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Ss, once called venereal diseases, are among the most common diseases in the United States. Ss are diseases that you get by having sexual contact (vaginal, oral, or anal) with someone who already has an S. Caused by a number of bacteria and viruses, more than 20 Ss affect both women and men. While some Ss can be cured, other Ss are life long (can't be cured). Ss can affect a person's physical health, emotional health, and quality of life. While rare, Ss can cause life-threatening conditions, particularly when they are not treated. Experts believe that having an Scan increase a person's chances for getting infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. It is very common for women to have no symptoms with Ss, mostly in the early stages of illness. This can result in not getting treatment until the illness is severe, when symptoms do become present. Not getting treated early can cause serious problems like infertility (not being able to get pregnant). Some Ss can also be passed, during pregnancy or birth, to a baby. These are some reasons why it is so important for women to learn about Ss the ways they are spread, their symptoms, how they can be treated, and how they can be prevented. This FAQ gives an overview of the most common Ss that affect women.
Here is what you need to know about Ss:
Common Ss are listed in the chart below.
| S | Symptoms |
| Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) | Vaginal discharge that can be white, gray or thin and have an odor. Burning or pain when urinating. Itching around the outside of the vagina. Can have no symptoms. |
| Chlamydia | Most people have no symptoms. Vaginal discharge. Burning when urinating. |
| Genital Herpes | Small red bumps, blisters or open sores on the penis, vagina or areas close by. Vaginal discharge. Fever, headache and muscle aches. Pain when urinating. Itching, burning or swollen glands in genital area. Pain in legs, buttocks or genital area. Can have no symptoms. |
| Gonorrhea | Women often have no symptoms. Pain or burning when urinating. Yellowish and sometimes bloody vaginal discharge. Bleeding between menstrual periods. Heavy bleeding with periods. Pain when having sex. Lower abdominal pain. |
| Hepatitis | Mild fever. Headache and muscle aches. Tiredness. Loss of appetite.Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Dark-colored urine and pale bowel movements. Stomach pain. Skin and whites of eyes turning yellow (jaundice). Can have no symptoms. |
| HIV Infection and AIDS | Can have no symptoms for 10 years or more. Lack of energy or fatigue. Weight loss. Frequent low-grade fevers and night sweats. Frequent yeast infections (in the mouth). Skin rashes or flaky skin that is hard to get rid of. Women can have vaginal yeast infections and other Ss; pelvic inflammatory disease (PID); and menstrual cycle changes. |
| Human Papillomavirus (HPV) | Genital warts that sometimes can be hard to see. Can have no symptoms. |
| Syphilis | Painless sores (chancres) and skin rash. Mild fever. Feeling very tired. Headache and sore throat. Hair loss. Swollen lymph glands throughout the body. Can have no symptoms. |
| Trichomoniasis | Yellow, green or gray vaginal discharge with a strong odor. Discomfort during sex and when urinating. Irritation and itching of the genital area. Lower abdominal pain (rare). |
| Vaginal Yeast Infections | Itching, burning and irritation of the vagina. Pain when urinating or with intercourse. Cottage-cheesy looking vaginal discharge. |
Yes, there are a number of tests for Ss. And, the only way to be sure you have an Sis to see your health care provider for testing. Your provider may start with one or all of the following exams:
Tests may be ordered to confirm the presence of bacteria or viruses that cause Ss. Your provider will take a sample of fluid or tissue from the vaginal, anal or genital area and send it to a lab for analysis. Blood tests are also done for some Ss. While some women may have some discomfort with taking samples, most women find the process painless and quick. Results from the lab are most often received within a week or less.
There are things you can do to protect yourself from Ss:
For vaginal sex, use a latex male condom or a female polyurethane condom. For anal sex, use a latex male condom. If needed, use only water based lubricants with male and female condoms. For oral sex, use a dental dama device used by dentists, made out of a rubbery material, that you place over the opening to the vagina before having oral sex. If you don't have a dental dam, you can cut an unlubricated male condom open and place it over the opening to the vagina.
Even though it may be embarrassing, if you don't know how to use a male or female condom, talk to your health care provider. The biggest reason condoms don't work is because they are not used correctly.
Sometimes a person may be too scared or embarrassed to ask for information or help. But, keep in mind most Ss are easy to treat. Early treatment of Ss is important. The quicker you seek treatment, the less likely the Swill cause you severe harm. And the sooner you tell your sex partners about having an S, the less likely they are to spread the disease to others (because they can get treated). For pregnant women, early treatment also reduces the chances of passing the S to a baby. Doctors, local health departments, and Sand family planning clinics have information about Ss. The American Social Health Association (ASHA) has free information and keeps lists of clinics and doctors who provide treatment for Ss. Call ASHA at (800) 227-8922. You can get information from the phone line without leaving your name.
