Common Sexually Transmitted Diseases You Should Know About |
Posted: December 16, 2019 |
Sexually transmitted diseases or STDs are usually passed when you have anal, oral or vaginal sex with your partner. They are the most difficult diseases that you can catch easily when you do not use condoms or dental dams during intercourse. Why are STDs very common? The answer is most people do not even know how to treat as well as avoid them. However, all diseases that affect your sex organs cannot be treated as STDs and some are not even related to sex. Some of them are sexually-associated which means they do not spread at the time of intercourse but can occur as a result of it. Let’s discuss about common sexually transmitted diseases and the symptoms associated with them. Chlamydia Chlamydia is common treatable sexually transmitted disease (STD) that infects the penile urethra in men and cervix in women. Its symptoms include discharge from the vagina or penis and pain during sexual intercourse. Most people who have chlamydia do not find any symptoms for several weeks, months or years. Yet, it is necessary to get screened and treated when you get exposed to this disease. In case you don’t, it can be the reason for lots of damage to your body in the long run. Latex condoms can be of great help to stay protected from this disease. Gonorrhea Gonorrhea, also called "the clap," is another sexually transmitted disease that infects same organs like chlamydia and has long-term effects. Some symptoms of gonorrhea are burning during urination and white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis in men. Unlike chlamydia, people with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms. Stay alert as gonorrhea can infect the throat and be passed at the time of oral sex. Currently, the biggest concern about this disease is treating it since there is a growing problem of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. Syphilis Syphilis is a common STD that occurs due to bacterium Treponema pallidum. If left untreated, it can be the reason for serious complications. It is usually due to direct contact with syphilis sores that appear on the mouth and external genitals as well as in the rectum or vagina. It can spread through oral, vaginal or anal intercourse. Also, oral sex is responsible for the rise of syphilis in men who have had sex with men. Since syphilis sores may appear on the areas that are not covered by a condom, the condoms can lessen the chances of transmission but they do not eliminate it completely. The chancres or small painless sores of syphilis can be treated on their own but it is very difficult to detect them. Mycoplasma Genitalium In 2007, a prominent study of U.S. adolescents found that a little-known STD called Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) had surpassed gonorrhea in prevalence.6 Furthermore, MG, like gonorrhea and chlamydia, is starting to emerge as a major cause of cervicitis in women and nongonococcal urethritis in men. Why did it take so long to recognize the importance of this now common STD? Because most cases of MG don't cause symptoms and it was difficult to identify until the new technology became available. There is still no diagnostic test of MG that is cleared by the FDA for use in the United States. While the emerging research is still unclear, it is thought that MG is associated with serious long-term consequences, including infertility from pelvic inflammatory disease. Trichomoniasis Trichomoniasis is the common curable sexually transmitted disease with more common infection in women than in men. Some women may think it to be bacterial vaginosis or yeast infection since the symptoms are quite similar to discharge, irritation, pain during intercourse, itching and strong vaginal odor. Men may get trichomoniasis but they do not have any symptoms. If a woman gets diagnosed with this disease, it is important to get the treatment done quickly. If you may have a male partner, then the disease won’t affect him much but you do not want him to give it back to you. On the other hand, if your partner is female, you might be passing the disease to each other. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Human papilloma virus or HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease. Also called, “the cervical cancer virus”, only a few types of HPV are associated with cancer. Others may lead to genital warts, other warts or no symptoms at all. Though HPV cannot be cured, its symptoms can be treated. It is suggested that 11- to 12-year-old people take this HPV vaccine to stay protected from four common strains of the virus. HIV/AIDS HIV is the virus that is linked to AIDS. It can spread due to an exchange of bodily fluids such as – semen, breast milk, blood and vaginal secretions. But it cannot be transmitted through casual contact. People who are suffering from HIV can get treated by combining drugs called highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) or combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART). Though these therapies cannot treat the disease, they may lessen the chances that the infection progresses ahead to AIDS. Many people with HIV are living a long and healthy live. You need to visit a STD testing clinic in London and know if you have HIV. Crabs/Pubic Lice "Crabs" are a type of lice that remain in the hair, in the genital area and occasionally on other haired areas of the body such as the eyebrows or armpits. They can be transmitted due to sexual contact though they may spread by clothing and infested linens. Certain symptoms are visible lice or eggs and itching in your genital area. You need to know that crab lice are not the same as head lice and they do not infest the hair on the head. You have to clean off your public hair in case you have been infected. Scabies Scabies is an infectious skin disease that may not be sexually transmitted all the time. It is mainly caused by the parasite Sarcoptes scabei that lead to an extremely itchy rash and becomes worse during the night. The rash is usually found in the folds of your skin like on the ankles, wrists, between the fingers and in the genital area. Scabies is incredibly transmittable and the mite may live for days off human body. It is spread due to personal contact, skin-to-skin contact, shared towels, bedding and clothing. Herpes/HSV Herpes is another sexually transmitted disease available in two forms and these are – HSV1 and HSV2. HSV1 is related to cold sores and HSV2 is associated with genital sores. However, it is quite possible to transmit herpes from your mouth to the genital area and vice versa. The symptoms of this disease can be treated by taking antiviral drugs but the virus cannot be cured. People who have herpes virus should know that they may spread this virus when they don’t have sores or other symptoms. Using a condom may lessen the risk of herpes transmission, yet they are not 100 percent effective as herpes may spread due to skin-to-skin contact. Hepatitis/HBV There are different kinds of hepatitis that may spread through various routes and cause damage to the liver. The type of hepatitis usually associated with sexual transmission is hepatitis B (HBV) but hepatitis C can be sexually transmitted too. Chronic infection with hepatitis B may lead to scarring of the liver and cirrhosis over time. Fortunately, there is a vaccine available for protecting you against infection. Chancroid Chancroid is a genital ulcer disease that occurs due to bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi. This type of infection is a major risk factor for HIV. The ulcers caused by chancroid are larger and cause severe pain than with syphilis though early signs may be mistaken for those who have syphilis infection. Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition where healthy bacteria in the vagina disappear and they get replaced by different organisms. Some symptoms include itching and burning around the vagina, gray or white discharge and strong odor that is can be noticed at the time of intercourse. Some people might ask if BV is an STD though it is associated with having new sex partner/partners. You may take antibiotics to get rid of BV but it usually occurs again after successful treatment. Nongonoccocal Urethritis (NGU) Nongonoccocal urethritis (NGU) is a kind of urethritis that does not occur due to gonorrhea. The common causes of NGU are Mycoplasma genitalium and chlamydia. Symptoms of NGU include burning at the time of urination and discharge from the penis. However, most cases of NGU are asymptomatic with different STDs. Molluscum Contagiosum Molluscum contagiosum is a skin disease that usually affects children and adults who have weak immune system. It is usually spread due to direct skin contact so that it can be transmitted during sexual contact among adults. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be transmitted through sexually. Most cases of MRSA can be acquired in the hospital or other medical settings though they can also be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. Lymphogranuloma Venereum (LGV) Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a sexually transmitted disease that can affect almost everyone. It is mainly caused by a kind of Chlamydia trachomatis and associated with HIV infection. Unlike other STDs, it can actually increase the risk of HIV transmission . You may visit your nearest sexual health clinic and consult with private gp in London to get tested and know if you are having any sexually transmitted disease. This way, you can get the right treatment done on time and prevent further infections and diseases in future.
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