Sexually Transmitted Diseases - What You NEED To Know

Well, not necessarily.

*DISCLAIMER* - I am, in no way, shape, or form, a medical professional or health representative. Everything in this blog post is solely based off research and gathering of information. Consult your respective physician, gynecologist, medical professional, or health care provider if you are experiencing anything that is described below. Enjoy!

If we all remember correctly and attended a high school with a health class that discussed sex education with the promotion of solely abstinence (*cough cough* Texas *cough cough*), then you may remember briefly learning and talking about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). You may remember those disturbing and vivid images of what a certain STD looked like on a vagina or penis flashing across the projector's screen that sat in front of the classroom. Or you may remember your health textbooks talking about STDs with intense pictures that accompanied each one. The high school I went to was a very conservative one where I don't recall ever speaking of STDs or sex in general. However, with my personal knowledge and research, I've become educated on STDs and all the information this blog post focuses on. If you were like me and attended a high school where the health class did nothing to discuss sexual health or are just curious to learn more about STDs, then saddle up and join me on this (sexually protected) ride - no pun intended.

What are Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)?

A Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) is an infectious illness that is passed from one person to another through sexual, physical contact such as foreplay, vaginal, oral, and/or anal sex. As much as people may not think or know, STDs are very common. The CDC estimates that 20 million new infections occur every year in the United States alone. There are a plethora of STDs which I will list and expand on further throughout this post.

What are the symptoms of an STD?

Where some STDs may cause symptoms in men and women, most STDs do not always cause symptoms. With this lies the risk of having an STD and not knowing since no symptoms are apparent - unless, you get tested.

However, the following are the most and least common symptoms in which I've listed for women and men (taken from STDCheck.Com and stdtestexpress.com):

Common STD symptoms in women:

• No symptoms

• Discharge (thick or thin, milky white, yellow or green leakage from the vagina)

• Vaginal itching

• Vaginal blisters or blisters in the genital area

• Vaginal rash or rash in the genital area

• Burning urination

• Painful urination

• Pain during intercourse

Less common STD symptoms in women:

• Bleeding or spotting between menstrual cycles

• Painful ulcers on the vagina

• Pelvic pain

• Lower back pain

• Fever

• Nausea

• Sore throat ( after oral sex)

• Swelling of the joints (knee, elbow, etc.)

• Rectal pain, bleeding, or discharge (after receiving anal sex)

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Common STD symptoms in men:

• No symtpoms

• Itching at the tip of the penis

• Rash on the penis, testicles, or groin

• Discharge (a milky white, yellow, thick or thin substance coming from the tip of the penis)

• Pain with urination

• Pain with ejaculation

• Painful blisters on the genitals (penile spots/penile bumps)

Less common STD symptoms in men:

• Painless ulcer on the penis or testicles

• Testicular pain and swelling

• Epididymitis (painful swelling of the tube that carries urine and ejaculate)

• Fever

• Painful swelling of a join (like a knee or elbow)

• Sore throat (if engaging in oral sex)

• Rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding (if engaging in receptive anal sex)

When there are symptoms, they usually appear within days or weeks of exposure to an STD. However, often, symptoms never appear or go unnoticed. The STD can still be transmitted and even progress into a more serious condition that may result in irreversible side effects if not detected or treated in time - even if an STD never results in apparent symptoms. (STDCheck.com) It is for this very reason, among many, that it's especially important to get regularly tested for STDs.

What are the types of STDs?

There is an array of STDs which include, but are not limited to:

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

• Hepatitis

• Chancroid

• Trichomoniasis

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and genital warts

• Herpes

• Gonorrhea

• Chlamydia

• Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)

• Syphilis

• Scabies

• Pubic "Crab" Lice

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

• Mucopurulent Cervicitis (MPC)

• Molluscum Contagiosum

• Lymphogranuloma Venerum (LGV)

What are the dormancy/incubation periods of each STD?