If you have an S or think you may have an S:
Hepatitis is a liver disease. It makes your liver, an important organ in your body, swell up (or become inflamed) and stop working well. A healthy liver helps your body fight infections, stops bleeding, takes drugs and other poisons out of your blood, and stores energy. Hepatitis can be mild and last for a short time or be very serious and cause liver failure and death.
Hepatitis is caused by a virus (a germ that causes sickness). Other things can harm the liver, such as alcohol or drug abuse and long-term use of some medications. Hepatitis affects millions of Americans and is a serious health problem in parts of Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.
There are 5 types of hepatitis - A, B, C, D, and E - each caused by a different hepatitis virus. Hepatitis A is caused by eating food and drinking water infected with a virus called HAV. It can also be caused by anal-oral contact during sex. While it can cause swelling and inflammation in the liver, it doesn't lead to chronic, or life long, disease. Almost everyone who gets hepatitis A has a full recovery. Hepatitis B is caused by the virus HBV. It is spread by contact with an infected person's blood, semen, or other body fluid. And, it is a sexually transmitted disease (S). You can get hepatitis B by:
With hepatitis B, the liver also swells. Hepatitis B can be a serious infection that can cause liver damage, which may result in cancer. Some people are not able to get rid of the virus, which makes the infection chronic, or life long. Blood banks test all donated blood for hepatitis B, greatly reducing the risk for getting the virus from blood transfusions or blood products. Hepatitis C is caused by the virus HCV. It is spread the same way as hepatitis B, through contact with an infected person's blood, semen, or body fluid (see above). Like hepatitis B, hepatitis C causes swelling of the liver and can cause liver damage that can lead to cancer. Most people who have hepatitis C develop a chronic infection. This may lead to a scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis. Blood banks test all donated blood for hepatitis C, greatly reducing the risk for getting the virus from blood transfusions or blood products. Hepatitis D is caused by the virus HDV. You can only get hepatitis D if you are already infected with hepatitis B. It is spread through contact with infected blood, dirty needles that have HDV on them, and unprotected sex (not using a condom) with a person infected with HDV. Hepatitis D causes swelling of the liver. Hepatitis E is caused by the virus HEV. You get hepatitis E by drinking water infected with the virus. This type of hepatitis doesn't often occur in the U.S. It causes swelling of the liver, but no long-term damage. It can also be spread through oral-anal contact.
Some people with hepatitis have no signs of the disease. For other people, the most common and early signs of hepatitis are:
Later signs of hepatitis, when a person has been infected for some time, are:
Some types of hepatitis are Ss. The viruses that cause them are present in a person's blood, semen, and body fluid. Hepatitis A, B, and C all can be passed from an infected person to another during sexual contact. Hepatitis B is the one type of hepatitis that is most often spread through sexual contact. Hepatitis A can be spread through anal/oral contact. Researchers don't know exactly how hepatitis C is spread. But, they do know that hepatitis C is hard to get through sexual contact. To help reduce your risk of getting hepatitis sexually, use a male condom with every act of vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse. And, talk with your health care provider about getting a vaccine (an injection of a drug that you get when you are healthy that will protect you from getting sick) for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
While there is no treatment for hepatitis A, most people who have it recover within a few weeks. Sometimes your doctor may order bed rest and give you medicine to treat symptoms, such as nausea and diarrhea. There is a vaccine to prevent hepatitis A. Hepatitis B is treated with two drugs. One of these drugs, interferon, is given by injection. Most people get interferon for 4 months. Another drug, called lamivudine, is taken by mouth, usually for one year. Sometimes doctors treat people with hepatitis B with both of these drugs. In some people, hepatitis B can cause the liver to stop working over time. When this happens, surgery to transplant (take out your liver and put in a donor liver from another person) the liver. There is a vaccine to prevent hepatitis B. A new drug to treat chronic hepatitis B, adefouir (Hespera) has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hepatitis C is most often treated with interferon and other special drugs. An improved form of interferon (Pegasys) was recently given FDA approval to treat hepatitis C. Interferon is also used to treat hepatitis D. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. The hepatitis B vaccine protects you from hepatitis D. There is no treatment or vaccine for hepatitis E. Health care providers suggest bed rest, eating healthy foods, and not drinking alcohol or taking certain medications as the best ways to take care of yourself when you have hepatitis.
The best way to keep from getting hepatitis A and B is to get a vaccine. The hepatitis A vaccine is given in two doses, 6 months apart. The hepatitis B vaccine is given through 3 injections over 6 months.
Babies should get the hepatitis B vaccine in three injections as well - within 12 hours after birth, at age 1 to 2 months, and between ages 6 and 18 months.
