Download Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD`s) What You Should Know.

Sexually Transmitted
Diseases (STD’s) What
You Should Know.
A Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD), also
known as sexually transmitted infection
(STI) or venereal disease (VD) is any
disease that is spread primarily by sexual
contact. One partner transmits the
disease-causing organism to the other
partner during sex (oral/vaginal/anal/etc.).
Many STD’s are, more easily, transmitted
than others. The primary sources of
infection are venereal fluids, saliva,
mucosal or skin (particularly the penis);
infections may also be transmitted from
faeces, urine and sweat. The amount
required to cause infection varies with
each pathogen but is always less than you
can see with the naked eye. The most
common STD’s in the UK are:
Gonorrhea
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea is a less common sexually
transmitted infection (STI) in the UK than
chlamydia but in general, it infects the
same organs as chlamydia and has similar
long-term effects.
Chlamydia is one of the most common
bacterial infections in the UK.
It’s passed on from one person to another
through unprotected sex and infects the
cervix in women, and the penile urethra in
men.
Symptoms
Typical symptoms of gonorrhea include an
unusual discharge from the vagina or
penis, pain when urinating and, in women,
bleeding between periods. Just as with
chlamydia, however, many people with
gonorrhea may not have symptoms.
Treatment
It is important to receive treatment for
gonorrhea quickly. Treatment is with a
single dose of antibiotics which are at
least 95% effective. Left untreated,
gonorrhea can lead to more serious longterm health problems.
Symptoms
Chlamydia is so common because people
who get chlamydia don't have symptoms
for weeks, months, or even years. Men
often do not get symptoms; but they can
include inflammation of the urethra,
discharge from the penis and itchiness
around the opening, and tenderness in the
testicles. In women, symptoms often do
not appear, but the disease can cause
pelvic inflammation and a range of
abdominal problems. Its most frequent
symptoms are pain during sex, and
discharge from the penis or vagina.
Treatment
It’s easily treated with antibiotics but if
untreated, the infection can sometimes
spread to other parts of the body and lead
to serious long-term health problems.
Dr Kelly & Associates, 65 London Wall, London EC2M 5TU
T: +44 (0)20 7638 2999 F: +44 (0)20 7638 9580
Herpes/HSV
Syphilis
Genital herpes is a common infection
caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Herpes comes in two forms, HSV1 and
HSV2. HSV1 is most often associated with
cold sores, and HSV2 is most often
associated with genital sores. It is possible,
however, to transmit herpes from the
mouth to the genitals and vice versa.
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is
usually passed on through having sex with
someone who is infected. Caused by the
bacterium ‘Treponema pallidum,’ it can
lead to serious complications if left
untreated. Syphilis is transmitted by direct
contact with syphilis sores, which can
appear on the external genitals and the
mouth, as well as in the vagina or rectum.
Because these sores can appear on areas
not covered by a condom, condoms only
reduce the likelihood of transmission, but
not eliminate it entirely.
Symptoms
The first symptoms involve the
appearance of small blisters on the penis
or vulva, which can leave painful ulcers,
and may be accompanied by flu-like
symptoms and difficulty in passing urine.
Treatment
Herpes symptoms can be treated with
anti-viral drugs, but the virus cannot be
cured. People with the herpes virus need
to know that they can transmit the virus
even when they do not have any sores or
other symptoms. Although using a
condom can reduce the risk of herpes
transmission, condoms are not 100%
effective since herpes is spread skin-toskin.
Symptoms
Syphilis is classified into three stages:
Stage 1 (primary syphilis) – Symptoms of
syphilis begin with a painless but highly
infectious sore on the genitals or
sometimes around the mouth. If
somebody else comes into close contact
with the sore, typically during sexual
contact, they can also become infected.
The sore lasts two to six weeks before
disappearing. Stage 2 (secondary syphilis)
– Secondary symptoms, such as a skin rash
and sore throat, then develop. These
Dr Kelly & Associates, 65 London Wall, London EC2M 5TU
T: +44 (0)20 7638 2999 F: +44 (0)20 7638 9580
symptoms may disappear within a few
weeks, after which you experience a latent
(hidden) phase with no symptoms, which
can last for years. After this, syphilis can
progress to its third, most dangerous
stage. Stage 3 (tertiary syphilis) – Around
a third of people who are not treated for
syphilis will develop tertiary syphilis. At
this stage, it can cause serious damage to
the body.
Treatment
If diagnosed early, syphilis can be easily
treated with antibiotics, usually penicillin
injections however, if it is not treated,
syphilis can progress to a more dangerous
form of the disease and cause serious
conditions such as stroke, paralysis,
blindness or even death.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is caused by infection with the
hepatitis B virus (HBV). The incubation
period from the time of exposure to onset
of symptoms is 6 weeks to 6 months. The
highest concentrations of HBV are found
in blood, with lower concentrations found
in other body fluids including wound
exudates, semen, vaginal secretions, and
saliva. HBV is more infectious and
relatively more stable in the environment
than other blood borne pathogens like
HCV and HIV.
