Sexually Transmitted Diseases or STDs are spread primarily through sexual intercourse or other sexual contact. Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Genital herpes, Genital Warts, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Crabs are the most common STD’s. We will give information about some of them;
1. Gonorrhea: It is caused by bacterium, Neisseria gonorrhoeae. After sexual intercourse, a discharge of pus from the penis or excessive vaginal secretion is the symptoms of the disease. However, signs are less apparent in women than in men, and vaginal secretion may be ignored as only slightly greater than the normal. Burning on urination and pain around the genitals are also the frequent symptoms.
2. Syphilis: Syphilis is caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum. The symptoms of syphilis occur in three stages. The first stage usually consists of a painless lesion called a chancre at the organism’s site of entry. The chancre is usually on the external genitals, but in women it may be inside the vagina. It heals quickly even without the treatment, and the victim thinks that the disease is gone. Nothing could be further from the truth; that the organism is invading further tissues. The second stage begins when the organism enters the blood. Symptoms such as fever, flu like illness, a skin rash, hair loss and swollen joints may come and go over a period of several years. After these symptoms finally disappear, the disease may be quiescent for years, with the third stage appearing upto forty years after the initial exposure. In this third stage permanent brain damage, heart diseases and blindness often occurs.
3. 3. Genital herpes: It is causd by a virus, herpes virus hominis, type 2. It begins with a genital rash and itching within two to twenty days of exposure. Painful fluid-filled blisters develop and are accompanied by a flu-like illness and swollen lymph nodes. The disease subsides and reoccurs periodically throughout life. It is contagious whenever the lesions are present. The incidence of cervical cancer is much higher in individuals infected with genital herpes. In women the disease can account for spontaneous abortions, premature births, and stillbirths. The infant may acquire meningitis during birth.
4. AIDS: AIDS, a commonly fatal disease, has been on the increase in the world. High risk groups include gay men, heroine addicts, Haitians and hemophiliacs. The disease may be transmitted through blood transfusion, the use of dirty hypodermic needle and through sexual contact. This disease which results in a breakdown of a person’s immune system, may be caused by a viral infection.
Most all of these can be prevented if proper precautions are taken. Such as using condoms, but even that does not prevent the possibility of Herpes or Crabs. Even during foreplay if genitals are infected and you are in contact with them you may become infected yourself. If you feel you have an STD please contact your physician and be honest about how, where and who you were with.