To keep from getting hepatitis B, C, and D through sexual contact:
Other ways to protect yourself from hepatitis B, C and D include:
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (S) caused by bacteria. You can get syphilis by having sex with someone who already has syphilis. Syphilis can infect the mouth, genital area, or rectum. It also may get into your body through cuts or broken skin. If untreated, syphilis can infect other parts of your body. Syphilis can be treated and cured with antibiotic drugs. The symptoms of syphilis can be very mild during the early stages. Later, untreated syphilis can cause serious health problems. People with syphilis are also much more likely to get HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) if exposed to it.
There are four stages of syphilis:
The signs of syphilis change as the disease moves from the early to the late stages. The first sign of syphilis is a chancre on the body. A chancre is a sore or ulcer that does not hurt. It shows up ten days to three months after sex with an infected person.
Chancres can be seen on the part of the body that was exposed to the syphilis bacteria, such as the penis, vagina, cervix (opening to the uterus, or womb), tongue, or mouth. Some chancres are inside the body, where they cannot be seen. Chancres last 3 to 6 weeks and heal on their own. If the infection is not treated during this early stage, it moves on to the next stage. The second stage of syphilis starts with a skin rash that does not itch. The rash may show up as the chancre is fading or up to several weeks later. The rash may appear as rough, reddish-brown spots the size of a penny on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. It may also appear elsewhere on the body and be faint or look like another kind of rash. The rash will clear up on its own even without treatment. Other symptoms may include mild fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat, as well as patchy hair loss, and swollen lymph glands throughout the body. During these first two stages of syphilis infection, a person can easily pass the disease to sex partners when signs and symptoms are present.
Signs of syphilis include:
If syphilis remains untreated, the disease progresses to a latent (hidden) stage. Some people will have no further symptoms, even though they still have syphilis. But untreated syphilis can damage body organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. This damage may show up many years later as heart disease, mental illness, blindness, or other health problems, and cause death.
Syphilis bacteria can spread from the sores of an infected person to the genital area, the mouth, or the anus of a sex partner. The bacteria can also pass through broken skin on other parts of the body. Syphilis is rarely, if ever, spread by contact with objects such as toilet seats or towels. An infected pregnant woman can pass the disease to her unborn child. The disease can cause serious mental and physical problems in babies.
The most common way to get syphilis is by having sex with an infected person. Your chances of getting syphilis and other Ss are higher if you have multiple sex partners, have sex with an infected partner, have a history of Ss, and do not use condoms. You can protect yourself from syphilis by not touching sores, body parts where rash appears, and body fluids of a person with syphilis.
A health care provider can diagnose syphilis by recognizing its signs and symptoms. Lab tests can confirm the diagnosis. Tests to diagnose syphilis include microscopic identification of syphilis bacteria in a sample taken from a chancre and several types of blood tests. Health care providers use a combination of these approaches to detect syphilis and determine the stage of infection. Blood tests are also used to confirm that antibiotics have cured the disease.
Syphilis can be cured using penicillin or other antibiotics to kill the bacteria. Usually penicillin is given in a shot, unless the person cannot take penicillin. In all stages of syphilis, proper treatment will cure the disease. But in late syphilis, damage already done to body organs cannot be reversed. You can get syphilis again after being cured if you are exposed to it. Taking antibiotics does not protect you from getting syphilis again. People who have sex with someone infected with syphilis should be tested and treated, even if they don't have signs of the disease.
Yes. Pregnant women can pass syphilis to their babies during pregnancy and also during childbirth. Some babies with syphilis are stillborn or die soon after birth. Babies born with syphilis may develop skin sores, rashes, fever, jaundice (yellow skin), anemia (a blood problem), weak crying sounds, and swollen liver and spleen. Testing and treating syphilis early in a pregnant woman is the best way to keep her baby from getting syphilis.
Gonorrhea is a very common sexually transmitted disease (S). This means that it is a disease that you get by having sex with someone who already has gonorrhea. The disease is caused by the gonococcus bacteria that can multiply and grow in moist, warm areas of the body. In women, gonorrhea can infect the cervix (opening to the uterus, or womb), uterus (womb), and fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovary to the uterus). It can also infect the urethra (urine canal) in men and women, as well as the mouth, throat, and rectum. Gonorrhea can be treated and cured by antibiotics. But, you can get the disease more than onceantibiotics will not protect you from getting gonorrhea again. This S can cause serious and long lasting health problems in both women and men. And, if you have gonorrhea, you are more likely to become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, if you are exposed to the virus.
This Sis spread through any kind of sexual contact vaginal, oral, or anal. Ejaculation (when a man has an orgasm) doesn't have to happen for infection to occur. Gonorrhea can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby during the birth process. This Scan also be spread to other parts of the body. A person can get an eye infection by touching infected sex organs (vagina, penis) and then touching the eyes.
