| Frequently Asked Questions about
STDs: |
| What
are STDs? How are STDs Spread? What should I watch for? What should I do if I think I might have an STD? How can I protect myself? |
Find out about these STDs:
| What are STDs? |
| Sexually Transmitted
Diseases (STDs) are those diseases which are spread by very
intimate physical contact, usually sexual intercourse. STDs are serious,
sometimes painful, and can cause a lot of damage. Some STDs infect your
sexual and reproductive organs. Others (HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis) cause
general body infections. Sometimes you can have an STD with no signs or
symptoms. Other times, the symptoms go away on their own. Either way,
you still have the STD until you get treated. A few STDs cannot be cured,
such as viruses. But most STDs can be cured if you get treated. |
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| How are STDs spread? |
| Anyone who engages in intimate physical contact can get STDs and pass them to another person. STDs spread during close, sexual activity and during vaginal, anal and oral sex. Some STDs can be transmitted through breast milk and other STDs (HIV and hepatitis B) are also spread by contact with infected blood. Most STD germs need to live in warm, moist areas. That's why they infect the mouth, rectum and sex organs (vagina, vulva, penis and testis). If mothers are infected even unborn babies can get STDS. |
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| What should I watch For? |
| Women: An unusual discharge or smell from your vagina Pain in your pelvic area - the area between your belly button and sex organs Burning or itching around your vagina Bleeding from your vagina that is not your regular period Pain deep inside your vagina when you have sex |
| Men: A drip or discharge from your penis |
| Women and Men:
Sores, bumps or blisters near your sex organs, rectum or mouth Burning and pain when you urinate (pee) or have a bowel movement Need to urinate (pee) often Itching around your sex organs A swelling or redness in your throat Flu-like feelings, with fever, chills and aches Swelling in your groin - the area around your sex organs |
| * You can have an STD without showing any symptoms |
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| What should
I do if I think I might have an STD? |
| If you think you might have an STD get
checked out. Don't just hope the STD will go away. It won't! Most county
health departments have special STD clinics. Private doctors and hospitals
also treat STDs. It may be hard for you to go to a doctor or clinic for
help, but you must get treatment for the STD, even if it is a hard thing
for you to do. This is the only way you will get well. Most STDs can be
treated with antibiotics. Do exactly what your doctor tells you. Be sure
to use all of your medicine. You also must tell your sexual partner(s).
If they aren't treated, they can spread the STD. They might even give
it to you again. |
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| How can I protect myself: |
| Not having sex is the best way to protect
yourself from STDs. Having sex with only one uninfected partner who only has sex with you is also safe. Know your partner(s) - go with them for STD and HIV tests. Be sure ALL sex partners are examined and treated if STD infections occurs. Know that many STDs have no symptoms. Know that birth control pills do not prevent infections - you must use condoms along with birth control pills. Don't use IV street drugs - NEVER share needles. Talk to your partner about past sex partners and about needle drug use. Before you have sex, look closely at your partner for any signs of STD - a rash, a sore, redness or discharge. If you see anything you are worried about don't have sex! Use a latex condom (rubber) for vaginal, anal and oral sex. Condoms will help protect you from STD much of the time. Both men and women should carry condoms. In addition to condoms, use birth control foam, cream or jelly. These kill many STD germs. Get checked for STD every time you have a health exam. If you have more than one sex partner, get an STD check any time you think you might be at risk, even if you don't have symptoms. Know the signs and symptoms of STD. If you notice a symptom that worries you, get checked out! If you have an STD, your partner(s) must get treated when you do. If you have an STD, don't have sex until your treatment is complete. |
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| Chlamydia or NGU |
| Chlamydia
is a very common sexually transmitted diseases. It is also one of the
most serious. It is caused by bacteria passed from one person to another
during sex or from mother to baby during birth. It should be treated at
once. |
What To Watch For? Symptoms show 7-21 days after having sex. Most women and some men have no symptoms. Half of the men and 70% of women with Chlamydia don't know they have this STD. |
| Women: Discharge from the vagina Bleeding from the vagina between periods Burning or pain when you urinate (pee) Pain in abdomen, sometimes with fever and nausea |
| Men: Watery, white or yellow drip from the penis Burning or pain when you urinate (pee) |
| How Do You Get This STD?
Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has chlamydia or NGU. |
| What Happens If You Don't
Get Treated? You can give chlamydia or NGU to your sexual partner(s). Can lead to more serious infection. Reproductive organs can be damaged. Both men and women may no longer be able to have children. A mother with chlamydia can give it to her baby during childbirth. |
| What Is The Treatment? Special antibiotics cure Chlamydia. |
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| Genital Warts |
| Genital warts, like warts on other parts of the
body, are caused by viruses. There are more than 80 types. |
| What
To Watch For? Symptoms show up 1-8 months after having sex. Small, bumpy warts on the sex organs and anus (more rarely, in the mouth) Itching or burning around the sex organs After warts go away, the virus stays in the body. The warts can come back. |
| How Do You Get This STD?
