These are infections that can be transferred from one person to the other though sexual contact. These consist of Bacteria ex: gonorrhea, Viruses ex: Herpes, HIV, parasites like trichomonas. Everybody is at risk. Those at greatest risk are adolescents and young adults.

1- Chlamydia

Organism: Bacteria
Mode of transmission: Vaginal and Anal sex with contact with contaminated exudates from active lesions.
Symptoms:

Urethritis and cervicitis: (INFECTIONS OF THE URINARY OUTLET AND THE CERVIX)

• No symptoms in 75% of women and most men
• If symptoms present, women may experience lower abdominal pain or pain during intercourse. Men will experience swelling or pain of the testicles and inflammation of the epididymis. And both may have genital discharge and burning upon urination (dysuria).

Proctitis (inflammation of the rectum) and Rectal strictures:

• Present mainly in women and homosexually men following anal sex.
• Symptoms consist of blood in stools and bloody purulent discharges in the early phase and may lead to cicatrizing inflammation of the rectum.

Treatment: Antibiotics which are effective against the progression of the disease, but don’t undo the damage already.

Complications:

• Women: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease leading to ectopic Pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterine cavity), infertility or chronic pelvic pain.
• Males: Inflammation of the testicle (epididymitis) which may lead to sterility.
• Increases the risk of contracting AIDS.
• Anal strictures.

Prevention:

• Abstinence from vaginal and anal sex.
• Fidelity to one partner.
• CONDOMNS ARE NOT ENOUGH HERE!!!!

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2- Gonorrhea: the most common STI

Organism: Bacteria
Transmission: Vaginal, anal and Oral sex
Symptoms:

• These appear 2-10 days post-infection. Discharge from the vagina or rectum with a burning or itching sensation during urination.
• May be asymptomatic (USUALLY IN WOMEN).

Treatment: Antibiotics, but these do not fix the damage already done.

Complications:

• Women: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease leading to ectopic Pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterine cavity), infertility or chronic pelvic pain.
• Men: Reduced fertility to sterility
• Both: Can infect the joint, the heart valves and the brain

Prevention:

• Abstinence from vaginal, anal and oral sex during the period of treatment
• Fidelity
• Regular check ups for STIs, and have your partners checked too.
• CONDOMNS help but are not enough for protection

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3- Hepatitis B virus (HBV)

Organism: double stranded DNA virus
Transmission:

• Vaginal, oral, anal sex.
• Sharing contaminated needles for drugs, piercing or tattoos.
• Sharing contaminated instruments at the dentist or doctor.
• Contaminated blood or its products in a transfusion.
• Mainly heterosexual transmission

Symptoms:

• 1/3 is asymptomatic (no clinical signs).
• Fever, headache, muscle ache, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea.
• Liver involvement causes dark urine, abdominal pain, yellow skin and whites of eye: Acute liver failure, Chronic Liver Failure, Cirrhosis, Liver Cancer
• Men are more at risk

Treatment:

• If lucky it is self-limiting and stops within 4-8 weeks.
• If not lucky the person becomes chronically infected (HBC Antibody positive).
• Medications exist (anti-viral treatment) that suppress the viral load to undetectable levels. However these may recur after stopping the medication.

Complications:

• Liver cirrhosis, Liver Cancer, and immune system disorders.
• Transmitted to fetus.

Prevention:

• Abstinence from all types of sex, especially anal.
• Make sure you use clean needles, instruments and blood.
• Safer Sex: Condoms (not 100 % proof).
• HBV Vaccine (given in 3 doses).

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4- Genital Herpes

Organism: Virus, Herpes Simplex Virus-2
Transmission:

• Direct sexual skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal and oral sex.
• Men are more infecting than women
• DO NOT CONFUSE WITH HSV-1: spread by non-sexual contact usually found on the lips, but rarely HSV-1 can cause genital lesions.

Symptoms:

• Mild itching and burning sensation on genital areas.
• Blister or painful open soars.
• May stop for weeks then will come back.

Treatment: NO CURE! There are only medications to decrease the symptoms.

Complications: Increases the risk of HIV infection.

Prevention:

• Abstinence from vaginal, anal and oral sex.
• It can infect even in the dormant phase (when the virus lives in the body without causing any symptoms)
• CONDOMS DO NOT HELP HERE, because the lesion may be in an area not covered by the condom for example the labia majora or minora in a female.

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5- Human Papilloma Virus

Type: Virus (HPV)

Transmission: Vaginal, anal and oral sex.

Symptoms: Painless fleshy, cauliflower-like warts on and inside the genitals, anus or mouth.

Treatment:

• NO KNOWN CURE! Medication exists to remove the warts, but not to clear the virus from your body.

Complications:

• Some strains are associated with cervical cancer (90% of cases)

Prevention:

• Abstinence
• Fidelity
• CONDOMS DO NOT HELP because the warts may be in areas not covered by the condom.

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6- Syphilis

Type: Bacteria Treponema Pallidum

Transmission:

• Vaginal or oral sex
• Non-sexual contact if the syphilis sores (also called chancres) come in contact with broken skin.

Symptoms:

Disease consists of 3 stages:

• Primary: Painless ulcer, a skin lesion, (called a chancre) most commonly on the genitals but may happen elsewhere too.
• Secondary: Rash on the soles and hands which resolves spontaneously.
• Tertiary: rarely seen. Consists of granulomas (type of local inflammation) of the skin and bones.

Complications: if not treated can cause brain or heart damage.

Treatment: Antibiotics

Prevention:

• Abstinence
• Fidelity
• CONDOMS MAY HELP, BUT DON’T PROTECT FROM THE SOARS NOT COVERED BY THEM.

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7- Trichomoniasis

Type: Protozoa

Transmission: All types of sexual contact even indirectly through contaminated objects.

Symptoms:

• Women:
  • Excessive, foamy, yellowish vaginal discharge.
  • Difficulty or pain upon urination or intercourse.
  • No symptoms
• Men:
  • Majority have no symptoms
  • Inflammation or lesions of the urethra, glans or foreskin

Treatment:

• MOST CURABLE STI.
• Sex partners should also be treated.

Complications: Increases risk of HIV transmission.

Prevention:

• Abstinence
• Fidelity
• CONDOMS MAY HELP BUT ARE NOT FULL PROOF! (since it is not only transmitted by sexual contact).
• Avoid sharing towels or other objects used at the genital area.

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