Women have symptoms of gonorrhea less often than do men. Most women who have this S have no symptoms, or very mild symptoms that are often mistaken for something else, such as a bladder infection. When a person has symptoms, they most often appear within 2 to 10 days after having sex with someone who has the S. But, some people can take as long as a few months to show symptoms. Common symptoms in men include a burning when urinating and a yellow-white discharge from the penis. Sometimes a man can also have painful or swollen testicles.
If a woman has symptoms, they may include:
Both men and women can have symptoms of rectal gonorrhea discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, and sometimes painful bowel movements. When the infection is in the throat, there are often no or few symptoms.
Yes. Getting tested is the only way to find out for sure if you have this S. It is important to get tested right away if you think you have been exposed to gonorrhea, even if you have no symptoms. Remember that most women don't have symptoms with gonorrhea. The most common test done, particularly for women, is called a culture test. For this test, a health care provider takes a sample of fluid from the cervix, urethra, rectum, or throat. This sample is then sent to a lab for analysis. Another test, called a Gram stain, can be done right in a clinic or doctor's office. A fluid sample is placed on a slide and looked at under a microscope. This test works better for men than for women.
Antibiotics (medicines that kill bacteria) are used to treat this S. The treatment of choice used to be ampicillin, amoxicillin, or some type of penicillin. But, these drugs have been used so much, they no longer work in treating gonorrhea. Other antibiotics are given now, such as ceftriaxone or spectinomycin. Many people who have gonorrhea also have another Scalled chlamydia. Because of this, doctors often give a person antibiotics to treat both Ss. Sometimes doxycycline is given along with ceftriazone. If you are pregnant, you shouldn't take doxycycline. Let your health care provider know if you are or think you might be pregnant. If you have gonorrhea, you should talk with your doctor about being tested for chlamydia and other Ss. Be sure to talk with all of your sexual partners so they can see a doctor for treatment right away.
Gonorrhea that is not treated can cause serious and life-long problems in both women and men. In women, gonorrhea is a common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is an infection of a woman's pelvic organs (uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries) that can cause infertility (not being able to get pregnant). Ectopic pregnancy, where an egg implants in the fallopian tube, can also happen due to PID, which can be life threatening. PID can also cause long lasting, or chronic, pelvic pain. In men, this Scan cause a painful condition with the testicles, called epididymitis. This can lead to infertility if the Sis not treated. This S, if not treated, can also affect a man's prostate and cause scarring inside the urethra, making it hard to urinate. Gonorrhea can spread to a person's blood or joints when not treated. When this happens, the infection can become life threatening. Also, when you have this S, it is easier to become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. People who have both gonorrhea and HIV are more likely than people with HIV infection alone to pass HIV to someone else. It is important to get regular check-ups for gonorrhea and other Ss if you have sex with more than one person. Get a check-up even if you don't have signs of an S.
Yes. A pregnant woman can pass gonorrhea to her baby during delivery. This can cause blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby. Treating gonorrhea as soon as it is found in pregnant women will lessen the risk of these complications. If you are pregnant and have gonorrhea, talk with your doctor about the medicines you can safely take.
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (S) caused by bacteria (Chlamydia trachomatis). An estimated 3 million Americans get chlamydia each year. Three of every four reported cases occur in young people under age 25. By age 30, 50 percent of sexually active women probably have had chlamydia. Chlamydia is a serious disease that can damage a woman's reproductive organsthe uterus (womb), ovaries (organs that make eggs), and fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus). The disease often has only mild or no symptoms. When diagnosed, chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotic drugs.
Sexually active women and men can get chlamydia through sexual contact with an infected person. This Scan be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Because there are often no symptoms, people who are infected may unknowingly pass the bacteria to their sex partners. Chlamydia can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth. Babies born to infected mothers can get chlamydial infections in their eyes and respiratory tracts. The more sex partners a person has, the greater the risk of getting infected with chlamydia. Chlamydia often occurs together with gonorrhea, another S. Gonorrhea and chlamydia have similar symptoms and can have similar complications if not treated.
Chlamydia is known as a "silent" disease because 75 percent of infected women and half of infected men have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks of exposure. The infection is often not diagnosed or treated until there are complications. If you think you have chlamydia or are concerned about it, both you and your sexual partner should see a health care provider right away. In women, the bacteria first attack the cervix (opening to the uterus, or womb) and the urethra (urine canal). Symptoms, if any, might include an abnormal vaginal discharge, or a burning sensation when urinating.
If the infection spreads from the cervix to the uterus and fallopian tubes, some women still have no signs or symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you might experience lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during sex, and bleeding between menstrual periods. Men with symptoms might have a discharge from the penis and a burning sensation when urinating. Men might also have burning and itching around the opening of the penis or pain and swelling in the testicles, or both.
There are two kinds of tests to diagnose chlamydia. One involves getting a sample from an infected site (cervix or penis) to be tested for the bacteria. A urine test can also accurately detect the bacteria. The urine test does not require a pelvic exam or swabbing of the penis. A Pap test is not a test for chlamydia.
