Sexually Transmitted Diseases STD’s

Also known as “The Clap” “The Drip” Gonorrhea Also known as “The Clap” “The Drip”

What is it? Caused by a bacteria Can be passed from person to person through sexual intercourse (vaginal, oral, anal) Mother to baby during birth Can not be caught from a towel, doorknob, or toilet seat.

How does a girl know she has it? May have no symptoms at all Feel a burning sensation when they urinate Yellow or green vaginal discharge Vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods May cause abdominal pain and swelling and fever Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

How Does a Guy Know He Has It? Notice symptoms earlier than a girl Feel a burning sensation when they urinate Greenish pus may come ooze out of the urethra (tip of the penis)

How Long Until You See The Symptoms? For a girl 1 to 3 weeks For a guy 2 days to 2 weeks later

What Can Happen? The infection can move into the uterus and fallopian tubes (PID) and cause infertility Can spread to the epididymis Can cause a guy to become sterile

How Is It Treated? Doctor or gynecologist will swab the vagina or penis for secretions Blood test Prescribe antibiotics

Genital Warts Venereal warts

What are they? Caused by Human papillomavirus Similar to warts you see on people’s hands and feet Can be passed during intimate sexual contact.

How does a girl know she has them? They look like tiny cauliflower as they start to grow bigger At the bottom of the vaginal opening, lips, cervix, or around the anus. Sometimes can’t be seen with the naked eye. On a guy it may look the same as a girl, but the warts appear near the tip of the penis, on the shaft of the penis, or on the scrotum.

What can happen? If left untreated, may grow bigger and multiply. Some can cause problems with the cervix and lead to cervical cancer.

How are they treated? Can be dissolved using a special medication Freeze them off with a chemical or laser treatment. May come back!

Hepatitis C

What is it? Disease of the liver, caused by a virus Can move to another person through blood and other bodily fluids Through sexual intercourse and intravenous drugs

How does girl know she has it? May feel tired and lose her appetite Nauseated or have a mild fever Vomiting, abdominal pain where liver is Jaundice, yellowing of the skin, whites of the eyes, Urine may appear brownish or tea-colored

How does a guy know he has it? Same symptoms as a girl with hepatitis C

How long until you see symptoms? May have symptoms 1 to 5 months later Some don’t notice them until they are severe. But you can still transmit the disease to others.

What can happen? Lead to liver damage Liver cancer

How is it prevented? Abstain from sex (oral, vaginal, anal) Use latex condoms if involved in sexual intercourse Avoid contact with an infected person’s blood. Never share needles.

How is it treated? Doctor will do blood tests. The person will need rest, there is no real treatment. Hospitalization may be needed if person is too sick to eat or drink. Recovery can be expected within 6 months

Pubic Lice Crabs

What is it? Tiny insects that can crawl form the pubic hair of one person to the pubic hair of another person during sexual intercourse. They suck blood from under the skin of their host Can catch pubic lice from clothing, towels, bedding

How does a girl know she has it? Intense itching May notice tiny, gray insects, crawling in her pubic hair. May also see tiny oval shaped blobs (nits) The nits are the louse eggs

How does a guy know he has it? A guy will have the same symptoms as a girl

PEDICULOSIS PUBIS

How long until you see symptoms? You will notice symptoms within 1 week

What can happen? No serious health problems, but the itching can be very uncomfortable, and it’s easy to transmit to others.

How is it treated? You may be prescribed medication or over the counter medicine that kills the lice and their eggs. You will also need to dry clean or use very hot water to wash all your bedding, towels, or recently worn clothing to kill the lice and their eggs.

Syphilis

What is it? Caused by a bacteria Passed through sexual intercourse From mother to baby Can not be caught from a towel, doorknob, or toilet seat.

How does a girl know she has it? 1st stage: red, wet sores on vagina, rectum, or mouth. (chancre) then they disappear. Highly contagious on 1st stage. 2nd stage: rash on soles and palms. Sores on lips, mouth, throat, vagina, or anus. Flu symptoms. 3rd stage: all symptoms go away, but disease still there. Latent for many years. 4th stage: spread all over the body and affect brain, the heart, spinal cord, and bones.

How does a guy know he has it? Same symptoms as a girl, stages progress the same way. 1st stage appears on the penis or under the foreskin

Syphilis

How long until you see the symptoms? Can notice chancre from 3 days to 3 months later. If not treated, 2nd stage occurs from 3 to 6 weeks after original sore.

What can happen? Syphilis increases risk of HIV infection. The virus can enter the body more easily, when there is a sore. Can spread to the rest of the body including organs. Brain damage, birth defects if spread to developing fetus.

How is it treated? Antibiotics Even if not visible, you need to see a doctor. Blood test.

Trichomoniasis “Trich”

What is it? Caused by a protozoan parasite. Attacks 2 to 3 million Americans every year.

trichomoniasis Symptoms Itching, burning, discharge, painful urination, vaginal redness, tingling inside penis, penile discharge, strong odor 5 to 28 days after exposure Increased risk of HIV infection

Testing, Treatment Sample of secretions from the penis or vagina Antibiotics, usually metronidazole by mouth (Flagyl)

Chlamydia

What is it? Caused by a bacteria Through sexual intercourse, or oral-genital contact. Through the eye Mother to baby Can not be caught from a towel, doorknob, or toilet seat.

How does a girl know she has it? Most girls don’t have symptoms. You can have it and not know it! Unusual vaginal discharge Pain during urination

How does a guy know he has it? Like a girl, very difficult to know. Some have discharge from the tip of the penis, Itching burning sensation around penis You can have chlamydia and not know it!

What can happen? If untreated can cause infection of the urethra and swelling of the cervix. Can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which can cause infertility. In guys can cause inflammation of the urethra and epididymis.

How is it treated? Doctor may swab vagina or penis for secretions. Can also test urine Antibiotics are prescribed to clear up infections in 1 to 2 weeks

Herpes HSV

What is it? Caused by a virus called Herpes simplex HSV-1: cold sores or fever blisters around mouth, lips, nose. (through utensils, towels, razors, and kissing with a cold sore) HSV-2: genital area through sexual intercourse, oral-genital contact.

How does a girl know she has it? Itching or pain around vagina. Sores appear after a few days Red watery blisters in vagina, buttocks, anus. Painful to urinate Sores rupture and bleed, scab over and clear. Swollen lymph nodes in groin Has not gone away-it is hiding in the body Virus reactivates and comes back If sores are present it can be transmitted, possible also when sores are not present.

How does a guy know he has it? Pain in his testicles Sores a few hours to a few days later On the penis, scrotum, thighs, buttocks Painful to urinate Sores rupture and ooze or bleed, then scab Swollen lymph nodes in the groin area

How long until you see the symptoms? Genital itching and/or pain from 2 to 20 days later Sore appear several days later

What can happen? Herpes increases risk of HIV infection Virus can enter the body through the sores If present and active during childbirth, it may cause illnesses or disabilities: seizures, and brain damage in the newborn.

How is it treated? There is no cure for genital herpes!! Reappears from time to time, how often this happens depends varies from person to person. Doctor can only tell you how to keep sores clean and use other methods to ease the discomfort when the virus reappears.