may eventually clear the virus
on it’s own
 HPV STATISTICS
 Over 6 million people acquire HPV
each year
 By age 50, at least 80% of women
will have acquired genital HPV
 Most people do not develop
symptoms but can still transmit it to
others
 Cervical cancer is linked to HPV
 GONORRHEA (“Clap”)
 CURABLE with proper medication
 Symptoms may be mild or absent,
especially in women
 Symptoms (if present) usually begin 2 – 7
days after exposure
 Partners should be treated at same time

 A person can be reinfected after treatment

 May cause serious eye infection in

newborn
 SYPHILIS
1ST STAGE
 Symptoms appear 1 – 12 weeks
after exposure
 A painless open sore on mouth, sex
organs, or anus
 Sores can be hidden inside, may last
1 – 5 weeks
 Sores go away but infection still in
blood
 SYPHILIS
2nd STAGE
 6 weeks to 6 months after sore
 Unusual rash anywhere on body
 Flu-like symptoms

3rd STAGE (Latent)

 No sores or rash but infection still in blood
and can effect the heart, brain, and other
organs over time (Heart disease,
blindness, brain damage)
 SYPHILIS
During pregnancy:
 Stillbirths

 Birth defects

 Severe damage to bones, brain,

lungs, liver and other organs in
infected infants
 SYPHILIS
TREATMENT
 CURABLE with proper medication

 Partners should be treated at same

time
 A person can be reinfected after
treatment
 TRICHOMONIASIS (“TRICK”)
 Caused by a protozoan parasite
 Unusual vaginal or penile discharge
 Pain during sexual intercourse
 In pregnancy: Premature delivery, eye
infection in newborn
 Increases susceptibility to HIV
 Can lead to infertility in women and men
 CURABLE with proper treatment
 Partners should be treated at same time
 OTHER STD’S
 Vaginitis: Yeast, Trick, Bacterial
 Hepatitis B (HBV): One out of 20 people
in U.S. will become infected at some point.
HBV is 100 times more infectious than
HIV. Approximately half of HBV infections
are transmitted sexually
 Pubic Lice (“Crabs”)

 Chancroid

 HIV infection and AIDS

 FOR MORE INFORMATION
 The Centers for Disease Control
www.cdc.gov
 Minnesota Department of Health has a
great site with detailed information in a
simple format www.health.state.mn.us
 Healthline http://www.healthline.com
 American Social health Association
http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_overv
iew.cfm
 Texas Department of State Health
Services
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/hivstd/info/d
efault.shtm
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