Bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis is the most common cause of vaginal infection. It is less commonly referred to as vaginal bacteriosis. It is not considered to be a sexually transmitted infection.] BV is not transmitted through sexual intercourse but is more common in women who are sexually active BV is caused by an imbalance of naturally occurring bacterial flora and should not be confused with yeast infection (candidiasis), or infection with Trichomonas vaginalis (trichomoniasis), which are not caused by bacteria.
The most common symptom of BV is an abnormal homogeneous off-white vaginal discharge (especially after sex) with an unpleasant smell This malodorous discharge coats the walls of the vagina, and is usually without irritation, pain or erythema.
By contrast, Normal vaginal discharge will vary in consistency and amount throughout the menstrual cycle. A normal discharge is at its clearest about 2 weeks before the period starts.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a genus of bacteria that are obligate intracellular parasites. Chlamydia infections are the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections in humans and are the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide.
The three Chlamydia species include Chlamydia trachomatis (a human pathogen), Chlamydia suis (affects only swine), and Chlamydia muridarum (affects only mice and hamsters). Prior to 1999, the Chlamydia genus also included the species that are presently in the genus Chlamydophila: Two clinically relevant species, Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Chlamydophila psittaci were moved to the Chlamydophila genus.
Because of Chlamydia's unique developmental cycle, it was taxonomically classified in a separate order. Chlamydia is part of the Chlamydiales order, Chlamydiaceae family, along with Chlamydophila genus. As of March 2008, a new chlamydial agent has been proposed to be introduced into the Chlamidiaceae family, namely 'Candidatus Clavochlamydia salmonicola'
· Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD in the United States.
· Sexually active females 25 years old and younger need testing every year.
· Easy to cure, chlamydia can impact a woman’s ability to have children if left untreated.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea (also gonorrhoea, sometimes referred to as 'the clap) is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae (also called Gonococcus, which is often abbreviated as "GC" by clinicians). In the US, its incidence is second only to chlamydia among bacterial STDs. In both men and women if gonorrhea is left untreated, it may spread throughout the body, affecting joints and even heart valves.
Gonorrhea cannot be spread by sharing toilets and bathrooms
A small number of people may be asymptomatic for a lifetime. Between 30% and 60% of people with gonorrhea are asymptomatic or have subclinical disease.
In males, symptoms include a yellowish discharge from the penis, associated with painful, and sometimes frequent, urination. Symptoms can develop from two to thirty days after infection. A few percent of infected men have no symptoms. The infection may move into the prostate, seminal vesicles, and epididymis, causing pain and fever. Untreated, gonorrhea can lead to sterility. It is not unusual for men to have asymptomatic gonorrhea. Men may complain of pain on urinating and thick, copious, urethral pus discharge (also known as gleet) is the most common presentation. Examination may show a reddened external urethral meatus. Ascending infection may involve the epididymis, testicles, or prostate gland, causing symptoms such as scrotal pain or swelling.
More than half of women with gonorrhea show no symptoms, or symptoms mild enough to be ignored. Women may complain of vaginal discharge, difficulty urinating (dysuria), projectile urination, off-cycle menstrual bleeding, or bleeding after sexual intercourse. The cervix may appear anywhere from normal to the extreme of marked cervical inflammation with pus. Early symptoms may include a discharge from the vagina, discomfort in the lower abdomen, irritation of the genitals, pain or burning during urination and abnormal bleeding. Less advanced symptoms, which may indicate development of pelvic inflammatory disease, include cramps and pain, bleeding between menstrual periods, vomiting, or fever. Women who leave these symptoms untreated may develop severe complications. The infection will usually spread to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, causing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.
Possibility of increased production of male hormones is common. Infection of the urethra (urethritis) causes little dysuria or pus. The combination of urethritis and cervicitis on examination strongly supports a gonorrhea diagnosis, as both sites are infected in most gonorrhea patients. Gonorrhea infection can also be present as septic arthritis. Instances of blurred vision in one eye may occur in adults.
Herpes
Following the classification HSV into two distinct categories of HSV-1 and HSV-2 in the 1960s, it was established that "HSV-2 was below the waist, HSV-1 was above the waist". Although genital herpes is largely believed to be caused by HSV-2, genital HSV-1 infections are increasing and now exceed 50% in certain populations,and that rule of thumb no longer applies. HSV is believed to be asymptomatic in the majority of cases, thus aiding contagion and hindering containment.
When symptomatic, the typical manifestation of a primary HSV-1 or HSV-2 genital infection is clusters of genital sores consisting of inflamed papules and vesicles on the outer surface of the genitals resembling cold sores. These usually appear 4–7 days after sexual exposure to HSV for the first time. Genital HSV-1 infection recurs at rate of about one sixth of that of genital HSV-2. In males, the lesions occur on the glans penis, shaft of the penis or other parts of the genital region, on the inner thigh, buttocks, or anus. In females, lesions appear on or near the pubis, labia, clitoris, vulva, buttocks or anusAfter 2–3 weeks, existing lesions progress into ulcers and then crust and heal, although lesions on mucosal surfaces may never form crusts. In rare cases, involvement of the sacral region of the spinal cord can cause acute urinary retention and one-sided symptoms and signs of myeloradiculitis (a combinatio of myelitis and radiculitis): pain, sensory loss, abnormal sensations (paresthesia) and rash. Historically this has been termed Elsberg syndrome, although this entity is not clearly defined.
· You can get genital herpes even if your partner shows no signs of the infection.
· If you have any symptoms (like a sore on your genitals, especially one that periodically recurs) laboratory tests can help determine if you have genital herpes.
· There is no cure for herpes, but treatment is available to reduce symptoms and decrease the risk of transmission to a partner.
Medical research has not been able to find a way to halt the spread of herpes and the number of infected people keeps growing. In the United States alone, 45 million people are infected, with an additional one million new infections occurring every year.
Genital herpes cannot be cured. Moreover, genital herpes can be transmitted by viral shedding prior to and following the visual signs of symptoms. There are however some drugs that can shorten outbreaks and make them less severe or even stop them from happening. Among these drugs one can find are: acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir.
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).This condition progressively reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. HIV is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the bloodstream with a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, preseminal fluid, and breast milk.This transmission can involve anal, vaginal or oral sex, blood transfusion, contaminated hypodermic needles, exchange between mother and baby during pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or other exposure to one of the above bodily fluids.
AIDS is now a pandemic.In 2007, it was estimated that 33.2 million people lived with the disease worldwide, and that AIDS killed an estimated 2.1 million people, including 330,000 children Over three-quarters of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa
Genetic research indicates that HIV originated in west-central Africa during the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.
Although treatments for AIDS and HIV can slow the course of the disease, there is no known cure or vaccine. Antiretroviral treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, but these drugs are expensive and routine access to antiretroviral medication is not available in all countries. Due to the difficulty in treating HIV infection, preventing infection is a key aim in controlling the AIDS pandemic, with health organizations promoting safe sex and needle-exchange programmes in attempts to slow the spread of the virus.
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