STI’s and How They Can Be Spread and Prevented

They care a major cause of ill health. A sexually transmitted infection is an infection that can be spread through sexual activity. This includes kissing, sexual intercourse, touching an infected sore, and the use of “toys”. The only real way to prevent getting a STI is by abstinence. Not all infections are obvious, and you might not even know you or someone you know has one. STI’s can lead to infertility in men and women, and can also cause ectopic pregnancies. Since 1995, the number of people with STI’s has increased mostly for teenage women and men in their 20’s, maybe because these people don’t know about STI’s.

Everyone is at risk. The people who are at the highest risk of catching one are young adults, people who have multiple sex partners, and people who use no form of protection. Everyone should always be careful to not catch a STI, because you don’t need to have sex to catch one.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. It only occurs in women and is transmitted sexually. If it is not treated, it can cause infertility, pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancies. An ectopic pregnancy is when the fertilized egg settles and develops in an area other than the uterus. Some symptoms of PID are abdominal pain, strange discharge, pain when urinating, and nausea. Treatments for mild cases are antibiotics, but for severe cases the infected person may have to have surgery.

A vaginal yeast infection only occurs in women, and it occurs when yeast cells (candida albicans) multiply in the vagina. Symptoms include pain during urination, itchiness, and thick, white discharge. Some treatments include nonprescription vaginal medicine, or prescription vaginal or oral medicine.

Pubic Lice, or crabs, are lice that settle themselves in pubic hair. These lice can migrate to other places on the body with hair, and they can be spread through sexual intercourse, beds, towels, or clothing. Symptoms include itching, nits in the pubic hair, and pubic bites from the lice. Itching usually worsens at night because the lice become active and bury themselves in the pubic hair to feed on the host’s blood. The lice bits can also become inflamed because of a reaction of the proteins to the saliva of the lice. Constant itching of the area can lead to another bacterial infection, and it can spread the lice. In young children, the lice can be a cause of blepharitis, or irritation of the eyelids. Pubic lice can be treated at home, but if someone at home has them precautions should be taken to make sure they don’t spread. The treatments include lotion, shampoo, and washing your bedding and clothing in hot water.

Trichomoniasis is the most common curable STI among young, sexually active women. It is passed from person to person through sexual intercourse. It is caused by a single-celled protozoan parasite that can be found in both men and women. In women, it can affect the cervix, vagina and bladder, and in men it affects the urethra. Symptoms in women include pain in urination, itchiness, and a change in discharge. Symptoms in men include discharge from the penis, irritation of the penis, and burning during urination. Treatments include metronidazole and tinidazole. If a pregnant woman has the infection, it may cause premature labor. It can also increase the risk of HIV in women, and it can increase the risk of that woman to pass HIV to her partners.

Other treatments and tests can include the Pap test and fluconazole. The Pap test is a screening for cervical cancer. Doctors screen a woman’s cervix and take some cells. They observe the cells and check for any premalignant (pre- cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) cells. Fluconazole is a white, powdery medicine used to prevent types of fungal infections, such as yeast infections caused by candida.

Some terms to know are condom, menstrual cycle, and vaginal discharge. A condom is a rubber glove that goes over the penis during sexual intercourse, and may prevent against some, but not all, STI’s. But it is not guaranteed. The menstrual cycle is a monthly cycle that occurs in women. The ovaries start preparing eggs for fertilization. Vaginal discharge is a fluid produced by the cervix and vaginal walls, and it is released at the opening of the vagina.

Some parts to know about are the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and the cervix. The fallopian tubes are the tubes that transport an egg from the ovary to the uterus. The ovaries are female gonads located near the pelvis that produce eggs, estrogen and progesterone. The cervix is the lower part of the womb located near a woman’s abdomen.

We hope this slide show was very informative and answered any questions you might have had!