STD Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an STD? 2. How are STDs transmitted? 3. How common are STDs in America? 4. If I use a condom can I still get an STD? 5. How do I know if I have an STD? 6. How do I get tested? 7. Can an STD be cured? 8. Can I get an STD again? 9. What happens if I don't get treated? 10. How do STDs affect pregnancy? 11. How can I avoid getting an STD? 1. What is an STD?          A Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) is a virus, bacteria, or other small organism that can          be transmitted through genital or sexual contact with someone who has the disease. 2. How are STDs transmitted? Some STDs live on the skin around the penis, vagina or rectum. You can get an STD if  your skin touches the other person’s skin in these areas (even if you don’t have sex). Other STDs (like HIV and Hepatitis B) are spread by contact with infected blood and sexual secretions. STDs are also transmitted just as readily through oral contact with secretions and contact with exposed skin surfaces. 3. How common are STDs in America? Every 2 seconds another person contracts and STD – that’s 15.3 million STDs per year. (1,2) 70 million people in the U.S. who have an STD, (1,2) over 80% don’t know because they  have no symptoms. (3) Persons under the age of 25 make up the majority of the population acquiring STDs. (4,5) 4. If I use a condom can I still get an STD? It has been reported that condoms leak, break or slip off 3-15% of the time even used 100%    of the time. (4,6,7) Even if you use a condom 100% of the time, it does not eliminate the risk of contracting an STD. (4) Condoms do not prevent the transmission of STDs from lesions on areas not covered by condoms such as Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) / Gential Warts or Genital Herpes (HSV2). (4) Adolescents are more susceptible to contracting STDs (even with condom use) than adults. (4,5) 5. How do I know if I have an STD? Often times, STDs carry no symptoms so it is impossible to know unless you have medical testing. Other times you may experience symptoms such as painful urination, abnormal discharge, painful sores, warts, fever, pain during intercourse and more. These symptoms may go away on their own but the disease may still live in your body and be passed along to your partners even with no symptoms present.  6. How do I get tested?          At Lakes Life Care Center we can provide you with a list of locations          that offers confidential STD and HIV testing. 7. Can an STD be cured?         Some STDS can be cured; others cannot which means you will have them for life          (i.e. Herpes and HIV). However, even STDs that are curable can have lasting effects          on your body. Of the STDs that can be cured, the earlier you receive treatment,          the less severe the damage to your body may be. 8. Can I get an STD again?          Yes, having an STD once does not make you immune from getting it again.   9. What happens if I don't get treated?          If untreated, STDs can manifest themselves in a variety of ways including chronic          and acute pain, infertility, hair loss, rashes, blindness, arthritis, psychosis, and cancer. (8,9)          Without treatment you may be more susceptible to contracting additional STDs.          Not getting treatment can increase the symptoms of incurable viral STDs. 10. How do STDS affect pregnancy?         Some STDs can be passed to the baby or can cause miscarriage, tubal          pregnancy, birth defects, blindness, or premature delivery. (9) 11. How can I avoid getting an STD?  The only way to protect yourself from STDs is sexual abstinence outside      of a mutually monogamous faithful relationship such as marriage. No other form of protection can offer the guarantee that you will not contract an STD.     1. Cates W. Jr. (1999) Estimates of the incidence and prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. Sex. Tran. Dis. 26, S2-S7. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 2. American Social Health Association (1998) Sexually Transmitted Diseases in America: How Many Cases and at What Cost? Kaiser Family Foundation, Menlo Park, CA. 3. Bunnell R.E., Dahlberg L., Rolfs R., Ransom R., Gershman K., Farshy C., Newhall W.J., Schmid S., Stone K., St Louis M. (1999). High prevalence and incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in urban adolescent females despite moderate risk behaviors. J. Infect. Dis. 180, 1624-1631. 4. National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases (2001) Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention. National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington D.C. 5. Piccinino L.J., Mosher W.D. (1998) Trends in contraceptive use in the United States: 1982-1995. Fam. Plann. Perspect. 30, 4-10. 6. Hatcher R.A (1998) Contraceptive Technology, 17th ed. Ardent Media, New York. pp. 800. 7. Fu H., Darroch J.E., Haas T. Ranjit N. (1999) Contraceptive failure rates: New estimates from the 1995 national survey of family growth. Fam. Plann. Perspect. 31, 56-63. 8. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (2000). Tracking the Hidden Epidemics, Trends in STDs in the United States. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta. 9. Thomas C.L. (1993) Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary, 18th ed. F .A. Davis Company, Philadelphia.

• Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STD (bacterial STDs can be cured but may still cause serious damage to your body).
• Chlamydia is spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex.
• Often the disease has no symptoms so many people are unaware of infection.
• Over 929,000 cases were reported in the U.S. in 2004.
• Because of under-reporting, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates 3 million Americans are infected per year.
• 74% of cases reported are in persons under age 25.
• About 50% of sexually active women have had Chlamydia by age 30.

Symptoms of Chlamydia

        About 75% of women and 50% of men have no symptoms.

        When symptoms occur, they can show up 1-3 weeks after exposure and may include:

• Discharge from vagina, burning or pain when urinating, discharge from the penis, burning or pain when urinating
• When the infection spreads: abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during sex, bleeding between periods
• Swollen or tender testicles, burning or itch at opening of penis

Treatment of Chlamydia
        If detected, chlamydia can be treated and cured with antibiotics.

Danger of not treating Chlamydia

• More serious infection (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in women is common)
• Damage to reproductive organs
• Possible infertility in both men and women
• Tubal (ectopic) pregnancies in wome
• A mother can give it to her baby during childbirth

Gonorrhea
What is Gonorrhea?

• Gonorrhea is the second most common bacterial STD (bacterial STDs can be cured but may still cause serious damage to your body).
• • Gonorrhea is spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex.
• • About 330,000 people were infected in the U.S. in 2004.
• • 74% of cases reported are in persons ages 15 to 29.
• • 70% of total cases in 2004 were African Americans.

Symptoms of Gonorrhea

Women & Men

• Many women have no symptoms, some have very mild symptoms
• Symptoms often appear within 2-5 days, can take up to 30 days
• Thick yellow or white discharge from vagina, painful urination
• Thick yellow or white drip from the penis, painful urination
• Abnormal period or bleeding between periods, sometimes painful, swollen testicles
• Abdominal cramps, fever

Treatment of Gonorrhea
        If detected, gonorrhea can be treated and cured with antibiotics.

Danger of not treating Gonorrhea
    •  More serious infection (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in women is common) 
    •  Damage to reproductive organs
    •  Possible infertility in both men and women
    • Can be life-threatening, if it spreads to blood and joints 
    • A mother can give it to her baby during childbirth, which may lead to blindness

Syphilis
What is Syphilis?
    •  Syphilis is a bacterial STD (bacterial STDs can be cured but may still cause serious damage to your body).
    •  Syphilis is spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex or skin to skin contact. 
    •  Over 7,900 cases were reported in the U.S. in 2004. 
    •  Most cases were reported in men aged 30-39 and women 20-29.

Symptoms of Syphilis
1st Stage:
    • Symptoms show up 10-90 days (avg. 21 days) after exposure 
    • A painless, reddish-brown sore(s) appears on the mouth, sex organs, breasts or  fingers (where syphilis entered the body)
    • Sore(s) last 3-6 weeks and go away, but infection goes to stage 2

2nd Stage: 
    • Symptoms show up as stage 1 sores heal or weeks afterwards 
    • A rash (red or reddish brown spots and no itch) anywhere on the body 
    • Flu-like symptoms can occur (fever, headache, muscle aches, etc.) 
    • Symptoms go away, but infection goes to “late” or hidden stage

Treatment of Syphilis
    • If detected, syphilis can be treated and cured with antibiotics. However, any damage done by the infection cannot be reversed.

Danger of not treating Syphilis
    • Late stage syphilis can infect internal organs and cause heart disease, brain damage, blindness, and death.
    • A pregnant woman with syphilis might miscarry or spread the infection to her baby resulting in serious infant health     problem.

