STD Comparison Chart
Transmission
Chlamydia
Chlamydia
trachomatis – most
common STD; usu.
have with
chlamydia
Sexual activity
Symptoms
Women –
asymptomatic
(50%)
s/s in women –
vaginal discharge,
pain or burning
with urination,
bleeding between
periods, pain or
bleeding during sex,
low abdominal
pain, nausea
s/s in men –
white/cloudy,
watery discharge
from penis, pain or
burning with
urination, testicular
pain or swelling
Gonorrhea
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
– usu. have with
Chlamydia
Sexual activity
Women –
asymptomatic (50%)
s/s – thick, yellowgreen discharge from
penis or vagina
Throat can also be
infected
HPV – Genital Warts
condylomata
acuminata
Genital Herpes
Herpes simplex 2
Caused by human
papilloma virus (HPV)
Sexual activity
Skin-to-skin
contact
Sexual activity
Highly contagious
May be asymptomatic
s/s – visible painless
warts that are on the
genitals or anus (can
bunch and look like
cauliflower), may have
itching
s/s in women –
irritation/ discharge
from the anus,
abnormal vaginal
bleeding, low
abdominal/pelvic
tenderness, pain or
burning with
urination, nausea
s/s in men – irritation
or discharge from the
anus, ureteral itch,
pain or burning with
urination
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Syphillis
Treponema pallidum
(spirochete)
Sexual activity and
intimate touching or
kissing, also needle
sharing; open lesions are
highly contagious
Ulcerating blisters
s/s – 1st stage – painless
on genitals or anus sores or open ulcers
area that itch, crust, (chancres) on anus, vagina,
and can scar; can
penis, mouth, or other
spread to the
places; 2nd stage – 3 weeks
mouth; fatigue,
to 3 months later, flu-like
fever
symptoms, hair loss, rash
on soles of feet and palms,
Women can also
brain infection
have purulent
vaginal discharge
Lab Tests
Chlamydia
Urine and discharge
culture
NAAT
EIA
DFA
Gonorrhea
Urine and discharge
culture
NAAT
EIA
DFA
HPV – Genital Warts
Pap smear
DNA testing
Genital Herpes
Culture
HSV-2 blood test
Can’t culture
Women – smears/
gram stains not helpful
b/c it looks a lot like
normal flora
Treatment
7 days – oral
Doxycycline or
1 dose – oral
Zithromax
1 dose – oral or IM
Rocephin
Also need to treat for
chlamydia
Also need to treat
for gonorrhea
Gardisil vaccine for
females age 9-26 for
prevention (3 IM shots
over 6 months)
5 days – oral
acyclovir (can
continue to use as
suppressive tx)
Chemical treatment,
cryotherapy,
electrocauterization,
laser, surgery
No sex while there
are lesions
Syphillis
VDRL – screening test
RPR – screening test
FTA-Abs - confirmatory
TP-PA – confirmatory
(these tests can have false
negatives and false
positives)
Culture of secretions from
chancres
Also test for HIV
Test all pregnant women
1 dose – IM Penicillin G or
oral doxycycline
Treat sex contacts for past
90 days
Must use latex
condoms even
when no lesions
Cotton underwear,
sitz baths, keep
genitals dry
Cure
Yes – won’t come
back unless they
get reinfected
Yes – won’t come back
unless they get
reinfected
No
No – chronic and
recurrent (virus
hides in the nerve
endings)
Do have some
resistant strains
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Yes
Complications
Risk to
fetus/newborn
Chlamydia
Infertility
PID
Ectopic pregnancy
Chronic pelvic pain
Reiter’s syndrome
(inflammation of
joints, eyes,
urethra)
Testicular
inflammation
Greater risk for HIV
infection
Gonorrhea
Infertility
PID
Ectopic pregnancy
Chronic pelvic pain
Testicular
inflammation
Can develop heart,
brain, or liver infection
Arthritis
HPV – Genital Warts
Cervical or bladder
cancer in women
Anorectal and penile
cancer in men
Does not affect fertility
Genital Herpes
Doesn’t affect
fertility
Keratitis (eye
infection)
Syphillis
If untreated can lead to
damage to skin, bone,
heart, brain
Dementia
Blindness
Greater risk for HIV
infection
Can cause
miscarriage,
premature birth
Need to treat with
erythromycin or silver
nitrate eye drops
(state law)
Can be transmitted to
fetus
Need C-section if
active lesions
Stillbirth
Serious birth defects
Blindness
Can have blindness
or pneumonia
Can block the birth
canal if large
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General Information for all STDs
Infection
Can’t catch from toilet seats, simple kissing, sharing towels, sharing utensils/cups
Asymptomatic does not mean they are a carrier, they are still infected
All STDs can have a latent (asymptomatic but infected) phase in which transmission can still occur
Treatment
No sex until treatment complete (usu. takes 7 days even with single dose therapy)
No alcohol during treatment
If able to cure symptoms recur because of reinfection not treatment failure
Must treat sexual partners to avoid reinfection
Creams are not effective, give oral, IM, or IV (only in severe cases) antibiotics
Prevention
Condom (latex) use is the best protection
Oral contraceptives actually increase the risk of contracting STDs
Use of spermicidal jellies and creams will not prevent STDs
Assessment
Always ask about sexual partners (determines exposure and partners need treatment)
Ask how many partners, type of birth control used, condom use, history of STDs, use of IV drugs, sexual preference
Teaching
Clean genitals and urinate after sex
Take all antibiotics as directed
Return for follow-up and reculture to ensure you have been fully treated
Douching is contraindicated (can spread infection and decrease immune response)
Wear cotton underwear (not synthetic)
Gonorrhea, syphilis and oftentimes Chlamydia are reportable diseases
Screening programs are targeted to women because they are asymptomatic with the most common diseases
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