SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

WHAT IS STD? STD is the invasion of an organism in body tissue….. Transmitted from one person to another…. During sexual contact

WHAT DOES STD HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

 Steady partner of Bruce for two years  Pregnant but doesn’t know KARA

 Steady partner of Kara for the past two years  Had sex with Becky six weeks ago after a fight with Kara  HIV positive, but doesn’t know – never tested BRUCE

 Had sex one time with Bruce  Occasionally has sex with Brad  Sometimes likes to “party” & usually ends up having sex with James  Has chlamydia with no symptoms BECKY

 Injection drug user  Never uses condoms  Takes home a different girl every night  Has herpes  Has hepatitis C JAMES

 Has had sex with Becky  Had sex with Chris once when he got high at a party  Has sex with Shelby BRAD

 Homosexual  No steady partner  Sometimes uses condoms  Has hepatitis B CHRIS

 “Steady” partner of Brad  Unaware that Brad has sex with anyone but her SHELBY

KARA Pregnant (Unknown) BRUCE HIV + (Unknown) BECKY Chlamydia - likes to “party” BRAD Got “high” at a party – homosexual? CHRIS Homosexual Hepatitis b JAMES IDU, herpes Hepatitis C SHELBY Only has sex with brad “Monogamous” ???

HOW COMMON IS STD? Of the top ten most frequently reported diseases in the U.S. in 1995, half - accounting for 87% of all cases - were sexually transmitted (CDC) The U.S. has the highest rates of curable STDs in the developed world

WHAT HAS HAMPERED EFFORTS TO PREVENT STDs IN THE PAST?

“…Nice people don’t talk about syphilis, nice people don’t have syphilis, and nice people shouldn’t do anything about those who do have syphilis.” Dr. Thomas Parran, “Why Can’t We Stamp Out Syphilis?” Reader’s Digest / July 1936:65

BACTERIAL STDs

CURABLE?  Syphilis - 70,000 new cases annually  Gonorrhea - 650,000 each year  Chlamydia - 3 million (most common) American Social Health Association

VIRAL STDS

VIRAL STDs  Result in lifelong incurable infection  Some American adults think that all STDs are curable

INCURABLE?  HIV / AIDS  Herpes  Genital warts (HPV)  Hepatitis B /C (vaccine?)

STD INFECTIONS INCREASE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO HIV People with active STD are:  3-5 times more likely to contract HIV  3-5 times more likely to infect others with HIV

TRANSMISSION OF STDs OCCURS THROUGH FOUR BASIC ROUTES

1.SEMEN/VAGINAL FLUID TRANSMITS:  HIV  Gonorrhea  Chlamydia  Hepatitis B

VIA: Intimate sexual activities in which fluids are passed from an infected person to another person

CAN BE PREVENTED BY:  Avoiding activities that increase contact with body fluids  Using a latex barrier

2.BLOOD TRANSMITS:  HIV  Hepatitis B/C

VIA:  Needles and drug paraphernalia  Sexual activities  Blood products

CAN BE PREVENTED BY:  Not sharing needles - any!  Cleaning needles?  Not having sex when blood is present  Latex barriers

3. SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT TRANSMITS:  Syphilis  Herpes  Genital warts (HPV)

VIA: Direct contact with infected parts of body during periods of contagion

THESE INCLUDE TOUCHING OF:  Prodomal or active herpes lesions (visible or not)  Primary syphilis lesions  HPV infected site (visible or not)

CAN BE PREVENTED BY:  Avoiding activities that involve skin to skin contact  Latex barriers

4. NEONATAL TRANSMISSION  HIV  Hepatitis B/C  Syphilis  Chlamydia  Gonorrhea  HPV  Herpes

VIA:  Infection in utero (HIV, syphilis, HPV, herpes)  During birth process (all listed)  Through breastfeeding (HIV)

CAN BE PREVENTED BY:  Screening and treatment of STDs  Risk reduction during pregnancy  C-Section?  Not breastfeeding?

STD WARNING SIGNS  Excess discharge or unusual smell from the vagina  Irritation, discomfort, itching, swelling, soreness,or pain in or around the vagina or rectum  Genital sores, blisters, rashes, bumps, or growths (even if they don’t hurt)

WARNING SIGNS, contd.  Painful urination  Swollen glands in the groin  Abdominal pain  Bleeding

INFECTION FROM ORAL SEX:  Swelling, soreness, redness in throat  Fevers, chills, aches  Sores, white patches in mouth

REMEMBER! It is possible to have an STD and have no signs at all – ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN

Q: Which of these people has an STD?

A: Who knows!

THE THREE R’S OF STD

RISK  STDs can cause serious risks – even death  There is more chance of getting herpes, chlamydia, etc., than HIV  STDs increase the risk for HIV

RECOGNITION  Symptoms can appear 3 days to 3 weeks after sex  Sore(s) around the genital area  Rash  Discharge

RESPONSE  See a health care provider  No sex until adequately treated  Talk to partners(s) and treat also  Take medication as directed

HEALTH CONSEQUENCES

Millions of men, women and children affected by long term complications  Various cancers  Ectopic pregnancy  Spontaneous abortion  Other chronic diseases

INFERTILITY At least 15% of all infertile American women are infertile because of damage resulting from an STD

PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE If not adequately treated:  20-40% of women infected with chlamydia  10-40% infected with gonorrhea Will develop PID

CHLAMYDIA Treatment of the consequences of chlamydia is estimated to be 12 times greater than the cost of screening and treatment

EACH YEAR IN THE U.S.  More than 1 million women with acute PID  Highest rate among teenagers  More than 100,000 women become infertile  In 1997 estimated $7 billion spent on PID and its complications NIAID/ NIH

DISEASE PREVENTION & REDUCTION

RISKIEST BEHAVIORS  Unprotected anal sex (not just MSM)  Unprotected vaginal sex  Injection drug use  Multiple partners

TESTING DOES NOT EQUAL PREVENTION

IT’S WHAT YOU DO! IT’S NOT WHO YOU ARE….

POINTS TO CONSIDER:  The U.S has high rates of STD  Bacterial STDs can be cured – but symptoms?  STDs are transmitted through four routes  Importance of prevention/risk reduction/early detection  It’s not who you are…….