Antibiotics are used to treat and cure chlamydia. A single dose of azithromycin or a week of doxycycline (twice daily) are the most commonly used treatments. All sex partners must also be treated. Different drugs, such as erythromycin, may be given to pregnant women.
If untreated, chlamydia infection can cause serious reproductive and other health problems. Like the disease itself, the damage that chlamydia causes is often "silent." In women, the chlamydia bacteria often infect the cells of the cervix. If not treated, the infection can spread into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID occurs in up to 40 percent of women with untreated chlamydia. PID can cause:
In pregnant women, chlamydia infections may lead to premature delivery. Babies born to infected mothers can get infections in their eyes and respiratory tracts. Chlamydia is a leading cause of pneumonia and conjunctivitis (pinkeye) in newborns. Women who have chlamydia may also be more likely to get HIV, the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), from an infected partner. Chlamydia can cause proctitis (an infection of the lining of the rectum) in persons having anal sex. The bacteria can also be found in the throats of people who have oral sex.
Untreated chlamydia in men typically causes infection of the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the body). Infection sometimes spreads to the epididymis (a tube that carries sperm from the testis). This may cause pain, fever, and even infertility.
Genital herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of HSV, and both can cause the symptoms of genital herpes. HSV type 1 most commonly causes sores on the lips (fever blisters or cold sores), but it can cause genital infections as well. HSV type 2 most often causes genital sores, but it can also infect the mouth. However, many people who are infected with HSV never have symptoms. Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (S). This means that it is a disease that you get by having sex with someone who already has the virus. Once you are infected, the virus stays in your body for life. You may or may not have a first episode or "outbreak" of herpes with symptoms. But if you do have a first outbreak, you will probably have further outbreaks from time to time. You can give herpes to another person if you have sex when your herpes virus is active. If you have herpes, you are also more likely to get HIV (the AIDS virus) if exposed to it. An estimated 45 million Americans have genital herpes, and there are up to one million new cases each year.
The symptoms of genital herpes vary widely from person to person. Some people have severe symptoms (such as many painful sores), while others have mild symptoms. When symptoms of a first episode of genital herpes occur, they show up two to ten days after having sex with an infected person. These signs can last from two to three weeks. The early symptoms can include an itching or burning sensation; pain in the legs, buttocks, or genital area; vaginal discharge; or a feeling of pressure in the abdominal region. Within a few days, sores (also called lesions) appear at the site of infection. Lesions can also occur on the cervix (opening to the uterus, or womb) in women or in the urinary passage in men. These small red bumps may develop into blisters or painful open sores. Over a period of days, the sores become crusted and then heal without scarring. Other symptoms of a first episode of genital herpes can include fever, headache, muscle aches, painful or difficult urination, vaginal discharge, and swollen glands in the groin area.
The symptoms of genital herpes may include:
Yes. Herpes can come back. It stays in the nerve cells of your body, even after all signs of the infection have gone away. In most people, the virus becomes active from time to time. This is called a recurrence or an outbreak of genital herpes. In an outbreak, the virus travels along the nerves to the skin. The virus can then multiply and be passed to other people, even if there is no obvious sore or lesion. Some people have herpes virus outbreaks only once or twice in their lives. Other people have many outbreaks of herpes each year. Scientists don't know what causes the virus to come back. Some women say the virus comes back when they are sick, under stress, out in the sun, or during their period.
Besides observing visible sores or lesions, a health care provider may use laboratory tests to check for the virus. A sample from a lesion can be tested. Blood tests can also be done. However, the tests do not always identify the virus, even though it is present.
Genital herpes is usually treated with antiviral drugs such as acyclovir and valacyclovir. Acyclovir can be taken the first time you get herpes and during later outbreaks of the virus. Other drugs can be used for later outbreaks. If taken within 24 hours after symptoms begin, acyclovir makes the herpes outbreaks shorter and less severe. People who have many outbreaks can also take oral acyclovir daily for up to one year. This can help keep the virus in an inactive state and prevent most outbreaks. But acyclovir does not cure genital herpes. Here are some tips for active herpes outbreaks. These steps can speed healing and prevent spreading the infection to other sites of the body or to other people.
No. Once you have the virus, it stays in your body and there is a chance that you will have outbreaks. But medicine can shorten and prevent outbreaks.
Yes. A pregnant woman with genital herpes can pass the virus to her baby during delivery. If the mother is having her first outbreak at the time of a vaginal birth, the baby's risk of infection is approximately one in three. If the outbreak is a recurrence, the baby's risk is very low. Babies born with herpes may have brain damage, severe rashes, eye problems, or they may die. Doctors will do a c-section to deliver a baby if the mother has herpes near the birth canal. Also, acyclovir can help babies born with herpes if they are treated right away.
