STD’s What Are They? Parasites (bugs) that live in body hair; scabies burrow under the skin. How do you get them? Close physical contact with infected person Contact with infected clothing, bedding, etc. What are the symptoms? LICE: Itching in the area of the sex organs Tiny lice crawling in the hair round the sex organs, armpits, eyebrows, chest hair, etc. SCABIES: an itchy red sore or line of sores anywhere on the body Itching is usually worse at night How can you know for sure? LICE: Examine hair for lice or eggs SCABIES: Examine sores by a clinician; they may take a scraping of skin for microscopic exam How are they treated? Medicated shampoos or lotions such as RID, A-200, NIX or KWELL for pubic lice, or SCABENE for scabies Thoroughly wash or dry clean all clothing, bedding, etc Pregnant women must use prescription products What can happen if you have pubic lice or scabies? Will spread to other parts of the body and other people Itching and discomfort will get worse What is it? A bacterial infection How do you get it? Sexual contact with someone who carries the organisms Any contact with a syphilis sore What are the symptoms? EARLY STAGE (21-90 days): a painless sore in the mouth, sex organs or elsewhere on the body. If you don’t treat it, the sore will go away in a couple of weeks, but syphilis is still present in the body Many people do not notice the sores How can you know for sure? Sample from a sore examined under a microscope Blood test If the first blood test is negative, another may be necessary in 6 weeks How is it treated? With antibiotics What can happen if you have syphilis? SECOND STAGE (2 weeks – 6 months) new sores, rash, fever, hair loss, body aches, sore throat, enlarged lymph nodes THIRD STAGE (years later): damage to heart, blood vessels, brain, eyes; death Pregnant women can pass it on to the fetus causing it severe harm or death What is it? a vaginal infection caused by a one- celled organism How do you get it? Sexual contact with someone who has it. What are the symptoms? Abnormal vaginal discharge (more than usual, different color, bad odor) Burning or itching in or near the vagina Burning with urination Men usually have no symptoms but may experience urethral discharge or burning with intercourse Some infected women have no symptoms How can you know for sure? Sample of discharge examined under a microscope Pelvic exam How is it treated? Appropriate antibiotics What can happen if you have trichomoniasis? Can carry harmful bacteria up into a woman’s uterus and tubes, causing a pelvic infection Can spread to sexual partner(s) What is it? A bacterial infection ▪ In women, can infect the cervix, urethra, uterus and tubes ▪ In men, can infect the urethra, prostate and epididymis How do you get it? ▪ Sexual contact with someone who has gonorrhea What are the symptoms? WOMEN: pelvic pain, painful urination, abnormal vaginal bleeding, or discharge Many women have no symptoms MEN: Painful urination Drip or discharge from the penis Many men have no symptoms How can you know for sure? Sample of discharge examined under a microscope and cultures taken for lab tests How is it treated? Antibiotics What can happen if you have gonorrhea? Severe infection of the reproductive organs Sterility Heart problems Arthritis (joint problems) If a woman has gonorrhea when she gives birth, the infection can be passed to the baby Can spread infection to sexual partners Disorders of the central nervous system What is it? An infection caused by a virus. How do you get it? Sexual or intimate contact with someone carrying the virus Using unsterile I.V. needles What are the symptoms? Extreme fatigue Headache Fever Nausea Yellowing of skin May show no symptoms during the most contagious phases How can you know for sure? Blood tests Physical examination How is it treated? No direct treatment available In most cases the body fights the infection, which gradually fades away Vaccine is available that can help protect people What can happen if you have HepatitisB? Virus is very contagious and may remain active for a person’s lifetime Can spread infection to sexual partner Although 90-95% of adults recover completely, Hepatitis-B can cause severe liver disease and death A woman can transmit the virus to her fetus or newborn baby What is it? A bacterial infection ▪ In women, it infects the cervix, urethra, fallopian tubes and ovaries ▪ In men, it infects the urethra, prostate and epididymis How do you get it? Sexual contact with someone who carries the organism What are the symptoms? WOMEN: Pelvic pain, painful or frequent urination Abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge Bleeding after intercourse Sometimes symptoms are present only in the morning Many women have no symptoms What are the symptoms? MEN: discharge from the penis Painful urination Sometimes symptoms are present only in the morning Many men have no symptoms How can you know for