There are many different sexually transmitted infections and diseases (STIs/STDs), many more than most people realize. In fact, STDs are the most common infectious diseases in the US, with 19 million Americans getting a new STD infection every year. Statistically, half of all new STIs occur in 15-24 year old.
All forms of sexual activity can spread STIs. Even if you have only one sexual partner, and he or she had only one sexual partner before you, you could still get a sexually transmitted infection that can become a disease with lifelong implications.
All information about STDs that is presented in the Heritage Keepers curricula has been reviewed and approved for medical accuracy by US Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs, Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and also by the Medical Institute for Sexual Health.
Bacterial STDs
|
Common STDs |
Chlamydia |
Gonorrhea |
Syphilis |
Trichomoniasis |
| Where is it found? | Vagina, cervix, urethra, throat, discharge from penis, and/or rectum | Vagina, cervix, uterus, urethra, throat, and/or rectum | Genital area, mouth, skin, anus, and/or rectum | Vagina, cervix, urethra, and/or vulva |
| How can it be spread? | Oral, anal, and vaginal sex; mother to child | Oral, anal, and vaginal sex; mother to child | Oral, anal, and vaginal sex; contact with sores; mother to child | Genital to genital contact |
| What are the possible symptoms and complications? | Often has no symptoms; burning, pain, or frequency with urination; abnormal discharge from penis, vagina, and/or rectum; chronic pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis, testicles, or rectum; eye and throat infections; pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and/or infertility may result (mostly in females); untreated increases a person’s risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV | Often has no symptoms; may have burning or pain with urination; rectal discharge, pain, or bleeding; throat infections; untreated increases a person’s risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV. Males: testicular pain; penile discharge Females: increased vaginal discharge; bloody discharge (not period); may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, and/or infertility |
Single, round, firm painless sore (or less typical, multiple and/or painful sores); untreated can spread to brain and/or heart; flu-like symptoms; damage to major body systems if untreated; can cause rash on infants’ skin, birth defects and other organs or possible stillbirth | Often has no symptoms; abnormal discharge from the vagina or penis; burning or discomfort during urination; itching or irritation in penis or vagina; may cause early delivery and low birth weight babies; can cause genital inflammation which increases a person’s risk of acquiring or transmitting other STIs |
| Prevention | Abstain from sex; Faithful marriage or mutual monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner; Latex condoms used correctly and consistently reduce but do not eliminate the risk; Testing and treatment | Abstain from sex; Faithful marriage or mutual monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner; Latex condoms used correctly and consistently reduce but do not eliminate the risk; Testing and treatment | Abstain from sex; Faithful marriage or mutual monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner; Latex condoms used correctly and consistently reduce but do not eliminate the risk; Testing and treatment | Abstain from sex; Faithful marriage or mutual monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner; Latex condoms used correctly and consistently reduce but do not eliminate the risk; Testing and treatment |
| What are the treatments? | Antibiotics (permanent damage may have occurred prior to treatment) | Antibiotics (permanent damage may have occurred prior to treatment) | Antibiotics (permanent damage may have occurred prior to treatment) | Antibiotics (permanent damage may have occurred prior to treatment) |
Viral STDs
|
Common STDs |
Genital Herpes: |
Human Papillomavirus |
Hepatitis B |
HIV/AIDS |
| Where is it found? | Genitals and/or rectum | Vagina, cervix, penis, vulva, anus, scrotum, and/or other genital areas | Blood, semen, and/or vaginal fluid | Blood, semen, cervical and vaginal fluid, and/or breast milk |
| How can it be spread? | Oral, anal, and vaginal sex; contact with infected skin; mother to child | Oral, anal, and vaginal sex; contact with infected skin; rarely mother to child | Oral, anal, and vaginal sex; IV drug use; mother to child | Oral, anal, and vaginal sex; IV drug use; mother to child |
| What are the possible symptoms and complications? | Often no symptoms are present; painful blisters or sores; fever and swollen glands may occur; symptoms can recur throughout life; rarely serious infection can occur when passed to newborns | Most have no symptoms, but some can get genital warts, can cause cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, penis, and/or throat | Often there are no obvious symptoms; jaundice; abdominal pain; loss of appetite; fatigue; joint pain; can lead to liver cancer and liver failure | No early symptoms or some flu-like symptoms that are often not noticed, rash, weakens immune system, multiple severe reactions |