HPVs make up a group of more than 100 types of viruses. Most HPVs do no harm to a person. They are called papillomaviruses because they tend to cause warts, or papillomas. Warts are benign (non cancerous) growths. Different types of HPVs cause the warts that grow on the hands and soles of the feet, as well as those that grow on the mouth and genital area. The types of HPV that cause warts on the hands and feet do not cause genital warts. About 30 types of HPV are spread through sexual contact, causing infection and genital warts. These types of HPV can also cause cancer of the cervix (opening to the uterus, or womb) and other genital cancers. HPV is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted disease (S). And, 75 percent of people with HPV infection have no symptoms at all.
HPV infection can cause genital warts, benign (non-cancerous) growths on a person's genitals. A woman can develop warts inside and around the outside of the vagina, on the vulva ("lips" or opening to the vagina) and cervix, and around the anus. Genital warts are less common in men and are usually seen on the tip of the penis. They can also be found on the shaft of the penis, on the scrotum, or around the anus. While very rare, genital warts can grow in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person. The size of genital warts varies and some may be so small, you can't see them with your eye. They can be flat and flesh-colored or look bumpy like cauliflower. They often occur in clusters, or groups, and can spread into large masses in the genital or anal area. Genital warts are spread very easily during oral, vaginal, or anal sex with someone who has HPV. More than two-thirds of people who have sexual contact with someone who has HPV will develop warts, most often within 3 months of contact.
HPV is an infection that, once you get it, never goes away. When you have HPV, you need to be sure to see your health care provider on a regular basis for check ups. If you have symptoms, such as genital warts, you need to seek treatment right away. It is easy to give HPV to another person and you can infect someone even when you have no symptoms. Some types of HPV can cause cancer of the cervix. But for most women, HPV does not turn into cancer of the cervix. It is important to have regular pelvic exams and Pap tests if a woman has abnormal cervical cells. Other types of HPV may be related to cancer of the vulva, anus, and penis (a very rare cancer). During pregnancy and childbirth, HPV can cause a number of problems. Genital warts can become larger during pregnancy, making it hard to urinate. If warts are inside the vagina, they can cause problems during birth by blocking the vagina. Although rare, infants born to women with genital warts can get warts in their throats (called laryngeal papillomatosis). This can be life threatening for the baby and often requires laser surgery to help the baby breathe.
Most people who have HPV infection have no symptoms. If a person has HPV with no symptoms, they can still pass HPV to another person. And, they can also still develop problems from the infection. A health care provider can tell if you have genital warts by seeing them during a pelvic exam. Sometimes a woman can see them around her genital area herself. If you do have genital warts, you need to also have your provider check to make sure you don't have these warts on your cervix. Genital warts can be very small and hard to see. During an exam, your provider may apply a vinegar-like solution to areas where she or he thinks you may have a problem. The vinegar causes the warts to turn white, making them easier to see. The provider may also do a procedure called a colposcopy, where an instrument is used to enlarge (magnify) the vagina and cervix to better see if there are any warts. A small sample of tissue from the cervix is taken and examined with a microscope to see very small warts or other problems. Another test your provider may do to see if you have HPV is a Pap test, which looks at tissue from the cervix for cancer or other problems.
Genital warts often go away without any treatment. They can also develop into a small, fleshy raised growth that looks like cauliflower. There is no way to tell if the warts will grow or go away. This is why it is so important to see your health care provider if you think you may have genital warts. It is also important to know that while treatments can get rid of the warts, no treatment gets rid of the virus. Once you get HPV, it becomes a life long infection, whether you have symptoms or not. Warts often come back after they are treated. Depending on the size and location of the genital warts, your health care provider may give you one of several topical treatments:
Small warts are sometimes removed by your doctor with freezing (cryosurgery), burning (electrocautery), or laser treatment. Very large warts may sometimes need to be removed with surgery when they do not respond to other treatments.
When warts return after treatment, the antiviral drug alpha interferon can be injected directly into the warts. But, this treatment costs a lot and doesn't always prevent the warts from coming back or reduce the number of warts that can return again. It can't be used during pregnancy.
Yes. Research is being done on two types of vaccines for HPV. One vaccine would prevent infection or disease. The other vaccine would be used to treat cancer of the cervix.
AIDS - acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome - is caused by a virus called HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus. AIDS was first seen in the United States in 1981 and is now a major problem all over the world. We have all heard much about AIDS in the news over the years, and the number of deaths it has caused worldwide, particularly in areas hardest hit by the disease like Africa. Many myths have been spread about AIDS and it is important for every person to know the facts about HIV and AIDS. HIV attacks, kills, and damages the cells in the body's immune system. Our immune system protects our bodies from disease and infection. Over time, HIV weakens a person's immune system, making it hard to fight off infections and certain cancers. People who have AIDS can get very sick with infections that most healthy people can fight off. These are called opportunistic infections (OIs), and can be life threatening. There is no cure for AIDS and while treatments may help some people manage their disease, AIDS is still fatal. Almost one million Americans are living with HIV infection, one-third of who do not even know that they have HIV. HIV has hit African American and Hispanic women the hardest. While they make up less than 25 percent of the people in the U.S., they account for more than 77 percent of AIDS cases in women.
