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People are constantly asking us how to find out if a partner has an STD. Well, unless
your potential bedmate sports an obvious below-the-belt bump or lesion, or is oozing
nasty liquids, there's no way to tell if he or she has an STD. IF there were other signs,
then everyone would look for them and there wouldn't be millions of new infections every year.
Here are the most common one and symptoms. Remember, if you are sexually active you should
get tested for chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV and HPV type specific, every six months.
If you don't you are putting both you and your partner at risk. AND ALWAYS USE A CONDOM!
Chlamydia--
Chlamydia is
transmitted mainly during vaginal or anal
sex (unlikely, but possible, during oral sex) Chlamydia is especially
dangerous because in women it very often has no symptoms, but if left
untreated, it can leave a woman infertile. The disease can cause
scarring of the fallopian tubes, sterility, infertility, ectopic
pregnancy, or chronic pelvic pain. Burning during urination or an
unusual discharge may be the only symptoms. Men with chlamydia usually do
experience this burning. It is important that infected men inform all of
their recent partners. Chlamydia is easily treated with antibiotics.
How Common? 4 million new cases are reported a
year; 2.6 million of these are women. Help: CDC National
STD Hotline, 800-227-8922.
Genital Warts
(HPV)--
The human
papillomavirus virus (HPV) causes genital
warts, which come in several shapes and sizes. Some look like common warts
you might get on your hand or foot; some are as small as a pinhead; some
are flat. Genital warts are very common and are spread through skin-to-skin contact. If you or your sexual partner have warts that are visible in the genital area, you should avoid any sexual contact until the warts are treated.
Unfortunately for women, warts may be so small they can't be seen, or they
may infect the cervix or vaginal walls, making them almost impossible to
detect without a doctor. If left untreated, HPV can cause cervical cancer.
In men, warts usually appear as bumps on the penis head or shaft, or on
the scrotum and can itch. Women may also notice bumps on their labia.
Genital warts are a viral infection, so they can come back after the
initial treatment.
How Common? Approximately five and a half million people are
infected with HPV every year in the United States. Help: HPV
Prevention Resource Center, 877-HPV-5868.
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See some suspicious bumps down
there? Soak them in vinegar for a few minutes. If they turn white, they are probably warts;
if they don't react, you should still get them checked out by a doctor right away, just to be sure.
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Gonorrhea--
Women
may have mild or confusing
symptoms, or no symptoms at all. Pain in the lower abdomen, unusual
discharge, or a urinary tract infection might be the only tip-offs. We
must stress that any pain or unusual symptoms involving your reproductive
organs should be checked by a doctor--don't wait until it becomes serious.
Men might notice a thick discharge from their penises and feel burning
during urination. Gonorrhea can infect the throat and be spread through
oral-genital contact. It can cause sterility, arthritis, heart problems,
and disorders of the central nervous system. In women, it can cause
pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to ectopic pregnancies, or
the formation of abscesses. It is treated with antibiotics.
How Common? 360,076 new cases in 1999; it's now
up 11% among girls 15 to 19. Help: CDC National Hotline,
800-227-8922.
Herpes--
Herpes are a viral
infection generally
transmitted through sex, but it can also be transmitted through
oral-genital contact. Symptoms in men and women include an itching or
burning in the genital area, followed within a day or so by the appearance
of painful sores on the genitals. Urination may be painful. The sores,
during an initial outbreak, can last for a couple weeks. Although nothing
can cure herpes, there are effective medications that can reduce the
frequency and severity of the outbreaks. With medication and proper diet
and exercise, it is possible to go for years without an outbreak. How
Common? 45 million Americans are currently infected and there are some
1 million new cases a year. Help: National Herpes Hotline,
919-361-8488.
You can now order herpes medication online. You can buy
Acyclovir and Valtrex from an online pharmacy.
You can compare prices at Pharmacy-Finder.net.
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A trial vaccine has been found to
reduce chances of getting gential herpes by 75%. The only catch
to this as-yet-unavailable cure is that it only works for women
who don't get cold sores...
Genital herpes now affects 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men in the US. A recent study
found that using condoms regularly can reduce a woman's chance of getting gential herpes from
an infected man by 75%. Forgo oral sex if either one of you has a cold sore-- the oral strain can cause the genital variety as well.
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HIV and AIDS--
AIDS is an incurable
viral infection that doctors
think is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It can be
transmitted only through the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood,
semen, and vaginal secretions. The disease is ultimately fatal, yet more
and more people are living for years with HIV and not becoming ill. They
are, however, infectious. HIV antibodies usually appear in the
bloodstream three to eight weeks after infection, though it may take up
to six months for them to show. How Common? HIV now infects less
than one million
people in the United States, but close to 34 million people worldwide. Of
the nearly 6 million new cases expected this year, only 40,000 will occur
in the U.S. Help: CDC AIDS Hotline, 800-342-AIDS. Get
Tested: If you don't want to deal with going to a clinic, buy
a test online... it comes in a discreet box.
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Preliminary research conducted by the UT Medical Branch
in Galveston found that 3 vaginal lubricants- Astroglide, Silken Secret,
and Vagisil Intimate Moisturizer- significantly reduce the number of HIV-infected
cells and free-floating HIV in samples of infected semen. The lubes manage to do this in less than five minutes
and continue to fight HIV for eight hours. And since lubricant helps keep
a condom from breaking, you have all the more reason to use it! |
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A new test that's currently on the
market can determine in a mere 20 minutes if you have the virus that causes AIDS, thereby
eliminating both the long wait and the necessity of a follow-up appointment to find out your
status. If the results from this test, known as OraQuick, turn out to be positivie, they must
be confirmed by an additional test.
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Syphilis--
Syphilis causes rashes
and sores on the genitals and
elsewhere, and can be transmitted through contact with these rashes or
through sexual contact. The symptoms of syphilis go through four stages as
the bacteria that cause it spread and develop in the body. In the first
stage, a chancre (a circular, painless and firm sore) might appear on the
genitals anywhere from 9 to 90 days after infection. It can also appear elsewhere in the body.
During the second stage, which occurs weeks to months after infection, rashes on the body may
develop then disappear; joints may ache; fever and headache might occur.
Rashes indicate that the microbes have traveled through the bloodstream and
lymphatic system to every tissue and organ in the body.
This can go on for years. Late in the progress of the disease there are no
outward symptoms. In the end, syphilis can cause blindness, madness, and
death. It can be treated at any time with antibiotics. How
Common? Nearly 40,000 new cases were counted last year. Help:
CDC National STD Hotline, 800-227-8922.
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Want some more information about STD's?
Check out our Fact Page...
Are you all about prevention? Then get yourself some condoms! Whether you buy them online, at a drugstore, or from us, just make sure you have some!
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