Symptoms
Symptoms of hepatitis B include flu-like
symptoms, such as tiredness, general
aches and pains, headaches and a high
temperature as well as loss of appetite
and weight loss, feeling and being sick,
diarrhea and pain in your upper right-hand
side and yellowing of the skin and eyes
(jaundice).
Treatment
There is usually no specific treatment for
acute (short-term) Hepatitis B unless your
symptoms are particularly severe; you should
be able to manage them at home. You can
take over-the-counter painkillers such as
ibuprofen and paracetamol and may be
prescribed codeine if pain is more severe.
Nausea (feeling sick) can often be controlled
with a medication called
Pubic Lice
Pubic Lice "Crabs" are a form of lice that
live on the hair in the genital area and
occasionally on other course-haired areas
of the body, such as the armpits or the
eyebrows. They are usually spread by
sexual contact, although they can also be
transmitted by infested linens and
clothing.
Dr Kelly & Associates, 65 London Wall, London EC2M 5TU
T: +44 (0)20 7638 2999 F: +44 (0)20 7638 9580
Symptoms
Symptoms include itching in the genital
area and visible lice or eggs.
Treatment
Pubic lice can be treated at home with
insecticide cream, lotion or shampoo. It
will usually need to be applied once and
repeated after three to seven days. Most
treatments need to be applied to the
affected area and the whole body, apart
from your scalp, face, eyebrows and
eyelashes (but including your beard or
moustache if you have one.
Trichomoniasis
HIV/AIDS
Trichomoniasis is a common sexually
transmitted disease caused by a tiny
parasite called ‘Trichomonas Vaginalis’
and is the most common STD in sexually
active young women.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is
the virus associated with AIDS and attacks
the immune system, and weakens your
ability to fight infections and disease. HIV
is a virus most commonly caught by having
unprotected sex by an exchange of bodily
fluids including semen, vaginal secretions,
breast milk and blood or by sharing
infected needles and other injecting
equipment for drugs. It cannot be
transmitted by casual contact.
Symptoms
Some women may mistake this infection
for a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis
since the symptoms are similar. Symptoms
include frothy discharge, strong vaginal
odor, and pain on intercourse, irritation
and itching.
Treatment
Trichomoniasis is unlikely to go away
without treatment. In rare cases, the
infection may cure itself, but if you do not
get treated, you risk passing the infection
on to someone else Trichomoniasis is
usually treated quickly and easily. Most
people will be prescribed an antibiotic
known as metronidazole which, if taken
correctly, is very effective. You will usually
have to take metronidazole twice a day,
for five to seven days.
Symptoms
HIV infection may initially cause mild
muscle aches, low-grade fever, rash and
swelling of the lymph glands. HIV then
weakens the immune system, making it
hard to fight off infections such as
tuberculosis and pneumonia, and cancers.
AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection,
when your body can no longer fight lifethreatening infections
Treatment
There is no cure for HIV, but treatments
are much more successful than they used
to be, enabling people with the virus to
stay healthy and live longer. HIV is no
longer a death sentence: many people
with the virus are living long and
productive lives but untreated without
drugs, almost all HIV infected people will
develop Aids and die.
Why is it important to get
tested?
STD’s are a common health problem and if
you suspect that you have a sexually
transmitted disease, it is important that
you get tested. Regular STD testing
increases your awareness and educates on
how to protect yourself and others from
sexually transmitted diseases. It is also
much easier to prevent STD’s than to treat
them.
Tests may be for a single infection or
consist of a number of individual tests for
a wide range of STD’s as above.
Dr Kelly & Associates, 65 London Wall, London EC2M 5TU
T: +44 (0)20 7638 2999 F: +44 (0)20 7638 9580
Where can I go to have a Sexual
Health consultation?
Dr Kelly & Associates has over 3 decades
of experience in providing quality,
independent health care and is today
recognised as one of the most established
private medical practices in the City of
London.
Our Sexual Health Service includes a full
consultation with one of our doctors and
tests for sexually transmitted diseases
such as HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C,
Syphilis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and
Herpes. We also provide an instant HIV
test & Consultation.
Our tests are priced below and include our
consultation fee:
Complete Peace of Mind Screen - £300
 Syphilis
 Herpes I/II
 Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
 Hepatitis C Antibodies
 HIV I/II Antibodies/p24 Antigen
 Chlamydia
 Gonorrhoea
 Urethral Swab for GC, & routine
culture plus
 Trichomonas
 Gardnerella
 Mycoplasma
 Ureaplasma
Peace of Mind - £250
 Syphilis
 Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
 HIV I/II Antibodies /p24 Antigen
 Chlamydia
 Gonorrhoea
 Urethral Swab for GC, & routine
culture plus
 Mycoplasma
 Ureaplasma
Dr Kelly & Associates, 65 London Wall, London EC2M 5TU
T: +44 (0)20 7638 2999 F: +44 (0)20 7638 9580
Comfort Screen - £150
 Chlamydia
 Gonorrhoea
HIV Awareness Screen - £125
 HIV 1 Antibodies
 HIV 2 Antibodies
Rapid HIV Awareness Screen - £99
 Instant HIV Test & Consultation