Sexually Transmitted Diseases – Signs, Symptoms and Causes

It is generally through sexual contact that STDs or sexually transmitted diseases or STIs or sexually transmitted infections are acquired. Sexually transmitted diseases are caused by organisms that could pass from one person to another through vaginal, blood, semen, and other body fluids.

There are also nonsexual kinds of transmission such as an infected to her baby from pregnancy to birth or through shared needles or blood transfusions.

People who may seem to be in the best of health may be the one to infect you especially when they are not even aware that they have the infection. Some people do not show symptoms even when they have STDs which is why the term ‘sexually transmitted infections’ is more preferred than ‘sexually transmitted diseases’.

STDs have several signs and symptoms which could most often be hardly noticeable until a partner is diagnosed or health complications happen. They may include:

  • Bumps or sores on the rectal area, genitals or in the oral area
  • Burning or painful urination
  • Discharges from the penis
  • Unpleasant-smelling discharges from the vagina
  • Bleeding between periods
  • Painful sexual intercourse
  • Lymph nodes that are sore and swollen especially the groin area
  • Lower stomach pain
  • Rashes on feet, trunk or hands

Depending on the organism, symptoms may appear a few days after infection or could take years to show.

Consult a doctor right away if:

  • You are experiencing STD signs and symptoms
  • You are active sexually and you’ve been infected with an STD

Arrange for an appointment with a doctor:

  • When you are 21 years old and want to become sexually active or vice-versa
  • Before involving in a sexual relationship with a new partner

The following can cause sexually transmitted diseases:

  • Viruses (HIV, human Papillomavirus, genital herpes)
  • Bacteria (Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis)
  • Parasites (Trichomoniasis)

The main reason for getting infected is engaging in sexual relations, but getting infected without sex can also be possible such as Giardia intestinalis, shigella, and the viruses of Hepatitis A, B, and C.

If you are sexually active you have a high risk of getting infected and here are some factors that could up the ante:

  • Unsafe sex. Sexual activity such as anal or vaginal penetration without using latex condom stand a high risk of getting infected with STD. Inconsistent and improper condom usage also increases the risk.

Oral sex needs a dental dam so infection cannot be passed.

  • Multiple sex partners. You are more exposed to acquiring STD when you have multiple sex partners.
  • Have a previous STD history. If you have STD such as Chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea or syphilis that has not been treated and you engage in unprotected sex with a partner who has HIV, you will get infected right away. You can also get re-infected if your current partner has not been treated.
  • Sharing of needles. Injecting drugs and sharing the needles can spread a lot of serious infections such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV. If you get infected with HIV while sharing needles, there’s a good chance that you can pass it sexually.

Things You Need To Know About Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Commonly known as STDs, sexually transmitted diseases are passed when you have sex with an infected person. The sexual activities that can infect you with STD are ones that involve the penis, mouth, vagina or anus.

STDs need treatment as they are serious diseases. HIV is an STD that is deadly and incurable. By knowing more about STDs, you can learn ways to protect yourself from getting the following STDs:

  • Gonorrhea or the ‘clap’
  • Genital herpes
  • Syphilis
  • Genital warts/Human papilloma virus (HPV)
  • Chlamydia
  • Hepatitis B

Symptoms

Most of the time symptoms will not show but if they do, they may include:

  • Severe itching near the vagina or penis
  • Warts, bumps or sores near the vagina, mouth, penis or anus
  • Pain during sexual intercourse
  • Rashes on the skin
  • Chills, aches, fever, pains
  • Redness or swelling near the vagina or penis
  • Foul-smelling discharges from the vagina. Discharges from the penis
  • Night sweats, weight loss, diarrhea
  • Pain during urination

Consult a doctor as soon as you show any symptoms so tests can be given to determine if you are positive for an STD. If placed under treatment, it can:

  • Help you recover and stay healthy
  • Help cure many STDs
  • Help you prevent from passing on the infection to others
  • Help relieve the symptoms of STD

Most STDs are treated with the use of either oral or injectable antibiotics. It has to be noted that even when you feel better, the complete course of antibiotics has to be taken. Your illness may be different from other people’s which means that you must never take medicines from someone else. This could make it hard to diagnose your illness. In the same manner, you must not also share your medications with other people.

Protection/Prevention

Here are some of the ways to prevent or protect you from STDs:

  • The surest way from getting infected is to abstain from sex.
  • Correctly use a latex condom to all your sexual activities. A water-based lubricant is a better choice if you want to use some.
  • Avoid having multiple sex partners. The more sex partners you have, the higher risk you’ll have of getting STD.
  • Have a monogamous sexual relationship with only one sexual uninfected partner. Your partner should also have only you.
  • Choose your sex partners well. Do not engage in any sexual activity with the one you suspect may have an STD though just looking at a person is not a guarantee you will know if he or she is infected or not.
  • Get tested for STD. Avoid passing the infection to others.
  • Avoid using drugs or alcohol before engaging in sexual contact. The influence of alcohol or drugs may make you forget to use a condom during sex.
  • Learn more about the different signs and symptoms of STDs. Examine yourself and see if you have it or observe if your sex partners have it.
  • Read and learn more about STDs. You can better protect yourself when you know more about STDs.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Transmission

The lentivirus in the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV is the chief cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS. The immune system is destroyed by HIV leaving it open for invasion by cancers and other harmful infections. As of today, no cure is available for HIV/AIDS but antivirals taken daily for a lifetime can delay the progression of the disease. The disease has been listed as a pandemic by the World Health Organization which has made it a top priority for prevention of infection in many health centers from different countries around the world. The largest number of HIV/AIDS cases is in Africa and statistics show that as many as 2 million people die of AIDS every year.

