Sexually Transmitted Disease: Chlamydia
- Discharge from the penis in men
- Vaginal discharge in women
- Abdominal pain in women
- Painful urination
- Frequent urination
The most common STD in the society today, which is caused by organisms called Chlamydia trachomatis. This infection is easily spread because it often causes no symptoms and may be unknowingly passed to sexual partners. Up to one in two men and one in four women with Chlamydia don’t have any symptoms.
When symptoms occur, men may have small amounts of clear or cloudy discharge from the tip of the penis and painful urination within three weeks after becoming infected. Women may have a vaginal discharge, irregular periods, abdominal pain with fever and painful sexual intercourse.
If untreated, chlamydial infections can damage the delicate fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility, and increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydial may be passed along from the mother to her infant during childbirth, causing a minor eye infection or pneumonia in the infant.
Both men and women, particularly in the tropics may suffer from lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) as a result of the chlamydial infection. This condition causes blisters or ulcers on the genital and causes lymph nodes in the groin to swell. The blisters may form abscesses. There are several different tests your doctor can use to check for Chlamydia. He or she will probably take a sample from the cervix in women. Your doctor may also check for gonorrhea below, another STD. Some people with chlamydial also have gonorrhea.
Oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline or erythromycin, should be taken by both partners if Chlamydia is diagnosed in either partner. Women with severe infections may require hospitalization, intravenous antibiotics and analgesic medicine.
Sexually Transmitted Disease: Genital Herpes
- Painful sores and blisters on the genitals
This infection is caused by the herpes simplex virus, which is also responsible for cold sores. It results in painful sores and blisters on the genitals that disappear and then return. When a rash appears, it may be accompanied by headache, fever, enlarged lymph nodes in the groin and a feeling of being sick.
Unfortunately, you may be infectious even when no blisters or sores are visible or when you don’t have symptoms. Women with genital herpes should have Pap smears every year or two to check for cervical cancer. The risk of cervical cancer may be increased by genital herpes.
Sexually Transmitted Disease: Genital Warts
- Small wart-like bumps on the genitals or anal region
Warts are caused by viruses and can appear anywhere on the body. Those that show up in the genital area are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and are known as genital, or venereal, warts.
They may form on the penis, the labia, vaginal walls or cervix or around the anal region. They aren’t always visible. The virus that causes genital warts can be easily spread through sexual contact. Condoms don’t always prevent infection because they may not cover all affected areas. HPV is now recognized as a significant risk factor in cervical cancer and in cancer of the penis.
Sexually Transmitted Disease: Gonorrhea
- Greenish-yellow discharge from the penis or vagina
- Burning when urinating
Also called the “clap” or “drip”, gonorrhea is caused by a bacterial infection carried by semen and vaginal fluids. Some people have no symptoms, which can delay diagnosis. Women suffer the most serious consequences of untreated disease – they can end up with pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility or a greater risk of ectopic pregnancy.
After a culture from the affected site confirms the diagnosis, oral or injectable antibiotics cure the infection in most cases.
Sexually Transmitted Disease: Syphilis
- A single, painless sore (Chancre) on genitals during the first stage of infection
- Headache
- Fever
- Aches and chills
- Swollen lymph nodes
Syphilis is a bacterial disease that has existed for centuries, but treatment has only been available for the past 50 years. Syphilis has three distinct stages in an untreated person. During the first stage, a painless, open sore, called a chancre, appear on the genitals within a few weeks after infection. Usually just one shows up, although more are possible.
Within six weeks, fever, aches, chils, headache, swollen lymph nodes and usually a rash occur. The rash may look like grayish spots on the skin and may appear inside the mouth as well. Eventually the rash heals, but the bacteria remain active.
The second stage is called the “latent” period. There may not be any symptoms initially. In this stage the person isn’t infectious, but continued damage occurs. Eventually, the victim may develop symptoms of the third stage of syphilis, which can include brain damage, blindness, paralysis and confusion. The blood vessels may become damaged, allowing aneurysm to form in larger vessels, such as the aorta.
Oral or injected antibiotics destroy the bacteria and cure the disease. If the latent stage is suspected, a blood test can help make the diagnosis. The disease can be cured at any stage but damage can’t be reversed. Early treatment is important to reduce later problems.
About 50% of the people treated for syphilis have a reaction to the toxins released by the bacteria when a antibiotic is used. Symptoms of this reaction, which occur two to seven hours after receiving the antibiotic, include headache, fever, chills, aches, rapid heartbeat and slightly lowered blood pressure.
Sexually Transmitted Disease: Trichomoniasis
- Greenish-yellow, frothy vaginal discharge
- Painful urination
- Vaginal Itching and irritation
Trichomoniasis is caused by small protozoa called Trichomonas vaginalis. These organisms are especially irritating to the moist membranes of the vagina. Women are the most often affected by this condition, although men can become infected and pass Trichomonas to women through sexual contact. Men frequently have no symptoms and may not know they’re infected until their partners need treatment.
Your doctor can take a sample of vaginal secretions and examine it for Trichomonas. Trichomoniasis is also sometimes diagnosed by a Pap smear.
Both partners need to be treated.
Sexually Transmitted Disease: Urethral Infection
- Discharge from the opening in penis
- Pain and burning sensation during urination
The urethra is the tube through which urine from the bladder passes out of the body. Symptoms of urethral infections, called urethritis, are often less obvious in women. Women may show few, if any, symptoms.
Most urethral infections are sexually related. Chlamydial infection is a common cause, although gonorrhea is also a possible cause. Urethral infections usually aren’t dangerous by themselves, but may lead to scaring and constriction of the urethral if not treated.
Your doctor can take a sample of secretions for a culture or antibody test. These tests can confirm the infection and help your doctor decide which antibiotic to use. If you’re diagnosed with urethritis, tell your partner so he or she can be treated too, even if he or she has no symptoms.