Summary Chart for Stds (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)

Summary Chart for STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)

Name of STD / Chlamydia / HPV (Human Papilomavirus), Genital Warts
(most common STD today)
Other name / Nickname / Often referred to as the silent STD because often no symptoms at first.
Type of Organism
How Transmitted / Bacteria (most common bacterial STD)
Passed during sexual contact (vaginal, anal or oral). From infected mom to baby during vaginal childbirth. Highly contagious / Virus (several types of the virus)
Most common STD virus)
Pass during sexual contact (most often vaginal and anal)
Incubation Period / 1-3 weeks if symptoms appear
¾ females and ½ of males have no symptoms / 6 weeks to 8 months
Typical 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. / 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.
How Diagnosed / Lab test of discharge from urethra or cervix / In females – Pap test for cervical cell changes and cervical cancer
Visual inspection of the genitals for both men and women for genital warts
Treatment / Prevention / Treatment: Antibiotics (not penicillin) / 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.
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. / Can lead to cervical cancer in women.

STD Summary p. 2

Name of STD / Genital Herpes / Gonorrhea
Other name / Nickname / Herpes Simplex Virus / Clap, Drip, GC
Type of Organism
How Transmitted / 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. / 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.
Incubation Period / Few days to 3 weeks / 2-5 days, but up to 30 days
Typical Symptoms / 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 / 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.
How Diagnosed / 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 / Several types of lab tests: Culture or smear from discharge of infected site. Possible diagnosis from urine sample if in urethra or cervix.
Treatment / No treatment to cure genital herpes, but antiviral medications can shorten the outbreaks.
Antibiotics will not treat genital herpes. / 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
Danger / 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 / Bacterial Vaginosis / Pediculosis Pubic
Other name / Nickname / (BV), Gardnerella Vaginitis, Vaginitis / Crabs, pubic lice, and cooties
Type of Organism
How Transmitted / Bacteria
Genital contact with an infectious person / Parasites found primarily in the pubic or genital areas
(can be found on other coarse body hair, but mostly genitals)
Incubation Period / Varies / 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.
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. / Itching in the genital area
Visual nits (lice eggs) or crawling lice
Lice found on the head generally are head lice, not pubic lice.
How Diagnosed / Lab test of vaginal fluid to look for bacteria / Examining the nits on hair and locating adult lice adhering to the hair.
Treatment / Antibiotics / Special creams, lotions, or shampoos
Danger / 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. / 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 / Trichomoniasis / Syphilis
Other name / Nickname / Trich / Syph, Bad Blood, the pox
Type of Organism
How Transmitted / Protozoan / 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.
Incubation Period / 5 – 28 days in women / 10 to 90 days (21 days avg)
Typical Symptoms / 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. / 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.
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 / Physical exam, lab test looking at material from a chancre (sore), blood test.
Treatment / Prescription medication / Antibiotics can easily treat syphilis
Danger / Common in young women
Premature labor (babies born early) and low birth weight babies (less than 5.5 lbs)
Can be re-infected. / 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 / HIV / AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
Other name / Nickname
Type of Organism
How Transmitted / Virus
Sexual contact, contaminated needles, blood, baby through breast milk of infected mother
Incubation Period / 6 months to several years
Typical Symptoms / Fever, weight loss, tired, swollen glands, diarrhea that are persistent and intense.
More prone to severe pneumonia, unusual cancers, especially of the skin
How Diagnosed / Blood test
Treatment / Variety of medicines available to increase a person’s T cell count and ability to fight infections. “Drug cocktails”, including AZT.
No cure
Danger / 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 / Abnormal for Male / Normal for Female / Abnormal for Female / Important Point-
No bloody discharge, no itching, redness, or tenderness, ejaculate a milky white fluid without blood, lumps, foul odor, or drainage / 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 / Discharge that is clear-cloudy, 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. / 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 / Sometimes 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!