Sexually Transmitted Diseases

What are sexually transmitted diseases?

How can I avoid getting a sexually transmitted disease?

     Also See:

                   Chlamydia
                   Genital Herpes
                   Gonorrhea
                   Hepatitis
                   HIV/AIDS
                   Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
                   Syphilis
                   Vaginal Infections and Vaginitis

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What are sexually transmitted diseases?

Sexually transmitted diseases (once called venereal diseases) are among the most common infectious diseases in the United States today. More than 20 STDs have now been identified, and they affect more than 13 million women and men in this country each year. The annual comprehensive costs of STDs is estimated to be in excess of $5 billion.

To better understand STDs as a whole, it is important to keep five key points in mind:

• STDs affect women and men of all backgrounds and economic levels. They are most prevalent among teenagers and young adults. Nearly two-thirds of all STDs occur in people younger than 25 years of age.

• The incidence of STDs is rising because in the last few decades, young people became sexually active earlier and have been marrying later, though these trends may be shifting slightly today. In addition, divorce is more common. The result is that sexually active people are more likely to have multiple sex partners during their lives and are potentially at greater risk for STDs.

• Many STDs initially cause no symptoms, particularly in women, and when symptoms do develop they may be confused with other diseases not transmitted through sexual contact. That is why doctors recommend periodic testing for people who have more than one sex partner.

• Health problems caused by STDs tend to be more severe and frequent for women than for men, in part because the absence of symptoms causes women to be diagnosed later when more serious problems have developed. For example, STDs can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a leading cause of infertility and potentially fatal ectopic (tubal) pregnancy. Some STDs, such as human papillomavirus infection (HPV), also can be associated with cervical cancer. Further, STDs -- some readily curable, but others disabling or life-threatening -- can be passed from a mother to her baby before or during birth.

• When diagnosed and treated early, almost all STDs can be treated effectively. Some organisms, such as certain strains of gonorrhea, have become resistant to the medications used to treat them and now require newer types of antibiotics. The most serious STD for which no cure now exists is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a fatal viral infection of the immune system. Experts believe that having STDs other than AIDS increases one’s risk for becoming infected with the AIDS virus.

How can I avoid getting a sexually transmitted disease?

The best way to prevent STDs is not to have sexual intercourse. If you decide to be sexually active, there are things that you can do to reduce your risk of developing an STD.

• Be direct and frank about asking a new sex partner whether he or she has an STD, has been exposed to one, or has any unexplained physical symptoms; learn the physical signs of STDs and inspect a sex partner’s body, especially the genital area, for sores, rashes or discharges; don’t have sex if your partner has signs or symptoms of STDs; and use a condom during sexual intercourse, and use it correctly. Diaphragms may also help reduce the risk of STD transmission. Scientists are still evaluating the usefulness of spermacides in preventing STDs to see whether they kill STD organisms.

• If you are sexually active with more than one long-term partner, have regular checkups for STDs even in the absence of symptoms, and learn the common symptoms of STDs and seek help immediately if any symptoms develop, however mild.

• Anyone diagnosed with an STD should notify all recent sex partners and urge them to get a checkup; follow the doctor's orders, complete the full course of medication prescribed, and have a follow-up test to be sure the infection has been cured; and avoid all sexual activity when being treated for an STD.

from The Office On Women's Health - US Department of Health and Human Services

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