Spread by direct skin to skin contact with someone who has the virus. At least half of the people with this infection have no visible warts - yet they can infect others. |
| What
Happens If You Don't Get Treated? You can give warts to your sexual partner(s) A mother with warts can give them to her baby during childbirth May lead to precancerous conditions |
| What Is The Treatment? There is no cure for Genital Warts, but they can be treated. About 25% of those who get treatment will have warts again within three months. About 20% to 30% of all warts go away without treatment. Choices for treatment include freezing or burning the warts with special tools and surgery with or without lasers. |
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| Gonorrhea |
Gonorrhea is one of the most common STDs. It is caused by bacteria (germs). |
| What
To Watch For? Symptoms show up 2-21 days after having sex Most women and some men have no symptoms |
| Women: Thick yellow or white discharge from the vagina Burning or pain when you urinate (pee) or have a bowel movement Abnormal periods or bleeding between periods Cramps and pain in the lower abdomen (belly) |
| Men: Thick yellow or white drip from the penis Burning or pain when you urinate (pee) or have a bowel movement Need to urinate (pee) more often |
| How
Do You Get This STD? Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has Gonorrhea |
| What
Happens If You Don't Get Treated? You can give gonorrhea to your sexual partner(s). Can lead to more serious infection. Reproductive organs can be damaged. Both men and women may no longer be able to have children. A mother with Gonorrhea can give it to her baby during childbirth. Can cause heart trouble, skin disease, arthritis and blindness. |
| What Is The Treatment? Special antibiotics are used. They may be given as either shots or pills. Having this disease once does not protect a person from getting it again. All your sex partners MUST get treatment even if they do not have symptoms. |
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| Hepatitis B |
| Hepatitis B means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis
B is a virus that attacks the liver. |
| What
To Watch For? Symptoms show up 1-9 months after contact with the Hepatitis B virus Many people have no symptoms or mild symptoms Flu-like feelings that don't go away Tiredness Jaundice (yellow skin) dark urine, light-colored bowel movements |
| How Do You Get This STD? Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has hepatitis B. Spread by sharing needles to inject drugs, or for any other reason. Touching an infected person's open sore or cut, or sharing a razor, toothbrush, or nail clipper can be dangerous. Even tiny amounts of blood or other body fluids will spread the virus if contact occurs. Hepatitis B is NoT spread through food, water, or casual contact. |
| What
Happens If You Don't Get Treated? You can give hepatitis B to your sexual partner(s) or someone you share a needle with. Some people recover completely. Some people cannot be cured. Symptoms go away, but they can still give hepatitis B to others. Can cause permanent liver damage. A mother with hepatitis B can give it to her baby during childbirth. |
| What
Is The Treatment? There is no cure for Hepatitis B, but there is a vaccine that prevents it. Three shots are needed and are usually given in a six month time period. The younger the person is when he or she contracts Hepatitis B, the greater the chance he or she will have a long-term infection. A person with long-term hepatitis B infection is said to be a "carrier". A carrier of Hepatitis B is a person whose body cannot get rid of the virus. |
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| Herpes |
| Herpes is a common infection. It is caused by
a virus. The virus can infect both the mouth and the genitals. Herpes
"Type 1" virus causes most oral infections. Herpes "Type 2" virus causes most genital herpes.. Both types can give you sores in either place. Having one type doesn't mean that you can't get the other. |
| What To Watch For? Symptoms show up 1-30 days after having sex. Small, painful fluid-filled blisters on the sex organs or mouth Itching or burning before the blisters appear Blisters last 1-3 weeks. Blisters go away, but you still have herpes Blisters can come back Flu-like feelings Some people have no symptoms |
| How
Do You Get This STD? Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has herpes. |
| What Happens If You Don't
Get Treated? You can give herpes to your sexual partner(s). Herpes cannot be cured. A mother with herpes can give it to her baby during childbirth. |
| What Is The Treatment? There is no cure for herpes. Medicine your doctor can order may make the sores less painful and heal faster. |
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| HIV/AIDS |
| AIDS is caused by the virus called Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The virus slowly attacks white blood cells which make up the body's immune system. White blood cells fight off germs. When the immune system is weak, harmful germs can take over and cause infections. These infections can lead to AIDS, which is the late stage of HIV infection. |
| What To Watch For? Symptoms show up several months to several years after contact with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Can be present for many years with no symptoms. Unexplained weight loss or tiredness Flu-like feelings that don't go away Diarrhea White spots in mouth In women, yeast infections that don't go away |
| How Do You Get This STD? Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has HIV. Spread by sharing needles to inject drugs, or for any other reason. Spread by contact with infected blood. You can give HIV to your sexual partner(s) or someone you share a needle with. HIV cannot be cured. |
| What Happens If You Don't
Get Treated? Most people die from the disease. A mother with HIV can give it to her baby in the womb, during birth or while breastfeeding. |
