STD’s
Fats
Sexually
Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are diseases that are spread through anal,
oral or vaginal intercourse. Some STDs such as HIV and Hepatitis B
can also be transmitted by sharing drug injection equipment. See STD fact
sheets below for more information
Chlamydia
- Quick Facts
Three Simple
Facts:
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1
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Chlamydia
is curable.
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|
2.
|
Chlamydia
makes HIV easier to catch and to give.
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|
3.
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Up to
80% of women and up to half of all infected men have no symptoms.
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Additional
Information:
- Chlamydia
can easily be cured with antibiotics.
- Chlamydia
can lead to unusual discharge from the vagina and/or bleeding in
women.
- Chlamydia
can lead to discharge from the penis in men.
- Chlamydia
is passed through vaginal and anal sex, but not usually by oral sex.
- Partners
of infected people must get tested to know whether they are infected,
even if they notice no symptoms.
- Chlamydia
can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and infertility in
women.
- Chlamydia
is especially common in young persons, especially those under 25 years
old.
Risk:
What
do you think are your risks?
What do you do to reduce your risk of getting an STD?
Recognition:
What
are your symptoms?
Do you know that some STDs cause NO symptoms?
Response:
Stop
having sex.
Get tested and treated at a clinic or doctor's office .
Treat
your partner(s). This reduces reinfection.
Chlamydia
is a curable sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacteria named
Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia can infect the penis, cervix, or
rectum. It is one of the most common of all STDs.
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How many Americans have chlamydia?
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In
the United States, more than 3 million people are infected with Chlamydia
each year.
Health
economists estimate that chlamydia costs Americans more than $2 billion a
year. Chlamydia is most common in people under 25 years of age.
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What are the symptoms of chlamydia?
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70
- 90 % of women and 40 - 50% of men have NO noticeable symptoms.
If
symptoms occur, they usually appear 1 - 3 weeks after infection. The
most common symptoms are:
MEN
- Discharge
from the penis; the discharge may be clear, cloudy, or yellowish
- An
itchy feeling inside the penis
- Pain
or burning feeling while urinating
- A
swollen or tender testicle
WOMEN
- Abnormal
vaginal discharge
- Painful
urination
- Spotty
bleeding between menstrual periods
- Painful
intercourse
- Vaginal
bleeding after intercourse
- Pain
in the lower abdomen
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What happens to me if I have chlamydia?
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The
infection may move inside the body if it is not treated. There, it can
cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women and epidydimitis
in men, two very serious illnesses. Rarely, chlamydia results in a
kind of arthritis called Reiter's Syndrome.
- PID
results when untreated infections in women such as chlamydia or
gonorrhea spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes. PID is a serious
health problem that can result in infertility, pelvic pain that can go
on for months or years, or tubal pregnancy (pregnancy outside the
uterus). Symptoms of PID include pain in the lower abdomen or back,
fever, spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods, pain during
sex, and increased vaginal discharge.
- Epidydimitis
results when untreated infections in men such as chlamydia or
gonorrhea spread up the male reproductive system to reach the
testicles. This leads to pain or swelling in the scrotal area, which
is a sign of inflammation of a part of the testicle called the
epididymis. Epididymitis often is very painful and, if it involves
both testicles, can lead to infertility.
- Reiter's
Syndrome is a kind of arthritis that occasionally occurs a few weeks
after a chlamydial infection. The main symptoms are back pain, painful
and swollen joints, and a skin rash.
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How
is chlamydia transmitted?
|
Chlamydia
is transmitted through unprotected vaginal and anal sex with an infected
partner. It can also be passed from an infected woman to her newborn baby
during birth.
HIV,
the virus that causes AIDS, is more easy to catch or to give if either
partner also has chlamydia.
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How do I avoid infection with chlamydia?
|
- Abstinence
from sex is the surest way to avoid becoming infected with chlamydia--not
having any anal, oral or vaginal sex.
- The
next surest way is to limit sex to one uninfected partner who only has
sex with you--mutual monogamy.
- For
those choosing to be sexually active outside longstanding, permanent
relationship, condoms should be used correctly and consistently to
minimize transmission.
- Avoid
sex if suspicious symptoms are present. If you think you could have
chlamydia (or any STD), seek immediate care at a local STD clinic,
hospital, or medical practitione
- Before
having sex, talk with your partner(s) about chlamydia and other STDs.
Work out a risk reduction strategy with them that feels comfortable to
both of you.
- If
you have chlamydia (or any STD), notify all sex partners so that they
can also seek and obtain treatment.
