Download Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Infections Sexually Transmitted

Sexually Transmitted
Diseases/Infections
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) also
known as Sexually Transmitted Infections
(STIs)
-Are infectious diseases spread from one person
to another through sexual contact.
Sexual Contact:
Intercourse (vaginal), Anal, Oral, &
touching.
Body fluids that can transmit an STD:
- blood
- semen
- vaginal secretions
- breast milk
Many people with STDs are asymptomatic –
without having symptoms.
• They don’t seek treatment because they
don’t know that they are infected.
• People who do not know that they are
infected can continue to transmit STDs.
High Risk Behavior and STDs
In the USA, teens make up ¼ of the estimated 15 million new cases of
STDs each year. That is more than 10,000 young people infected every
day.
Why are teens at a high risk for infection from STDs?
Teens that are sexually active are likely to engage in
one or more of the following high risk behaviors…..
High Risk Sexual Behaviors
Being sexually active with more than one person .
• This includes having a series of sexual relationships with more than
one person at a time. Most people don’t know the others past
sexual behavior and whether he/she has an STD.
Engaging in unprotected sex.
• Barrier protection is NOT 100% effective in preventing the
transmission of STDs, and is not effective at all against HPV.
High risk sexual behavior continued….
Selecting high risk partners .
• Such partners include those with a history of being sexually
active with more than one person and also those who have
injected illegal drugs.
Using alcohol or other drugs .
• Alcohol can lower inhibitions. Studies show that more than
25% of teens who have engaged in sexual activity had been
under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The Consequences of STDs
Most people, teens included, are not fully aware of the consequences
of STDs. These are serious infections that can dramatically change a
person’s life.
Some STDs are incurable!
The pathogens that cause these disease cannot be eliminated from
the body by medical treatment, such as antibiotics.
These are
viruses.
Some STDs cause cancer. The Hepatitis B virus can cause cancer of
the liver. HPV can cause cancer in the cervix.
More consequences…
Some STDs can cause complications that affect the ability to
reproduce. Females can develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
(PID), which damages reproductive organs and cause sterility.
Some STDs can be passed from an infected female to her
child before, during or after birth. STDs can damage the
bones, nervous system, and brain of a fetus. Infants infected
with STDs at delivery may become blind, develop pneumonia
and even die.
Common STDs
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
A virus that can cause genital warts or asymptomatic
infection.
• HPV is considered the most common STD in the US.
• The CDC estimates that 50-75% of sexually active males
and females acquire HPV. There are about 30 different
types of HPV than can infect the genital area.
• Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by certain
types of HPV. HPV can also cause cancers of the penis
and anus.
Genital warts
Pink or reddish warts with cauliflower like tops that
appear on the genitals and/or the cervix one to three
months after infection from HPV.
• Genital warts are highly contagious and are spread
by ANY form of sexual contact with an infected
person.
• Once infected the person has the virus for the rest
of their life. Treatments can rid the body of the
warts, but not the virus.
Chlamydia
A bacterial infection that affects the reproductive
organs of both males and females.
• Forty percent of cases reported are in teens
ages 15-19.
Chlamydia is asymptomatic in 75% of
infected females and 50% of infected males. It
often goes undetected until serious
complications arise
When symptoms are present, males may
experience a discharge from the penis and
burning during urination. Females may have
vaginal discharge, burning upon urination or
abdominal pain.
Chlamydia is diagnosed by laboratory
examination of the secretions of the cervix in
females or from the urethra in males.
• It can be treated with antibiotics, but a person
can become infected again.
• In females it can lead to PID, long term pelvic
pain or infertility. It can also cause infertility in
males.
Genital Herpes
Genital Herpes is an STD caused by the herpes
simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of HSV.
•Type 1 – usually causes cold sores
•Type 2 – usually causes genital sores
Both types can infect the mouth and genitals.
Herpes continued…
It is NOT true that the virus can only be spread
while the sores are present. The virus can be
spread while the person is asymptomatic.
Diagnosis is made through lab tests of the fluid
from the blisters.
Medication can relieve the symptoms, but can
not cure the virus. Once it is contracted, the virus
remains in the body for life.
Genital herpes cont….
Most people who have genital herpes are
asymptomatic and not aware that they are
infected.
The typical symptoms are blister-like sores
in the genital area that occur periodically.
The herpes virus is potentially deadly for
infants that contract the virus from the mother
through delivery.
The virus can also play a major role in the
spread of HIV. People who have genital herpes
are more capable of transmitting or acquiring
HIV.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a bacterial STD that usually
affects mucous membranes.
Can spread to bloodstream and cause
permanent damage to joints.
Can be passed during childbirth (eye infections
and blindness)
Gonorrhea continued….
Highest rates of gonorrhea infection are found in females from
15-19yrs old & and in males 20 -24 yrs old.
Symptoms in males:
discharge from the penis and painful urination
Symptoms in females:
50% of females have no symptoms.
Those that do, vaginal discharge, pain or burning during
urination.
Gonorrhea cont….
Gonorrhea can be treated with
antibiotics.
Syphilis
Syphilis - an STD that attacks many parts of the
body and is caused by a bacterial infection.
• 1st sign of infection is a painless reddish sore
called a chancre (SHAN-kuhr)
Syphilis continued…
• If the infection is not treated, it spreads through the
blood to other parts of the body.
• Disease can damage internal organs (heart, liver,
nervous system, and kidneys).
• If not treated, syphilis can lead to paralysis,
blindness, and heart disease.
• If passed to infant (during childbirth), baby can die.
HIV & AIDS
HIV & AIDS
HIV- (human immunodeficiency virus) - a virus that
attacks the immune system.
HIV is a progressive disease that destroys the
immune system over many years.
Therefore it weakens a person’s ability to fight off
infections.
HIV does not necessarily mean someone has AIDS.
It can take years for AIDS to develop.
When HIV enters the body it invades the T cells.
T cells help the white blood cells identify and
destroy pathogens (organisms that cause
disease)
The virus takes over the cells and produces a new
copy of itself .
The virus then breaks out of the cell and destroys
it.
The new virus infects other cells and this process
continues to repeat.
As the virus increases the number of T cells
decrease, which causes the immune system to
become weaker.
The body becomes susceptible to common
infections and opportunistic infections.
Opportunistic Infections – infections
that occur in individuals who do not
have a healthy immune system.
How is HIV transmitted??
HIV can be transmitted from an
infected person to an uninfected person
the following ways:
- blood
- semen
- vaginal secretions
- breast milk
Stages of HIV
HIV develops In stages over the course of several years.
1. Asymptomatic stage – during this period,
the HIV infected person has no symptoms.
(6mths – 10 yrs)
2. Symptomatic stage – symptoms develop
as a result of the drop in immune cells.
3. AIDS – (acquired immune deficiency
syndrome) - the last stage of the HIV
infection. Infected person has a severely
damaged immune system. The appearance
of opportunistic infections and other
illnesses is frequent