| What Is The Treatment? Some people take medicines that can help the immune system. Some get treated for infections that affect the lungs. Pregnant women with HIV can take certain drugs that improve the chances they won't give HIV to their babies. New treatments are announced often. If you have HIV, talk with your doctor about any new treatments and how they might help you. There is no cure for HIV or AIDs at this time. |
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| Syphilis |
| Syphils is a very serious disease. Contact with sores of an infected person is the main way it is passed from one person to another. |
| What To Watch For? |
| 1st Stage: Symptoms show up 3-12 weeks after having sex. A painless, reddish-brown sore or sores on the mouth, sex organs, breasts or fingers Sore lasts 1-5 weeks. Sore goes away, but you still have syphilis |
| 2nd Stage: Symptoms show up 1 week - 6 months after sore heals A rash anywhere in the body Flu-like feelings Rash and flu-like feelings go away, but you still have syphilis Syphilis can look just like herpes, warts, scabies or hemorrhoids Anyone with a single sore must be tested for syphilis |
| How Do You Get This STD? Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has syphilis. A mother with syphilis can give it to her baby during childbirth or have a miscarriage. |
| What Happens If You Don't
Get Treated? Can cause heart disease, brain damage, blindness and death. |
| What Is The Treatment? A special penicillin, given as a shot, stops the germ. Given at any stage, this drug prevents any further damage. After you've been cured, you get get syphilis again if you have sex with an infected person. |
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| Vaginitis |
| Bacterial vaginosis, or "BV", is a very
common cause of vaginal infection. Unlike most other STDs, it is caused by more than one kind of bacteria. Having BV means that the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is upset. |
| What To Watch For? About half of all women with Vaginitis do not feel, see, or smell anything. There may be a thin, watery discharge that is slightly gray or yellow. There may be a "fishy" odor, especially after sex. Itching, burning or pain in the vagina. |
| How Do You Get This STD? Having Vaginitis means that the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is upset. This can happen naturally or it can be caused by taking medicines that kill normal, as well as harmful, bacteria or yeast. Can spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex. Men can carry vaginitis infections without symptoms. |
| What Happens If You Don't Get
Treated? You can give vaginitis to your sexual partner(s). Uncomfortable symptoms will continue. Men can get infections in the penis, prostate gland or urethra. |
| What Is The Treatment? Pills or creams with just the right drugs are used to cure Vaginitis. Curing Vaginitis means that the vagina is in balance. The "fishy" odor that most women hate goes away. |
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| Pubic Lice |
| There are three kinds of
lice that can live on humans - head lice, body lice, and crab lice. Compared
to other kinds of human lice, crab lice move slowly and cannot survive more than twenty-four hours without drinking human blood. They go from birth to death in three to five weeks. The female lays a lifetime total fo 30 eggs. The eggs hatch in six to nine days. |
| What To Watch For? Lice or eggs on the hair of the anal and pubic area, thighs, armpits, eyebrows and eyelashes. Intense itching. Itching can continue after both eggs and lice are dead. Some people do not feel anything at all. A few people get blue spots on their skin in reaction to the bites. Tiny blood spots in the underwear. |
| How Do You Get This STD? Spread through sexual contact with a person who has these lice. Sometimes the lice or their eggs land on beds, clothing or carpeting when pubic hairs fall out, and as a result, people can get them without direct sexual contact. |
| What Is The Treatment? Special shampoos, cream rinses, and lotions sold in drugstores are used. Talk with the pharmacist so you know these products must be washed off in a certain number of minutes after they are applied, and can never be used near the eyes. There are special ointments used for lice in brows and lashes. Pregnant women, children under two, and people with broken skin cannot use lindane products. |
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| Candidiasis (Yeast infection) |
| Yeast is a common vaginal infection. A small amount of yeast is part of the balance of normal skin in the vagina, penis, and anal areas. Sometimes too many yeast cells grow because the bacteria that keep them in balance have been destroyed. When this happens, we say there is a yeast "infection" or overgrowth. |
| What To Watch For? Women complain of itching, redness and burning Painful urination and a dry or painful feeling during sex may be noticed If there is any discharge, it can look like cottage cheese |
| How Do You Get This STD? When antibiotics are given to treat STDs and other diseases, this can upset the normal vaginal balance and cause a yeast infection. Hormone changes during pregnancy, use of birth control, and menstruation can also cause yeast to increase. High blood sugar (diabetes) can also be another cause. Allergic reactions to vaginal douches, perfumes, soaps, and non-cotton fabrics may affect vaginal balance. Tight clothing or underwear that does not allow air to flow around the body is also a problem. Yeast infection can be transmitted from one person to another through sexual intercourse. |
| What Is The Treatment? The goal is to bring back a balance among all yeast and bacteria that are needed for a normal vagina. This is hard to do, so plan on working with your doctor on a treatment plan that is right for you. If you are are being treated for other STDs, you may have to think about finishing that treatment first, then working on a healthy yeast balance. A yeast infection may have to be treated more than once. Be patient. |
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