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How do I find out if I have chlamydia? (Diagnosis)
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Chlamydia
is diagnosed by doing a test for Chlamydia trachomatis (the
bacteria that causes the infection) from sites that might have been
exposed. Usually this means taking a swab from the penis in men, from the
cervix in women (during a pelvic exam), or from the rectum. Sometimes
urine can be tested. The specimen is sent to a laboratory for testing and
results are available a few days later. Tests for chlamydia usually become
positive 3 - 7 days after catching the infection.
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What is the treatment for chlamydia?
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Most
chlamydial infections are easily treated with antibiotics. Sometimes a
single dose of antibiotic is sufficient, but other antibiotics must be
taken for 7 days.
Important:
Many common antibiotics do not work against chlamydia. Never treat
yourself with an antibiotic left over from another prescription.
People
should not have sex for 7 days after treatment is completed. Recent sex
partners must also be treated. A couple must not have sex until both have
completed treatment; otherwise they may reinfect one another.
PID
and epididymitis are more complicated infections and may take longer to
treat.
Follow-up:
Everyone
with chlamydia should be re-tested 3 - 4 months after treatment.
Public Health routinely contacts patients or their health care providers
after three months to remind them about repeat testing. Retesting usually
can be done on a urine sample.
If
you have chlamydia:
- Take
all of the prescribed medicine, even if your symptoms go away before
you have completed treatment.
- If
the symptoms do not go away within a week after finishing treatment,
go to your doctor or clinic again.
- It
is very important to tell your sex partners that you have chlamydia so
that they can be tested and treated.
- Get
re-tested for chlamydia 3 - 4 months after treatment.
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How does chlamydia affect pregnancy?
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Chlamydia
can cause a pregnant woman to go into labor early, resulting in premature
delivery. All pregnant women should be tested for chlamydia, even if they
don’t seem to be at risk for the disease. Babies born to infected
mothers can get chlamydia of the eyes or have other problems. All babies
are automatically given eyedrops right after delivery to avoid gonorrhea
or chlamydial infection.
Human
Papilloma Virus (HPV) - Quick Facts
Three Simple
Facts:
|
1
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Human
papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a sexually transmitted disease (STD)
that can be treated, but not cured. However,
most infections eventually go away by themselves.
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|
2.
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Most HPV
infections cause no symptoms and cause no serious health problems.
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|
3.
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Some
types of HPV sometimes cause genital warts. Other types somtimes
lead to cancer of the the cervix, other genital areas, or anus.
|
Additional
Information:
- HPV
is a virus and is not curable with treatment.
- Most
HPV infections do not cause symptoms.
- Most
HPV infections go away by themselves.
- HPV
is passed by vaginal and anal sex, and once in a while by oral sex.
- HPV
is extremely common; most sexually active persons catch it at least
once.
- Genital
warts are the most common visible sign of HPV infection.
- Warts
of the genital or anal area are usually a minor health problem, but
they can sometimes cause bigger problems; they can get very large and
become infected or block urine (pee).
- Some
HPV types cause cervical cancer in women and anal cancer in men who
have sex with men or, much more rarely, cancer of the labia in women
and the penis in men.
- The
main protection against cervical cancer is the Pap smear, which
detects changes caused by HPV many years before cancer itself appears.
- Newborn
babies rarely catch the virus from the mother during birth, resulting
in warts of the mouth and throat (respiratory papillomatosis).
- Warts
of non-genital areas, such as the hands and feet, are caused by
different HPV types and are not sexually transmitted.
Risk:
What
do you think are your risks?
What do you do to reduce your risk of getting an STD?
Recognition:
What
are your symptoms?
Do you know that some STDs cause NO symptoms?
Response:
Stop
having sex.
Get tested and treated at a clinic or doctor's office .
Treat your partner(s). This reduces reinfection.
Testing
Sites:
GLCC Confidential Hepatitis and Syphilis
testing 1st and 3rd Fridays (2:30-6:30)
Broward County Health Department 780 SW 24th
Ave. Ft. Lauderdale, FL (954) 788-6095 (954) 847-3567
Project Link 4005 N. Federal Hwy Suite 207
Ft. Lauderdale (954) 564-1999 (Syphilis)
The Adult Men’s Evening Clinic 1900 East Commercial BLVD at
Holly Cross Hospital (954) 788-6001 Wed.-Thu. 4:30-7:00 p.m. only for men.
Resources and information
CDC national STD/HIV hotline numbers:
800-227-8922 or 800-342-2437;
Spanish 800-344-7432;
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What is human papillomavirus (HPV)?
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HPV
is a large family of viruses that infect the skin, often causing irregular
cell growth or warts. There are more than 60 types of HPV. Some types of
the virus are transmitted by nonsexual personal contact and cause common
skin warts. Several types of HPV are spread by sex and primarily infect
the genitals or anal area. Of the sexually transmitted types, some cause
cancer and pre-cancerous changes of the cervix, anus, or the skin of the
penis or female genitals. Other types cause warts of the genitals or anal
area. Genital warts are the most common symptoms of HPV infection.
