How to Recognize, Treat, and Prevent Them
STDs: Everyone's Problem
STDs. It stands for sexually transmitted diseases (diseases that can be spread during vaginal, oral, or anal sex). If you have an STD, you're not alone. Millions of people - from students to executives - get STDs every year. You may feel embarrassed or worried. You may wonder, "What now?" But you should know most STDs can be cured. Others can be controlled. And all can be prevented. You're the key.
What Are Your Risks?
STDs are a fact of life. Everyone who is sexually active is at risk. Because more and more people are getting STDS, the risk is going up. Reduce your risk by learning more about STDs.
What Can You Do?
If you think you may have an STD, go to a health care provider or clinic right away. Some STDs can cause serious health problems - even death. But, when found and treated early, most STDs can be quickly and painlessly cured. Those that can't be cured can be treated to control or delay problems. So learn the symptoms of STDs and protect yourself during sex.
You Can Control STDs
You have more control over STDs than you may think. This booklet can help by showing you four simple ways to control them. Learn to recognize the symptoms of STDs. Get early treatment. Protect yourself from STDs during sex. And learn how each STD affects the body. That way you can separate fact from myth.
Recognize the Symptoms
Many STDs have symptoms that warn you of the disease. Learn to recognize those symptoms in yourself and in your sexual partner. Some STDs have no symptoms - especially in early stages. So, if you think you may have been exposed to an STD, get checked.
Get Early Treatment
If you have an STD, it's important to find and treat it early. This may reduce the chance of bigger problems later on. It also helps keep you from infecting others. Go to a health care provider or a clinic to be tested for STDs. Be sure that your partner gets tested, too.
Protect Yourself
Help keep from getting or spreading an STD by using protection, such as a condom, during sex. If you have an STD, using protection also helps keep you from getting another one. And, without protection, you can get the same STD again and again.
Learn About STDs
Each STD affects the body differently. By learning more about STDs, you'll be better able to prevent them or recognize their symptoms. If you find you have an STD, your health care provider will choose the best treatment for you.
Myth: STDs are minor diseases.
Fact: Untreated STDs can become major problems. They can cause sterility, damage to unborn children, and even death.
Recognize the Symptoms
How do you know if you have an STD? One clue is physical symptoms. Be alert to changes in your body and in your partner's body. When something feels or looks different, seek medical care right away. Remember that some STDs have no early symptoms. So, if you think you've been exposed to an STD, get checked. If you find you have an STD, tell your partner so he or she can get early treatment.
Discharge
- In men: A white or clear, often thick discharge from the penis may be a sign of gonorrhea, chlamydia, or other STDs. If a man is infected during anal sex, a discharge may appear.
- In women: Any unusual discharge - often along with itching, burning, or odor - may be a sign of gonorrhea, chlamydia, or vaginitis.
Burning
- In men and women: A burning, especially with urination, may be an STD or a bladder infection. Only a health care provider can diagnose and treat the problem.
Sores
- In men and women: Painful or itchy sores on or near the sex organs may be herpes. Painless sores may be syphilis.
Abdominal Pain
- In women: Abdominal pain can mean pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), chlamydia, gonorrhea, or other infections. See a health care provider right away.
Itching
- In men and women: Itching in or around the sex organs may be herpes, scabies, or crabs.
- In women: Itching may be caused by vaginitis.
No Symptoms
- Some symptoms don't show up for months, even years. This is especially true in women. So, if you think you may have been exposed to an STD, seek medical care.
Myth: If symptoms go away on their own, you're cured.
Fact: Symptoms may come and go, but the disease can stay. Without treatment, it often gets worse.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a very common STD. Because most people have no symptoms, chlamydia may not be noticed until it causes severe problems. Left untreated, this STD can cause women and men to become sterile (unable to ever have children).
Symptoms
Chlamydia can be like a time bomb: At first there are no symptoms. Or the symptoms are mild - an odorless discharge and burning. Then suddenly you have something more serious. For women, this can be pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can make a woman sterile or cause an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy. Symptoms of PID include fever, pain during sex, and abdominal pain. Regular medical checkups can help detect chlamydia early.
Treatment
When found early, this STD can be cured with antibiotic pills. Men who have chlamydia should tell their partners right away. Because a woman can have chlamydia with no symptoms, she may not know she has it until her partner tells her he's infected.
Prevention
Know your partner's sexual history. If either of you has had sex with anyone else, protect yourself by using a condom whenever you have sex. If you are pregnant, take extra care. Untreated chlamydia in a pregnant woman can cause eye, ear, or lung problems in the baby.
HIV Infection and AIDS
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrom) is the deadliest STD. It is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV weakens the body's ability to fight off disease. Many people with HIV have no symptoms. But they can still spread the virus. HIV is spread when infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids enter the body.
Symptoms
A person can have HIV for months or years with no symptoms. Symptoms may include swollen glands, fever, night sweats, severe fatigue, and weight loss. When pneumonia or other symptoms appear, AIDS may be diagnosed. If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, get tested so you can receive treatment even before symptoms appear. Ask your partner to get tested, too. And be aware that having other STDs can make it easier for you to become infected with HIV.
Treatment
Get treatment early. If a test shows you have HIV or if you have symptoms, see a health care provider right away. Though there is no cure for HIV or AIDS, treatments may delay problems and reduce symptoms. To learn more, call the AIDS 24-hour hotline: 1-800-342-AIDS (1-800-342-2437).
Prevention
A person can have HIV and not know it. To protect yourself, avoid contact with a partner's blood, semen, or vaginal fluid. The best protection is to not have sex. If you have sex, use a latex condom. HIV can also enter the body through needle punctures. So don't share needles.
Disclaimer: The articles and information, while with the best effort to be accurate and up-to-date, may not be. Also, every physician and medical professional holds their own views on certain diagnosis and advice. There truly are no textbook cases. It is always best to consult with your personal physician regarding medical/health related problems. The information is to be used as a general resource and not as a substitute for trained medical advice and/or treatment.