sure? Sample of discharge examined under a microscope and lab tests How is it treated? antibiotics What can happen if you have chlamydia? Severe infection of the reproductive organs Sterility If a woman has cervical chlamydia when she gives birth, the infection can be passed to the baby Can spread infection to sexual partner(s) What is it? An infection of the uterus, tubes and pelvic organs due to gonorrhea, chlamydia or other bacteria. How do you get it? Sexual contact with someone who carries the organism Can also occur in women who have not had sexual contact What are the symptoms? Lower abdominal pain, painful intercourse, burning during urination, heavy periods or irregular bleeding, fever, chills Some women have mild or no symptoms How can you know for sure? Pelvic exam Sample of cervical discharge examined under a microscope and sent for lab tests Blood tests Pregnancy test to exclude tubal pregnancy How is it treated? Antibiotics Bed rest Sexual abstinence What can happen if you have PID? Pelvic abscess, which may require surgery Sterility Repeat episodes of PID Chronic pelvic pain Increased risk of tubal pregnancy Can spread organisms to sexual partner(s) What is it? Warts caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus (HPV) How do you get it? Skin-to-skin contact with genital warts What are the symptoms? Warts that grow around the sex organs or rectum There might be slight itching, burning or irritation, especially with many warts Warts my be found on the cervix (inside the vagina) where the woman may not notice them Some people can carry the warts virus and have no symptoms How can you know for sure? Warts examined How is it treated? Can be removed by: ▪ Burning them off with chemicals, electric current or laser ▪ Freezing them off What can happen if you have genital warts? They can grow larger in size, or spread to new areas and become harder to remove Cervical warts are associated with abnormal pap smears, and can lead to more serious problems Can spread warts to sexual partner(s) What is it? A viral infection How do you get it? Sexual contact with someone who has herpes Direct contact with a herpes sore, or discharge from a sore Herpes can be spread a few days before a sore appears and for a week after the skin has healed Some people may be contagious when they have no symptoms What are the symptoms? Painful blisters that break into open sores Sores usually appear on or near the mouth, sex organs or rectum. They may be found on a woman’s cervix where she may not notice them Sores will dry up and disappear in 5 to 21 days How can you know for sure? Sores examined Fluid may be taken from a sore and sent to a lab How is it treated? Once infected, the virus stays in your body. There is no known cure for herpes. Acyclovir or Femviere is used to treat outbreaks or can be used continuously to prevent new outbreaks What can happen if you have Herpes? The sores will go away on their own but they can return, often when you are ill or under stress If a woman has herpes sores when she gives birth, the infection can be passed to the baby, causing it serious illness or death Can spread infection to sexual partner(s) What is it? A virus infection HIV damages the body’s ability to fight disease and causes AIDS How do you get it? Sexual contact with semen, blood or vaginal secretions of someone with HIV Sharing unsterile I.V. needles Transfusion of contaminated blood products From a woman to her fetus during pregnancy What are the symptoms? Constant fatigue Unexplained fever, chills or night sweats Unexplained weight loss greater than 10 pounds Pink/purple flat or raised blotches on or under skin Constant diarrhea Persistent white spots in mouth Dry cough, shortness of breath How do you know for sure? Blood tests Symptoms reviewed by a clinician examination How is it treated? There is no known cure for AIDS. Treatments focus on the secondary infections which make the body unable to fight infection. What can happen if you have AIDS? People with AIDS can develop certain life- threatening infections which healthy people with functioning immune systems can ward off. If a woman has AIDS she can pass the HIV virus to her fetus who can then develop AIDS Can spread infection to sexual partner(s) What is it? A common disease of the skin caused by a virus. How do you get it? May be sexually transmitted or may occur by skin contact with someone else who has the virus What are the symptoms? Pearly, flesh colored, dome-shaped bumps on the skin Usually do not hurt or itch Can appear one week to six months after contact How can you know for sure? Bumps on skin are examined How is it treated? Burning them off with a caustic (acid) solution Disappear by themselves after 9-12 months What can happen if you have molluscum contagiosum? It is a mild condition and not serious It will eventually go away on its own without any after-effects Can spread to sexual partner(s)