Download Summary Chart for STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)

Summary Chart for STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)
Name of STD
Chlamydia
Other name /
Nickname
Type of Organism
How Transmitted
How Diagnosed
Often referred to as the silent STD because often
no symptoms at first.
Bacteria (most common bacterial STD)
Passed during sexual contact (vaginal, anal or oral).
From infected mom to baby during vaginal childbirth.
Highly contagious
1-3 weeks if symptoms appear
¾ females and ½ of males have no symptoms
Symptoms tend to develop slowly and often mild.
Many cases have no symptoms.
Males: discharge from penis, burning and itching at
urethral opening, burning sensation during urination.
Females: Often no symptoms sometimes a slight
vaginal discharge: itching and burning of vagina,
painful intercourse, abdominal pain, fever in later
stages.
Lab test of discharge from urethra or cervix
Treatment / Prevention
Treatment: Antibiotics (not penicillin)
Danger
If untreated, for women can lead to pelvic inflammatory
disease (PID), tubal pregnancy, sterility. In men, can
lead to urinary tract disease and sterility.
A person can get re-infected.
Incubation Period
Typical Symptoms
HPV (Human Papilomavirus), Genital Warts
(most common STD today)
Virus (several types of the virus)
Most common STD virus)
Pass during sexual contact (most often vaginal and anal)
6 weeks to 8 months
Several types of HPV virus and some cause warty
growths while others do not
Genital warts: small bumps or groups of bumps, usually
in the genital area. They can be raised or flat, single or
multiple, small or large, sometimes cauliflower shaped.
In females – Pap test for cervical cell changes and
cervical cancer
Visual inspection of the genitals for both men and women
for genital warts
Prevention: HPS vaccine for girls is highly recommended
No treatment for the virus itself.
Prescriptions medications (creams) for the warts,
sometimes doctors will using freezing or laser treatments
which need repeating. Can be painful.
Cervical cancer treatments vary.
Can lead to cervical cancer in women.
STD Summary p. 2
Name of STD
Other name /
Nickname
Type of Organism
How Transmitted
Incubation Period
Typical Symptoms
How Diagnosed
Treatment
Danger
Genital Herpes
Herpes Simplex Virus
Gonorrhea
Clap, Drip, GC
Virus
Virus can be found anywhere on the body, but is
usually found on the genital area.
Note: There are two types of herpes: 1 and 2.
Herpes type 1 is cold sores/fever blisters often around
the mouth. Type 2 produces sores around genital
area. Both viruses can infect either area.
Few days to 3 weeks
Blister(s) around the genitals or rectum
When the blisters break they leave tender open sores,
crust over and take 2-4 weeks to heal.
Flu-like symptoms – including fever and swollen
glands may also occur.
Most individuals do not have sores, or have mild signs
that they do not even notice.
Typically people have about 4-5 outbreaks the first
year and then over time the recurrences usually
decrease in frequency
Visual inspection by a healthcare provider, taking a
sample from the sore and testing it in a lab, through a
blood test in between outbreaks
Pap Test for women
No treatment to cure genital herpes, but antiviral
medications can shorten the outbreaks.
Antibiotics will not treat genital herpes.
Bacteria: Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Direct contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus.
Can spread from mother to baby during delivery.
Contaminated fingers can pass it to the eyes.
2-5 days, but up to 30 days
Men: burning sensation when urinating, or a white,
yellow, or green discharge from the penis. Sometimes
painful or swollen testicles.
Women: often milk, but mostly no symptoms. Initial
symptoms might include: painful or burning sensation
when urinating, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal
bleeding between periods.
Rectal or throat symptoms may be present if located
there, but often no symptoms.
Several types of lab tests: Culture or smear from
discharge of infected site. Possible diagnosis from urine
sample if in urethra or cervix.
Antibiotics cure gonorrhea, although more and more drug
resistant strains are developing making it harder to treat.
Persons with gonorrhea should also be tested for other
STDs
A person can get re-infected with gonorrhea.
Infants infected during birth can become blind. All infants
in the U.S. receive drops in their eyes as soon as they
are born to try to prevent this from happening.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), arthritis, skin sores,
brain and heart damage, skin rashes.
Major cause of sterility in women. Been around since
ancient times.
STD Summary p. 3
Name of STD
Other name / Nickname
Type of Organism
How Transmitted
Bacterial Vaginosis
(BV), Gardnerella Vaginitis, Vaginitis
Bacteria
Genital contact with an infectious person
Pediculosis Pubic
Crabs, pubic lice, and cooties
Parasites found primarily in the pubic or genital areas
(can be found on other coarse body hair, but mostly
genitals)
Incubation Period
Varies
Typical Symptoms
Most don’t have any symptoms: especially rare in
males.
Women may show signs of slight grayish or yellow
vaginal discharge with foul odor mild itching or
burning.
Lab test of vaginal fluid to look for bacteria
Nit – lice eggs: 6-10 days to hatch
Nymph – 2-3 weeks after hatching to mature into an adult
(to live, feeds on blood)
Adult: feeds on blood
May live on towels, sheets, clothing for a day or two.
Itching in the genital area
Visual nits (lice eggs) or crawling lice
How Diagnosed
Treatment
Danger
Antibiotics
Can re-occur.
Pregnant women with BV more often have babies
who are born premature or with low birth weight (less
than 5.5 lbs).
BV can infect the uterus and fallopian tubes and can
lead to PID, which can cause infertility or damage
the fallopian tubes and increase the risk of ectopic
pregnancy.
Lice found on the head generally are head lice, not pubic
lice.
Examining the nits on hair and locating adult lice
adhering to the hair.