| Prevention | Abstain from sex; Faithful marriage or mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner; Latex condoms used correctly and consistently reduce but do not eliminate the risk; Testing and treatment | HPV vaccine (for some strains of HPV); Abstain from sex; Faithful marriage or mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner; Latex condoms used correctly and consistently reduce but do not eliminate the risk | Hepatitis B vaccine; Abstain from sex; Faithful marriage or mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner; Latex condoms used correctly and consistently reduce but do not eliminate the risk; Testing | Abstain from sex; Faithful marriage or mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner; Latex condoms used correctly and consistently reduce but do not eliminate the risk; Testing |
| What are the treatments? | Symptom control that can help reduce recurrences, but not cure | No cure for infection, but medications can remove visible genital warts. Regular Pap testing following medical guidelines and follow-up medical treatment may deter development of cervical cancer. | Chronic infection can be treated with medication. No cure | Antiretroviral medicine with lifetime treatment is required to preserve immune function; No cure |
Young people who start having sex at an early age tend to have more sexual partners than those who wait. Additional partners increase the probability of pregnancy and disease.
Contraception, when used consistently and correctly can reduce – but not eliminate – the chance of pregnancy. Different methods have varying effectiveness/failure rates. Most methods do not provide any protection from sexually transmitted diseases.
The surest and most effective way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from any sexual activity including intimate skin to skin contact, health compromising behaviors, and oral, anal, and vaginal sex.
Sexual activity is safest in a mutually faithful monogamous relationship such as marriage, with a partner who has been tested and you know is uninfected and where both marriage partners do not participate in other health compromising behaviors.
Correct and consistent use of the male latex condom can reduce the risk of STD transmission. However, no protective method is 100 percent effective, and condom use cannot guarantee absolute protection against any STD. That is why abstinence is so important.
In order to achieve the protective effect of condoms, they must be used correctly and consistently. Incorrect use can lead to condom slippage or breakage, thus diminishing their protective effect. Inconsistent use, e.g. failure to use condoms with every act of intercourse, can lead to STD transmission because transmission can occur with a single act of intercourse.
Condoms provide different levels of protection for various sexually transmitted diseases, depending on how the diseases are transmitted. Because condoms block the discharge of semen and protect the male urethra against exposure to vaginal secretions, a greater level of protection is provided for the discharge diseases (HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis). A lesser degree of protection is provided for the genital ulcer diseases (syphilis and genital herpes) or HPV because these infections may be transmitted by exposure to areas, e.g., infected skin or mucosal surfaces that are not covered or protected by the condom.
Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission of Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Trichomoniasis. Genital herpes, Syphilis and HPV infections can occur in both male and female areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well in areas that are not covered. Correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of genital herpes and syphilis only when the infected area or site of potential exposure is protected. While the effect of condoms in preventing human papillomavirus infection is unknown, condom use has been associated with a lower rate of cervical cancer, an HPV- associated disease. (CDC, 2003)
If you have ever been sexually active, it is important to your physical health to seek medical services to test for sexually transmitted diseases and for females, pregnancy. Even if you feel that you haven’t experienced any symptoms, there could be bacterial infections or viruses in your body that may have long-term consequences if left untreated.
Those who have already had sex can recommit to abstinence from sexual activity and other health compromising behaviors and begin immediately eliminating the risks associated with sex outside of the marriage commitment. Those who have not yet had sex can commit to abstaining from sex until marriage and not participate in other health compromising behaviors. Sexual activity is safest in a mutually faithful monogamous relationship such as marriage, where both partners are uninfected and both marriage partners do not participate in other health compromising behaviors.