Health Sciencesexually Transmitted Diseases-Chapter 18Lecture Handout

Health ScienceSexually Transmitted Diseases-Chapter 18Lecture Handout

The Major STDS

Seven STDs pose major health threats

Bacterial Infections

Chlamydia

Gonorrhea

Syphilis

Viral Infections

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Hepatitis B (HBV)

Herpes simplex virus(HSV)

Human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV)

Chlamydia (“The clap”)

Most prevalent bacterial STD in U.S.

Symptoms in the female-Most women asymptomatic. If symptomatic, women have discharge, vaginal bleeding, painful urination, painful intercourse, abdominal pain, nausea, fever, etc.

Symptoms in the male: Painful urination, slightly watery discharge from penis, sometimes pain around testicles

• Gonorrhea

Symptoms in the female-Most women asymptomatic. If symptomatic,women experience painful urination, pelvic pain, vaginaldischarge.

Symptoms in males – Thick yellow-white discharge from penis caused by urethritis, painful urination

Syphilis

Symptoms –

Primary Syphilis - Painless sores (chancre) appears 10-90 days after exposure

Secondary Syphilis - Body rash 3-6 weeks after chancre

Tertiary Syphilis- If left untreated, 1/3 can have damage to organs and nervous system, dementia, blindness and death

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease PID

Definition: Progressive infection that harms a women’s reproductive system

Symptoms - long and painful periods, discharge, spotting, low abdominal pain, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, pain during intercourse.

Caused by: untreated Chlamydia and Gonorrhea infections

• Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Most common STD in the US

Gardasil is a vaccine against most common strains of HPV

Causes genital warts and genital cancers

Symptoms

•Small bump on the skin or a large, warty growth/ Cauliflower-like mass on genitals

•Most people who carry HPV have no visible warts or any symptoms but are contagious

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)

Caused by the hepatitis B virus

Found in all body fluids

Causes Inflammation of the liver

•Can lead to liver disease and death

Preventable with vaccination. (given at birth)

Symptoms

• Extreme fatigue, headache, fever, jaundice, nausea, vomiting, tenderness in abdomen

Herpessimplex virus (HSV) (Comes in two forms)

HSV1 & 2 (Both cause herpes)

•HSV1 causes cold sores & fever blisters

•HSV2 causes genital herpes (lesions)

Symptoms

•90% of infected people are asymptomatic; symptoms are flulike symptoms in addition to lesions.

Human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV)

Virus that causes AIDS

Found in all body fluids; most concentrated in blood, semen and breast milk

Suppresses the immune system because HIV attacks and kills T helper cells

Early Symptoms are similar to flu symptoms; later stages marked by weight loss, night sweats, fatigue, opportunistic infections etc.

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself

Education

Diagnosis and Treatment

Get vaccinated

Be alert for symptoms

Get tested

Inform your partners

Get Treated (bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics; viral infections cannot be cured, but can be treated with antiviral medications which lower the viral load)

Prevention

Use a barrier defense.

Know your potential partner. (To say the least!)

Women are hit hard by STDs

Male-to-female transmission of STD’s is more likely to occur.

Young women are more vulnerable because the cervix is more susceptible to injury and infection.

Once infected women seem to suffer more consequences of STDs

•Ex. gonorrhea and chlamydia can cause PID in women

1