HIV is found in body fluids - blood, semen (the fluid a man releases from his penis when he becomes sexually aroused or has an orgasm), vaginal fluid (fluid or secretions from a woman's vagina or birth canal), and breast milk.
HIV can enter the body:
HIV has been found in the saliva of people who have HIV. But, it has never been proven that HIV is spread by contact with saliva, such as with kissing. Researchers have also found no proof that HIV is spread through sweat, tears, urine, or feces. There have been many studies of families of people who have HIV. All have shown very clearly that HIV is not spread through casual contact, such as sharing eating utensils, towels and bedding, swimming pools, telephones, or toilet seats. HIV is not spread by biting insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, or bedbugs.
Many people have no symptoms when they first become infected with HIV. But some people get a flu-like illness within a month or two after being exposed to the virus. The flu-like symptoms - fever, headache, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes (immune system glands in the neck and groin) - often go away within a week. During this time, HIV is present in large amounts in semen and vaginal fluids and it is very easy to pass the infection to another person. All people who have HIV go through what is called an asymptomatic period of infection. This means that a person lives symptom free for a period of time. But, during this time they can still pass the infection to another person. The asymptomatic period varies greatly from person to person. Some people may begin to have symptoms within a few months, while others may be symptom free for 10 years or more.
HIV is active inside a person's body, even when no symptoms are present. The virus multiplies, or makes more virus, killing more and more cells of the immune system that fight infection (called CD4 and T cells). This process weakens a person's immune system over time. For many people, the first symptom they notice is large lymph nodes (swollen glands) that may be enlarged for more than 3 months. Other symptoms often felt months to years before the onset of AIDS include:
Women who have HIV can also have other symptoms that happen more often, may not respond to treatment, and can be harder to cure including:
AIDS refers to the most advanced stages of HIV infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines AIDS as being infected with HIV and having fewer than 200 CD4 and T cells per cubic millimeter of blood. (Healthy adults have CD4 and T cell counts of 1,000 or more). AIDS also includes 26 different conditions, some of which are called opportunistic infections (OIs), or infections that don't usually make a healthy person sick. People who have AIDS can have severe OIs, which can be fatal because their bodies can't fight off certain bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. People with AIDS are also more likely to develop cancers, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, cancer of the cervix (opening to the uterus or womb), and lymphomas (cancers of the immune system).
Symptoms of OIs common in people with AIDS include:
Health care providers can tell if you have HIV by testing your blood to see if you have antibodies (disease-fighting agents) to HIV in your blood. You can't tell if you have HIV antibodies in your blood until 1 to 3 months AFTER you become infected. And, some people can take as long as 6 months to develop antibodies to HIV in their blood. If you think you have been exposed to HIV, it is best to get tested as soon as possible. But, keep in mind that you may have to get another test or have your test repeated in 6 months, to be sure that you have accurate results. Talk to your health care provider about testing and be sure to have counseling before and after you are tested. Counseling will help you to get the treatment you need if you are HIV positive and will help you to learn how to not pass the infection to others. If you are HIV negative, counseling will help you to stay negative by teaching you what you can do to protect yourself. The test used for HIV is called an ELISA test. If the ELISA test is positive, it is always followed with a second test to confirm the result. This is called a Western Blot test.
In 1981, when AIDS was first seen in the U.S., there were no medicines to fight HIV and few treatments for the opportunistic infections (OIs) and cancers that happen when a person has AIDS. But over the past 20 years, researchers have developed drugs to fight both HIV infection and AIDS OIs and cancers. There is no cure for AIDS and when a person becomes infected with HIV, they will need life long treatment.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved several types of drugs for treating HIV infection. A main goal of treatment is to stop the virus from replicating, or making copies of itself. When the virus is allowed to copy itself, it increases its numbers in a person's body, weakening the immune system. Over time, a person is no longer able to fight off infection and becomes sick. One group of drugs stops the virus from replicating at an early stage in its life cycle. These drugs are called nucleoside reverse transcriptase, or RT inhibitors. RT inhibitors include zidovudine (AZT), zalcitabine (ddC), dideoxyinosine (ddI), stavudine (d4T) and lamivudine (3TC). These drugs may slow the spread of HIV in the body and delay the onset of OIs. A second, and more recent, group of drugs are called protease inhibitors. They stop the virus from making copies of itself at a later stage in its life cycle. These drugs include ritonavir (Norvir), saquinivir (Invirase), indinavir (Crixivan), amprevnivir (Agenerase), nelfinavir (Viracept), and Iopinavir (Kaletra). One challenge to treating HIV infection is persons with HIV can build resistance to these drugs. (Resistance means that the drugs stop working.) Health care providers must use several of these drugs at the same time, called a combination treatment, to stop the virus from replicating. Another challenge is the side effects caused by drug treatment. Side effects can vary widely from person to person. Some people can have severe side effects, including death, and may have to stop or change treatments. One type of treatment, called highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART, has greatly improved the health of many people with AIDS. It can lower the amount of virus in a person's blood to levels so low that it is hard to detect with a blood test. This can mean relief from symptoms and OIs, increasing the quality of life for a person living with AIDS. There are also treatments for OIs and cancers.