However, most HPV infections do not lead to either warts or cancer; most
infections go away by themselves, without causing any symptoms.
HPV
infections are believed to be the most common of all sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs); most sexually active persons get at least one HPV
infection, usually without ever knowing it. At any time, somewhere around
20 million to 40 million Americans are infected with sexually transmitted
types of HPV, and the frequency of infection and disease appears to be
increasing.
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What are the symptoms of HPV infection?
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Most
HPV infections cause no symptoms at all. However, some infections cause
warts of the genital or anal areas and others cause cancer or
pre-cancerous changes.
Genital
Warts
Genital
warts range from cauliflower-like growths that are easily seen to smooth
bumps or flat, almost invisible growths. Some warts are hard and rough and
others soft and fleshy. They are painless, but may bleed easily or itch.
Warts usually remain small (less than a quarter inch in size), but very
large warts (sometimes an inch or more across) sometimes occur if warts
are not treated when small. Warts are most common at sites of friction or
rubbing during sex. Therefore, the most common sites in women are on the
labia minor or around the vaginal opening. In men, the head or shaft of
the penis is most commonly involved. However, warts commonly are seen in
other areas, such as the anus, scrotum, or labia major. Anal warts are
most common in gay men, but also occur frequently in both women and
heterosexual men. Warts usually appear a few weeks up to 3 months after
catching HPV, but sometimes warts may first appear many months or even a
few years after catching the virus. Therefore, the appearance of warts
doesn't always mean recent sex with an infected partner.
Cancer
and Related Problems
The
types of HPV that cause cancer and pre-cancerous changes are called
"high risk" types. Most infections with high-risk HPV types do
not lead to cancer; the immune system is able to remove the virus before
it causes problems. When it does occur, cancer takes time to develop.
First HPV causes abnormal cells to grow. It usually takes 5 years to 10
years, or even more, for cancer to develop. This is why Pap smears are so
important for women; a Pap smear can detect these abnormal cell changes so
that they can be treated before they lead to cancer. At this stage, the
disease is easily cured by minor surgery to remove the abnormal cells.
Therefore, a woman who gets regular Pap smears every one to three years is
almost 100% protected from getting cervical cancer. Research is going on
to learn whether Pap smears of the anus might help protect men who have
sex with men from developing anal cancer. Other cancers due to HPV (cancer
of the penis in men or vulva in women) are extremely rare and usually show
up first as a wart-like growths.
Genital
HPV is only transmitted through skin-to-skin contact during sex; infected
skin of one-person rubs against the skin of the other person and transfers
the virus. Almost all infections are acquired through vaginal or anal
intercourse, but rarely HPV may be transmitted by oral-genital sex. The
male condom is not as effective at preventing HPV transmission as it is
for the prevention of other STDs; the male condom does not prevent all
skin-to-skin contact during sex. The female condom provides wider coverage
and therefore might offer greater protection. Most infections do not have
symptoms--no warts or Pap smear abnormalities-- but transmission of the
virus is possible even though there are no visible signs of infection.
Infants born to infected mothers may become infected, usually in the mouth
or throat.
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How do I avoid HPV infection?
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Because
most genital HPV infections do not have symptoms and millions of people
already are infected, HPV infection is very difficult to prevent. On the
other hand, most HPV infections remain entirely silent and never cause
serious health problems, so it may be less important to avoid HPV than it
is to prevent most other STDs.
- Abstinence
from all sexual activity (not having vaginal, anal, or oral sex) is
the surest way to avoid becoming infected with HPV.
- The
next surest way is to limit sexual contact to one uninfected partner
who only has sex with you (mutual monogamy). If either of you has ever
had another sexual partner, it is likely that you could already be
infected with genital HPV and pass it to your partner.
- For
those choosing to be sexually active, condoms should be used correctly
and consistently to minimize transmission.
Please Note: The male condom is not as effective at preventing
HPV transmission as it is for prevention of other STDs; the male
condom does not prevent all skin-to-skin contact during sex. The
female condom provides wider coverage and therefore might offer
greater protection.
- Avoid
sexual contact with a new partner if you or your partner has
untreated, visible warts (or bumps that might be warts) on or near the
genital area, or if either partner has newly diagnosed (untreated) Pap
smear abnormalities. However, it probably is not necessary to avoid
sex with an ongoing partner. If you suspect that you might have
genital warts or other HPV infection (or any sexually transmitted
disease), seek immediate medical care.
- Before
having sex, talk with your partner(s) about HPV and other sexually
transmitted diseases. Negotiate a risk reduction strategy with them
that feels comfortable to both of you.
- You
should notify your current sex partner if you have HPV. If you have
newly diagnosed genital warts, you should also inform any partners you
had sex with in the 3 months before your warts appeared.