• HIV/AIDS - symptom-free for many years; period of no symptoms can last up to 10 years

• Hepatitis - HAV: 15 to 60 days; HBV: 45 to 160 days; HCV: 2 weeks to 6 months

• Chancroid - 12 hours to 5 days

• Trichomoniasis - unknown but believed to be 5 to 28 days

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and genital warts - 2 weeks to 8 months; 2-3 months of genital wart development after HPV infection

• Herpes - HSV-1: 2 to 12 days; primary genital herpes: 3 to 7 days (range, 1 day to 3 weeks)

• Gonorrhea - 1 to 14 days

• Chlamydia - 1 to 3 weeks

• Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) - 12 hours to 5 days

• Syphilis - 10 to 90 days, average start of first symptom at 21 days

• Scabies - up to 8 weeks for symptoms to appear

• Pubic "Crab" Lice - about 6 to 10 days for pubic lice nits to hatch and become nymphs

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) - 2 days to 3 weeks; depends on pathogen

• Mucopurulent Cervicitis (MPC) - couldn't find information on it's incubation or dormancy period

• Molluscum Contagiosum - 2 to 7 weeks

• Lymphogranuloma Venerum (LGV) - 10 to 30 days; may be up to 6 months

What are the tests for STDS?

There are different types of tests for each STD which include:

• HIV/AIDS - the best option for an HIV test is a blood test. A rapid test can also be done with the use of blood or a swab from inside of the cheek. If the first test is positive, it will be followed up with a more in depth and sensitive blood test to confirm the results.

• Hepatitis - a blood test is the only option and way to detect hepatitis.

• Chancroid - a health care professional will examine the ulcer using a special microscope or a sample can be taken and cultured.

• Trichomoniasis - a health care provider will take a swab sample from the infected area to examine under a microscope or send to a lab (men are usually excluded from this test).

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and genital warts - genital warts are usually diagnosed through a visual examination. The cancer-causing types of HPV can be diagnosed through a sample taken during a Pap smear. At the moment, there is not general test for HPV.

• Herpes - a health care provider can usually diagnose herpes by a visual examination of there is an outbreak of sores. To be certain, the provider can also take a swab sample and test it in a lab. A health care provider can also do a blood test if there are no outbreaks but one might have been exposed.

• Gonorrhea - Typically a urine test but some health care providers will use a swab sample.

• Chlamydia - A urine test is usually the easiest way to detect Chlamydia but there are other options. A health care provider can do a cervical swab test or a vaginal swab.

• Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) - a health care provider will examine the vagina for signs of BV and take a vaginal fluid sample to be examined under a microscope or sent to a lab.

• Syphilis - test used for diagnosis is dependent on what symptoms are present and how time has passed since exposure. It can be diagnosed by a blood test or by examining a sample from a sore. If there are no symptoms, such tests may not be able to identify the infection.

• Scabies - the test for scabies is a visual examination. For the most part, a diagnosis can be made based on the history of exposure to scabies or the presence of common symptoms like a rash or itching that progressively gets worse. A health care provider might also take a scraping of the infected skin to examiner under a microscope and look for mites, eggs, larvae or feces.

• Pubic "Crab" Lice - testing is a visual examination with the health care provider usually removing a hair or a few hairs with nits to examine under a microscope.

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) - diagnosis is typically based on the presence of usual symptoms when other serious conditions (like appendicitis or ectopic pregnancy) can be left out of the mix. In rare cases, a health care provider may use a laparoscope to view the fallopian tubes to confirm inflammation.

• Mucopurulent Cervicitis (MPC) - there is no specific test but a health care provider can diagnose the infection based on symptoms and a visual examination of a patient's genitals. During the visual examination, the provider will look for white blood cells or pus - a potential indicator of MPC. Due to the fact that MPC can be caused by other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), a health care provider will more than likely test for Chlamydia, gonorrhea or other infections based on the patient's sexual history and symptoms.