The National Institutes of Health conducts research on HIV, which includes testing HIV vaccines and new drug treatments and looking at how HIV damages the immune system. Researchers are testing creams, gels, and films (called microbicides) that can be used in the vagina and rectum during sex to prevent HIV infection. They are also looking at the role Ss play in HIV infection, how to help people change their behaviors to keep from getting HIV, and ways for pregnant women to prevent passing HIV to their babies. Women are taking part in AIDS clinical trials across the country. Studies are looking at the signs of HIV infection and AIDS in women and how HIV is passed to babies.
Trichomoniasis, sometimes called "Trich," is a sexually transmitted disease (S) that is very common in both women and men. It is caused by a parasite that can be passed from one person to another during sexual contact. It can also be picked up from contact with damp, moist objects such as towels or wet clothing. Women are more likely than men to have symptoms of infection. The disease can be treated and cured and usually has no serious complications. But, recent research has linked the disease to an increased risk for infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Trichomoniasis is a common Sfound in young, sexually active women in the U.S.
Trichomoniasis is spread through sexual contact. You can get the disease from unprotected (not using a condom) vaginal and anal intercourse, as well as penis-to-vagina contact (without having vaginal intercourse) with an infected person. Women can get the disease from infected men or women. Men usually get the disease only from infected women. The vagina (birth canal) is the most common site of infection in women. In men, the urethra (opening on the penis where a man urinates through) is the most likely to become infected.
Men rarely get any symptoms with this disease. If a man does have symptoms, he may have an irritation inside the penis, mild discharge, or slight burning after urinating or ejaculating (having an orgasm).
Many women do have symptoms of infection. Symptoms most often appear within 5 to 28 days after exposure to the parasite. They include:
To tell if you have trichomoniasis, your health care provider will do a pelvic exam and lab test. A pelvic exam can show small red sores (ulcerations) on the wall of the vagina or on the cervix (opening to the uterus, or womb). Fluid samples are taken from the vagina in a woman and from the urethra in a man. The infection is harder to find in a man than in a woman.
This disease is treated with the drug metronidazole (Flagyl) or antibiotics. In men, symptoms can go away within a few weeks with no treatment. But, a man who never had any symptoms or whose symptoms have stopped, can continue to pass the disease to his partner until he gets treated. Because of this, it is important that both sexual partners be treated at the SAME TIME to get rid of the disease. They should also avoid sex until treatment is complete and no symptoms are present.
If not treated, the disease can cause a pregnant woman to give birth early or to have a low birth weight baby. During the first 3 months of pregnancy, women shouldn't take metronidazole because it may hurt the baby. It is safe to take the medicine after the first 3 months of pregnancy.
AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service
Phone Numbers (s): (800) 874-2572
Internet Address: http://www.actis.org
American Academy of Family Physicians
Phone Number(s): (913) 906-6000
Internet Address: http://www.familydoctor.org
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Phone Number(s): (800) 762-2264
Internet Address: http://www.acog.org
American Social Health Association
Phone Number(s): (800) 783-9877
Internet Address: http://www.ashas.org
CDC National Sand AIDS Hotline
Phone Number(s): (800) 227-8922
Internet Address: http://www.ashas.org/NS/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Prevention Information Network
Phone Number(s): (800) 458-5231
Internet Address: http://www.cdcnpin.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hepatitis Branch
Phone Number(s): (888) 443-7232
Internet Address:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/index.htm
Hepatitis Foundation International
Phone Number(s): (800) 891-0707
Internet Address: http://www.hepfi.org/
HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service
Phone Numbers (s): (800) 448-0440
Internet Address: http://www.hivatis.org
National Cancer Institute
Phone Number(s): (800) 4-CANCER or (800) 422-6237
Internet Address: http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov
National Center for HIV, Sand TB Prevention
Internet Address: http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/nchstp.html
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Phone Number(s): (404) 371-5245
Internet Address:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/index.htm
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Phone Number(s): (301) 496-5717
Internet Address: http://www.niaid.nih.gov
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Phone Number(s) (800) 230-7526
Internet Address: http://www.plannedparenthood.org