Special creams, lotions, or shampoos
Should be tested for other STDs if have Pubic Lice
To prevent getting the disease again, treatment of sex
partner is necessary. Further, clothing and bed sheets
should be thoroughly cleaned.
STD Summary p. 4
Name of STD
Other name / Nickname
Type of Organism
How Transmitted
Trichomoniasis
Trich
Protozoan
Incubation Period
Typical Symptoms
5 – 28 days in women
Women: white or greenish-yellow discharge with
foul odor, vaginal itching and soreness, painful
urination. Discomfort during intercourse.
Men: most have no symptoms: however, some men
may temporarily have irritation inside the penis, mild
discharge, or slight burning after urination or
ejaculation.
How Diagnosed
Physical exam and laboratory test.
Harder to detect in men than women.
Women may have small red sores on vaginal wall or
cervix
Prescription medication
Treatment
Danger
Common in young women
Premature labor (babies born early) and low birth
weight babies (less than 5.5 lbs)
Can be re-infected.
Syphilis
Syph, Bad Blood, the pox
Bacteria (treponema pallidum)
Direct contact with infectious sores or rashes mainly on
the external genitals, vagina, anus, or rectum during
vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
10 to 90 days (21 days avg)
Syphilis has stages. Many people with syphilis do not
have symptoms for years.
Transmitted typically in the primary or second stage and
is often transmitted to others before they even know they
have it.
Primary stage: Painless chancre (sore) at site of entry of
the germs, swollen glands.
Second stage: Skin rash (one or more areas of the body)
and mucous membrane lesions. Rash may be rough,
red, or reddish brown spots on the palms of hands and
bottoms of feet.
Fever, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight
loss, muscle aches, and fatigue.
Late stage: (up to 10-20 years after infection was first
acquired) symptoms may disappear. Damage internal
organs, brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver,
bones, and joints if left untreated.
Physical exam, lab test looking at material from a
chancre (sore), blood test.
Antibiotics can easily treat syphilis
Long terms effects if left untreated are severe, insanity,
severe illness, even death.
Can infect the baby of a woman during her pregnancy.
Very harmful to the baby!
Can be re-infected.
Name of STD
Other name / Nickname
Type of Organism
How Transmitted
Incubation Period
Typical Symptoms
How Diagnosed
Treatment
Danger
HIV / AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
Virus
Sexual contact, contaminated needles, blood, baby through breast milk of infected mother
6 months to several years
Fever, weight loss, tired, swollen glands, diarrhea that are persistent and intense.
More prone to severe pneumonia, unusual cancers, especially of the skin
Blood test
Variety of medicines available to increase a person’s T cell count and ability to fight infections. “Drug cocktails”,
including AZT.
No cure
Latex condom reduces its transmission, if used correctly. Today people are living longer with the disease if take
care of themselves, take proper medications, etc.
If a person has an STD they are more susceptible to HIV
STD General Information:
STDs are equal opportunity diseases – they don’t care how rich or poor you are, how intelligent you are, what color your skin is, etc.
Abstinence is the only effective protection against STDs
You may not remember each disease and symptom, but you should know what is normal and what is abnormal about your reproductive
system so you know when to seek treatment. If left untreated, STDs can lead to ectopic pregnancy, sterility, pelvic inflammatory disease,
emotional complications, blindness for a newborn, arthritis, liver damage, long-term infections of reproductive organs and other body organs if
left untreated. Even death can occur.
Prevention: Abstinence, fidelity to one partner, using a condom with spermicide, education on seeking treatment early.
Causes of STDs –
Bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasites, even fungi
Where do they multiply? In humans
How do they enter/exit body?
Penis, vagina, rectum, mouth, breaks in skin, mucous membranes, blood
Anyone having sexual contact with an infected person, sharing a drug needle with an infected person, newborn babies of infected mothers
How are they transmitted? Intimate sexual contact, infected pregnant mother to newborn child.
Normal vs Abnormal
Normal for Male
No bloody discharge, no
itching, redness, or
tenderness, ejaculate a
milky white fluid without
blood, lumps, foul odor, or
drainage
Abnormal for Male
Genital discharge that is
white or clear, often thick,
abdominal pain, painful
urination, skin changes –
sores, rashes, bumps
around genitals, itching,
redness, warts, blisters,
fever, chills
Normal for Female
Discharge that is clearcloudy, sometimes
yellowish closer to her
period. Discharge can be
heavier before and after
period, uptight, nervous,
taking antibiotics or the
birth control pill, or
pregnant.
Abnormal for Female
Discharge that is constant,
heavy, foul odor, change in
color to greenish, thick,
curdy, cramping (beyond
menstrual cramps),
blisters, sores, or warts,
chills or fever, itching
and/or burning around the
vaginal opening
Important PointSometimes no
symptoms occur but can
still transmit the disease
to others.
Treatment: A partner will be notified if you have an STD, but your name will not be given.
Teens may receive treatment for STDs without parent consent.
Treatment available at health clinics, doctor’s offices, hospitals or call the STD National Hotline – 1:-800-227-8922
Tell your partner to get treatment. Take precautions during treatment such as when it’s okay to have sexual contact again.
Take all of your medication, even if you feel better in several days.
Don’t share medications.
Not all medications are effective against every STD.
Don’t take old medication.
Each STD is unique and requires special treatment.
You can get an STD over again.
Virus can lay dormant in your body and you can have more outbreaks.
STDs that are from bacteria (like Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphllis) can be treated/killed with antibiotics. Virus can’t be treated with antibiotics.
If not choosing abstinence – protection with a latex condom combined with a spermicide is vitally important to
preventing STDs! Be Safe!