10 Important Facts About Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) & Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)

1. WHAT ARE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STDS)?

Sexually transmitted diseases are diseases that can be passed from person to person through sexual contact. In this case sexual contact means penis-vagina penetration, oral sex which is sexual contact using the mouth, and insertion of the penis into the rectum which is anal sex. Some of these diseases may be transmitted by exchange of sexual fluids such as semen or vaginal discharge. Some of the STD's result in open sores, and it can be spread by contact with skin of someone else. There are also ways to transmit these diseases in a non sexual way, an infected pregnant woman can either give it to her baby during pregnancy, or when the baby is being delivered. Drug abusers can transmit the disease through sharing hypodermic needles that have been used by an infected person. The seriousness of STD's varies, some are cured easily by drugs, others need a combination of treatments and drugs, whilst others have no cure, and the only option is treatment.

2. WHAT ARE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED IINFECTIONS (STI's)?

Any infection that is usually passed through sexual contact.

3. ARE THE TWO WORDS INTERCHANGEABLE?

Fifteen years ago both these categories came under one name Venereal Disease (VD). To distinguish between them they were separated into infections (STI) and diseases(STD). Infection means that a germ, bacteria, parasite or virus is present in the body. An infected person does not necessarily have any symptoms, which means that they do not usually feel ill..A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes

discomfort, dysfunction, or distress, in other words your body tells you that you are unwell. This means that STI covers a wider range than the term STD. STD refers only to infections that are causing problems. Because most of the time, people don't know they are infected with an STI until they start showing symptoms of disease, the AIDS Resource Center uses the term STD, even though the term STI is also appropriate in many cases.

Let's see if we can simply un-muddy the waters here. Genital herpes has two states when the blisters are present and when they are absent. When they are

present they are causing symptoms, ie the blisters, at this stage it is an STD, and it is that this stage that the infection is most likely to be spread to another

person.When the blisters are absent then there are no symptoms, and this is then an STI, and the likelihood of an infection is reduced. However, HIV can be

an infection, in the sense that there may be no symptoms, when they develop symptoms then they have AIDS which is an STD. However it is important to

remember that HIV infection can be spread at any time.

4.WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STD'S AND HIV?

A person who is already infected with STD, has a higher risk of contracting HIV if they have unprotected sex, without a condom. This risk is greater if the STD causes open genital sores, as these wounds provide a break in the skin which enables the HIV infection to enter the blood stream. STDs that can

cause genital ulcers include genital herpes, syphilis, chancre, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and scabies.

5.WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU MAY HAVE A STD?

First of all the majority of the people with STD have no immediate symptoms and when they do have them it can be misleading to diagnose as the

symptoms can be confused with non sexual diseases. Please note that this applies much more to women than men.

6. WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS FOR WOMEN WHEN THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM AN STD?

unusual or bad-smelling vaginal discharge,

severe itching or burning in the genital area,

unusual bleeding,

pain in the pelvic region,

pain during sex,

rashes on the genitals,

open sores or warts on the genital area, and/or recurrent urinary tract infections.

7. WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS FOR MEN WHEN THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM AN STD?

In men, the most common symptoms of STD are:

pain when urinating,

open sores or warts on the genital are

genital rash

discharge from the penis, and/or pain in the scrotum/testicles.

8. WHAT ARE THE OTHER SYMPTOMS NOT CONNECTED TO THE GENITALS?

The following symptoms are present in both men and women:

discharge from the anus,

swelling of the groin,

jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes),

oral thrush (white tongue),

arthritis,

sores or bumps in and around the mouth, and

generalized rashes.

9 CAN I CONTRACT STI AS A RESULT OF MUTUAL MASTERBATION?

Yes you can and listed below are some examples:

Bacterial Vaginosis

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Herpes Simplex

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV, Warts)

Pubic Lice

Scabies

10. CAN I PREVENT GETTING STI or STD?

The only foolproof way is abstinence from sex. A condom merely reduces the risk, and it must be used every time, before any sexual fluids are exchanged.

The author is Billy Baker and he provides further information on this subject at STD Dating - Are You Up For It?

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Why Getting an STD Panel is Important Even If You Feel Healthy

Many people do not get an STD panel because they have not had any symptoms of an STD and therefore assume that they are healthy. This is not always the case however, and you may still be infected with certain infections and diseases despite not noticing any signs that anything is wrong.

HIV/AIDS

Unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex means that you may be at risk from HIV, which you may not always detect. Sharing needles or syringes will also leave you at risk of contracting the virus. With minor symptoms that pass within a week or a month such as headaches, rashes, fatigue, sore throat and swollen lymph glands, many people who have contracted HIV have put the symptoms down to other illnesses, general tiredness or simply feeling as though they are 'run down'. Symptoms which are more obvious or persistent may not show themselves for around ten years, in which time you may have passed the virus to others. Although incurable, if untreated you may pass HIV on to other people and are also at risk of it progressing to AIDS, which is a life-threatening disease. By getting an STD panel, you can find out whether you have HIV and be advised and treated accordingly.

Chlamydia

Known as the 'silent disease', chlamydia often shows no symptoms, especially in women and in the early stages of contracting it. Chlamydia can be passed through unprotected sex, whether it is vaginal, anal or oral. Although it rarely shows any symptoms and is not life-threatening, it is still a disease which, if left untreated, can cause infertility in women. Cured with a simple course of antibiotics, it is better to catch chlamydia with an STD panel sooner rather than later before you pass it on to other partners.

Genital Herpes

Genital herpes sometimes has no symptoms, making it hard to spot. Symptoms that do arise include itching, pain during urination, and open sores, bumps or blisters on the vagina or penis. This disease is incurable and can be passed through vaginal or anal intercourse, and oral sex can result in oral herpes. By finding out whether you have genital herpes by taking an STD panel, you can ensure that you do not pass on this disease to others, and medicine can be given to you in order to lower severity of symptoms if they do arise.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a disease that can be caught through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex and can sometimes go undetected, especially in men. It can cause bloody discharge from the penis or vagina, and infertility or increased risk of ectopic pregnancy in women. With up to ten percent of women becoming infertile from gonorrhea, it is important to get an STD panel as soon as possible, since the disease can be cured simply with antibiotics.

Hepatitis B

Around thirty percent of people who have contracted Hepatitis B will have no symptoms whatsoever. This disease causes liver damage in the people that contract it and is incurable. However medicine to help the liver fight the disease is given if you find that you have Hepatitis B. With STD panels able to pick this disease up, it is important that you have one in order to reduce the chance of liver damage.

Spotting the Signs of Infections and Diseases as Soon as Possible

With many of the diseases showing only mild symptoms or none at all, finding out about them sooner rather than later will decrease your chances of longer-lasting problems. In some cases it may even save your life, as well as the lives of others. This is why having an STD panel is very important and you should take one whenever you have a possibility of being at risk.

Tim Leach is part of USALabTesting that can provide a confidential, online STD panel at over 2,000 other clinics across the USA. We have a large range of STD tests available and getting peace of mind is discreet, easy and painless.

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