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How do I find out if I have genital HPV? (Diagnosis
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Genital
warts usually are diagnosed just by examining them carefully; an
experienced health care provider usually can tell whether a bump is a wart
by looking at it, sometimes using a magnifying glass.
A
Pap smear can determine whether a woman has pre-cancerous changes caused
by HPV. A newly developed test for HPV itself sometimes is used to help
determine how to treat women with Pap smear abnormalities. However,
testing for HPV is not recommended for healthy persons; there is no
treatment for silent HPV infection and most infections never cause health
problems.
When
a woman with Pap smear abnormalities has a further examination, a biopsy
often is done examine the tissues more carefully than is possible by the
Pap smear itself. (A biopsy is the removal of a piece of tissue for
examination under a microscope.) Once in a while, a biopsy also is done
for genital bumps or warts, especially if the diagnosis is uncertain or
the provider suspects cancer or a pre-cancerous lesion.
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What is the treatment for genital HPV infection?
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No
treatment is recommended for most HPV infections. Treatment is only
recommended if there are visible warts or Pap smear abnormalities. No
antibiotics or other drugs kill HPV; treatment depends on destroying or
removing abnormal tissues, such as warts, pre-cancerous cellular
abnormalities, or cancer itself. Even when these tissues are removed or
destroyed, HPV often persists in surrounding areas. Therefore, although
the symptoms of HPV can be treated, HPV infections themselves usually
cannot be cured. Most warts and pap abnormalities will eventually go away
on their own, even if not treated.
Genital
Warts
Several
treatments are available for genital or anal warts. The best choice
depends on such things as the size and location or the warts, convenience,
and cost. Patients should consult their doctors to determine the best
treatment for them.
There
are two classes of treatment, those that are applied by the health care
provider and those that the patient can use at home. There are no approved
"over-the-counter" treatments that do not require a prescription
or treatment by a health care provider. Never attempt to treat warts
without a doctor's guidance.
Patient-applied
Treatments:
The
two main treatments that can be used by the patient at home are podofilox
(CondyloxTM) and imiquimod (AldaraTM). Both are creams that are applied to
the warts. Podofilox chemically damages the wart and imiquimod works by
stimulating the body's immune system, which in turn destroys the wart.
Both require several weeks of repeated treatment and both can cause
irritation and soreness of the treatment area. Pregnant women must avoid
both of these treatments.
Provider-applied
Treatments:
The
most common provider-applied treatments are:
- freezing
the warts, usually using liquid nitrogen
- trichloroacetic
acid, which chemically "burns" the wart and
- podophyllin
resin, which is similar to podofilox but must be applied in the
doctor's office.
All
of these require several treatments over at least 2 or 3 weeks. Freezing
usually works fastest, but can be somewhat painful. All three can cause
soreness and irritation around the treated area. Some warts are best
treated by directly removing them with surgery or by destroying them with
electrocautery (burning) or laser treatment.
None
of these treatments works in all cases; if the first treatment doesn't
completely clear the warts, another method usually is successful. With all
methods, warts sometimes return and repeat treatment sometimes is needed.
But also remember that most warts will eventually go away on their own,
even if not treated.
High-Risk
HPV Infection
Infection
with high-risk HPV types, usually diagnosed because a woman has an
abnormal Pap smear, is only treated by removing or destroying the infected
tissues. The most common method is a kind of office surgery called
"loop electrocautery excision procedure", or LEEP. If early
cancer is present, more extensive surgery may be necessary. The best
treatment is determined by a specialist individually for each patient.
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How does HPV affect pregnancy?
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A
mother with genital warts (or with silent infection with the wart-cause
types of HPV) can pass the infection to her infant during birth. Genital
warts sometimes enlarge during pregnancy. Some treatments may harm the
baby in the womb and must be avoided during pregnancy.
Resources
and information
CDC
national STD/HIV hotline numbers:
800-227-8922 or 800-342-2437;
Spanish 800-344-7432;
TTY 800-243-7889
Testing Sites:
GLCC Confidential Hepatitis and Syphilis
testing 1st and 3rd Fridays (2:30-6:30)
Broward County Health Department 780 SW 24th
Ave. Ft. Lauderdale, FL (954) 788-6095 (954) 847-3567
Project Link 4005 N. Federal Hwy Suite 207
Ft. Lauderdale (954) 564-1999 (Syphilis)
The Adult Men’s Evening Clinic 1900 East Commercial BLVD at
Holly Cross Hospital (954) 788-6001 Wed.-Thu. 4:30-7:00 p.m. only for men.
Resources and information
CDC national STD/HIV hotline numbers:
800-227-8922 or 800-342-2437;
Spanish 800-344-7432;