• Molluscum Contagiosum - diagnosed based on visual examination. Samples of the bumps may be examined under a microscope for diagnosis of the virus.

• Lymphogranuloma Venerum (LGV) - LGV can be difficult to diagnose due to many of the symptoms being similar to other infections. Most diagnoses are made based on health center observations but samples of lesions or sores can be tested for the bacteria.

What are the treatments for STDs?

The treatments for STDs vary depending on the type of STD diagnosed with. Such treatments include the use of medication (HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Herpes), antibiotics (Chancroid, Trichomoniasis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Mucopurulent Cervicitis, and Lymphogranuloma Verenum), prescription creams, gels, and solutions (Scabies, genital warts, and Pubic "Crab" Lice) and more.

How can I prevent contraction of an STD?

Although this blog isn't to promote abstinence, the number one way to prevent contraction of an STD is to not have sex. However, if you are someone who engages in sexual acts with a partner or partners, the best way to prevent contraction of an STD and be safe is practicing safe sex which includes:

• using latex condoms at all times, whether it'd be in vaginal sex, oral sex (female or male performing fellatio), or anal sex. *IMPORTANT - If the female is on oral contraceptive such as the pill, has a Intrauterine Device (IUD), or contraceptive implant , it is still EXTREMELY important to use latex condoms when having sex as birth control does not protect you or her from STDs.

• using dental dams - for female or male performing cunninglingus.

Other ways to prevent contracting an STD are:

• Have fewer partners - make sure that both you and your partner get tested and that neither of you has an STD. If you have multiple partners, it's beyond important to get frequent tests and be certain that your multiple partners are clean.

• Get vaccinated - although many people may be against vaccinations, the HPV vaccine is safe, effective, and can help avoid HPV-related health problems such as genital warts and some cancers.

• Talk with your partner(s) - talk to your partner(s) about getting tested together and staying safe before sex. The conversation may be a little uncomfortable to have but will protect both you and your partner(s) in the long run.

• GET TESTED - This is SEVERELY IMPORTANT and is a blog post I will write in the near future. As discussed earlier in this blog post, most STDs don't show symptoms but can cause health-related problems. Knowing your status if sexually active is beyond critical for your health and the health of your partner(s). It's important to get tested every 6 months and have such conversations with those you're engaging in sexual activities with.

Myths of STDs

Where STDs can be a very scary and nerve-wrecking discussion to have, it's important to not only educate yourself and others on the causes of STDs but also on what doesn't cause STDs.

STDs can be transmitted through four bodily fluids: breast milk, vaginal fluid, sperm, and blood. STDs cannot be transmitted through: urine, tears, sweat or saliva. The following are other myths and misconceptions of STDs:

• You can get an STD from sitting on a toilet seat - FALSE, STDs are spread through direct skin to skin contact, not through surfaces.

• You can't get an STD from having oral sex - FALSE, you can.

• The Pill protects you from getting an STD - FALSE, the only thing that can protect you in terms of contraception is correctly using a condom in vaginal, oral, and anal sex.

• Doubling up on condoms will protect you from an STD - FALSE, doubling up on condoms causes friction which will cause both condoms to break during intercourse.

• If you or your partner has an STD, you'll both know it - FALSE, as mentioned earlier, some STDs don't have symptoms and unless you get tested, then you'll know.

TAKEAWAYS

Important takeaways from today's post are: always practice safe sex by using latex condoms (one at a time), talk to your partner(s) about each other's sexual history and getting tested together before engaging in sex, and most importantly, get tested.

It's extremely important to take care of your sexual health and know your partner(s). Getting tested, communication with your sexual partner(s), and practicing safe sex are keys to a healthy sex life.

So, as the youth, and literally and almost every college student, would say - wrap it before you smack it.

For more, EXTREMELY educational information on each STD listed above or STDs overall, check out these amazing websites: https://beforeplay.org/stds/, https://www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/lowdown/, https://www.stdtestexpress.com/, and https://www.stdcheck.com/

Ciao!