 

An exchange of infected body fluids like semen and blood is how HIV gets transmitted from an infected person to an uninfected one. This makes us see that safety measures have to be used in order to avoid coming in contact with the infected fluids. Sexual activity is the most common way of HIV transmission. Reducing the risk of becoming infected would be the usage of safe sex procedures. Even if statistics shows that women infect less than men, vaginal fluids that can enter through cuts in the penis or mouth will bring infection. Anal, fellatio, and vaginal intercourse should only be performed through the use of a condom. Dental dams should be used when oral sex on females is performed. Kissing should be avoided if open wounds or sores can be seen as saliva that contains infected blood can transmit the disease.

 

While male condoms are widely used, there are also female condoms that provide the same protection even if they are not as widely accepted. Condoms should be made acceptable, affordable, and accessible in order to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS.

 

Male circumcision has been considered as a way to reduce the transmission of HIV yet has been found to be far less effective than using a condom.

Intravenous drugs are also one of the ways where HIV can be transmitted. The sharing of needles between drug addicts has provided the perfect pathway for HIV to be transmitted from person to person. Since the drug addicts could not be stopped from using prohibitive drugs, the various health agencies have no choice but to advise them not to share needles or else to use fresh ones while injecting the drugs. This scenario also applies to people who use intravenous drugs like insulin. A used needle should be disposed of properly to avoid the spread of disease.

 

Breastfeeding should never be done when the mother is infected with the HIV virus. Transmission of the virus from the mother to the child will pass through breast milk which is a body fluid.

 

One of the professions that are at high risk for HIV transmission would be the healthcare professionals. In order to avoid this, healthcare professionals should always gloves and mask especially when caring for HIV-infected patients that have open wounds, sores, and handling other body fluids. Used needles should always be disposed in safe collectors.

How To Prevent Gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea is one of the most common STD or sexually transmitted disease that affects both men and women. Infections can be caused in the throat, genitals, and rectum. Among people aged 15-24, gonorrhea can be a very common infection.

During childbirth, a mother can pass on the infection to her newborn. Gonorrhea can also be acquired through oral, vaginal or anal sex with an infected person.

Prevention

Abstinence is the best prevention against all sexually transmitted diseases.

If this is not possible, the following things can be done to lower the risk of getting infected with gonorrhea:

  • Use a latex condom for all sexual activities
  • Have a monogamous relationship with a non-infected partner

Risk group for gonorrhea

Unprotected oral, anal or vaginal sex will always put you at the highest risk for acquiring gonorrhea.

An open and honest talk with a medical practitioner to ask about preventive measures and STD tests is one of the ways to prevent acquiring the infection especially if you are sexually active. If you are a man and is bisexual, gay, or engage in sex with other men, you should undergo annual STD tests. If you are a sexually active older woman with multiple partners or a new partner or you are 25 years old or younger that engages in numerous sexual activities, STD tests should be done annually to prevent being infected with gonorrhea.

If you are pregnant and also happen to be infected with gonorrhea, your baby will become infected as well upon birth. This will create serious health complications to the baby. Treating gonorrhea before giving birth will lessen the health complications to the baby.

Signs and symptoms

Most men do not show symptoms, but should there be, it will have the following:

  • Swollen or painful testicles
  • A burning sensation during urination
  • Green, white or yellow discharges from the penis

A lot of women do not display symptoms and if they do, it could often be mistaken for a vaginal or bladder infection. This poses a serious health threat which could possibly lead to widespread infection especially when a woman has multiple partners. The symptoms, if ever it occurs may include:

  • Pain felt in bowel movements
  • Vaginal discharges
  • Bleeding
  • Itching in the anal area
  • Soreness

A doctor needs to be consulted when you have these symptoms or if your partner is showing symptoms such as bleeding between menstrual periods, an odd sore, pain felt during urination and foul-smelling discharges.

Treatment and cure

The right treatment can cure gonorrhea. The key to eliminating the infection from your body is to strictly adhere to the prescribed medications which should never be shared with anybody. The medication will do away with the infection, but it will not be able to cure the permanent damage that has been done by the disease.

Some strains of gonorrhea are becoming harder to treat as they have developed resistance to antibiotics. Should your symptoms continue after a few days of treatment, you have to go back to your health care provider and submit to further tests and consultation.