HIV / AIDS
What is HIV/AIDS?
    • HIV /AIDS is a viral STD (viral STDs can be treated but not cured)
    • >900,000 cases were reported in the U.S.
    • HIV / AIDS is spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex, by sharing needles, and by contact with infected blood

Symptoms of HIV/AIDS
    • Symptoms show up several months to several years after contact with HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS. 
    • Virus may be present for many years with no symptoms
    • Unexplained weight loss or tiredness 
    • Diarrhea 
    • White spots in mouth 
    • In women, yeast infections that don’t go away

Treatment of HIV/AIDS
    • HIV cannot be cured and it can cause immune deficiency and death. 
    • Antiviral medications help the symptoms, but cannot cure the disease.

Danger of not treating HIV/AIDS
    • Treatment can prolong life
    • A mother with HIV can give it to her baby in the womb, during childbirth or while breastfeeding.


Herpes
What is Herpes?
    • Herpes is a viral STD (viral STDs can be treated but not cured) 
    • 45 million people ages 12 and older have genital herpes.
    • One out of four women, and almost one out of five men have genital herpes. 
    • Genital herpes is spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex, or skin to skin contact. 
    • A person can get cold sores (Herpes Simplex Virus 1) by coming into contact with the saliva of an infected person. 
    • You also can get the herpes virus from kissing, touching, and caressing infected areas.

Symptoms of Herpes
    • Symptoms vary, early symptoms may include a burning sensation, ower back pain, pain when urinating, and flu-like     symptoms. 
    • Small red bumps may appear in the genital area. Later, these bumps can develop into painful blisters, which then     crust over, form a scab, and heal. Blisters last 1-3 weeks. Blisters often come back. 
    • Herpes-2 typically causes genital blisters while Herpes-1 causes cold sores and fever blisters around the mouth but     can infect the genital area. 
    • Most people have no noticeable symptoms. 
    • Symptoms can show up 1-30 days after exposure. 
    • People with symptomatic herpes often average 4 to 5 outbreaks a year.

Treatment of Herpes
    • There is no cure for herpes. 
    • Antiviral medications help the symptoms, but cannot cure the disease.

Danger of not treating Herpes
    • Treatment of outbreaks, especially when started early, shortens the duration of the outbreak and reduces the     symptoms. 
    • A mother can pass herpes to her baby during childbirth. Herpes can cause severe birth defects or death. 
    • Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection.

HPV / Genital Warts
What is HPV / Genital Warts?
    • Human papiloma virus (HPV) is a viral STD (viral STDs can be treated but not cured). 
    • HPV is most often spread during foreplay or vaginal, anal or oral sex (any skin-to-skin contact or contact with        infected body fluids). 
    • More than 24 million people are infected with HPV. 
    • HPV causes 99% of cervical cancer in women. HPV also causes genital warts.
    • Experts estimate that between 50-75% of sexually active people acquire HPV at some point in their lives. 
    • Over 6.2 million Americans contract HPV every year.

Symptoms of HPV
    • Most people have no symptoms. 
    • Sometimes there are visible genital warts: soft, moist, pink or red swellings on or in the sex organs and anus.
    • Sometimes there is itching or burning around the sex organs. 
    • After warts go away, the virus sometimes stays in the body; warts can come back.

Treatment of HPV
    • There is no medical cure for HPV. 
    • Warts can be treated, but may return after treatment. 
    • Regular Pap smears are necessary to detect cervical cancer and other problems caused by HPV.

Danger of not treating HPV
    • Warts can increase in size and spread 
    • Certain strains of HPV can cause cell changes in the cervix, penis or anus; sometimes these cell changes lead to cancer.
    • A mother can give HPV to her baby during childbirth.
    • Even after treating warts, HPV is transmittable. 
    • A new HPV vaccine is now available for females, ages 9 to 26 years. It provides some protection against the four  HPV types that cause most cervical cancers and genital warts. But it does not treat existing HPV, cervical cell changes, or genital warts. The vaccine will be most effective in females who have not yet had sex since theyare unlikely to have HPV. The vaccine has not yet been tested with women older than 26 years.” 

This data is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical care or diagnosis from a healthcare professional.

Data gathered from:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2005) Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2004. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta.