1. BY NICK BUTTS, JACK CARMUSIN, MARK BLAUER, CHARLES SPORN STD’s and avoiding Pregnancy

2. What is an STD? Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections acquired by sexual contact. You can catch sexually transmitted diseases any time you have unprotected sex with a partner who is already infected. The organisms that cause sexually transmitted diseases may pass from person to person in blood, semen or vaginal fluids. It's possible to contract sexually transmitted diseases from people who seem perfectly healthy — people who, in fact, aren't even aware of being infected. That's because many sexually transmitted diseases cause no symptoms, at least at first. The symptoms of several sexually transmitted diseases are also easy to mistake for those of other conditions, so the correct diagnosis may be delayed.

3. Various STD’s Bacterial vaginosis Chlamydia Gonorrhea Hepatitis Herpes HIV/AIDS Human papillomavirus Pelvic inflammatory Syphilis Trichomoniasis

4. Symptoms of STD’s Sexually transmitted diseases have a wide range of symptoms. The first signs and symptoms of some STDs, occurring shortly after you're exposed to a sexually transmissible agent, are known as primary or acute infection. Symptoms may include: A sore or a cluster of sores or bumps, with or without pain, on the genitals or in the oral or rectal area Painful or burning urination Swollen lymph nodes, particularly in the groin but sometimes more widespread Fever and other flu-like symptoms appear a few days to three months after exposure

5. Causes of STD’s More than 30 viruses, bacteria and parasites cause STDs. Many of these organisms rely almost completely on sexual transmission to survive. In other words, if you have one of these infections, you most likely got it from sexual contact. Sexual activity plays a role in spreading many other infectious agents, although it's possible to catch these infections without sexual contact. Intravenous drugs abusers have a high risk of HIV and hepatitis B, which spread through needle sharing as well as sex.

6. What puts you at risk? Even between faithful and committed partners, STDs can happen. It's possible to be infected with herpes, for example, and never realize it, then pass the infection to your long-term partner. More often, though, people get sexually transmitted infections from casual or new partners. Your risk of catching any STD depends on your sex, age and sexual practices, as well as on the sexual practices and lifestyles of your potential partners. The same factors determine which STDs you're most likely to be exposed to. General risk factors include: - being sexually active - starting sexual activity at an early age - having high risk sex - injecting drugs - meeting people in public places or online for sex

7. Tests and diagnosis If your sexual history and current signs and symptoms suggest that you have an STD, laboratory tests can identify the cause and detect co-infections you might also have contracted. Laboratory tests of material from a genital sore or discharge are used to diagnose the most common bacterial STDs at an early stage. Chlamydia may go unnoticed at this stage in both men and women, though, delaying the diagnosis until complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) occur. Women can easily miss the symptoms or signs of gonorrhea as well.

8. Treatment Antibiotics can cure many sexually transmitted bacterial and parasitic infections, including gonorrhea, syphilis, Chlamydia and trichomonas. A single antibiotic dose, given orally or injected, is generally all you need to stop gonorrhea when it's limited to the urethra and cervix. Typically, you'll be treated for Chlamydia at the same time because the two infections often appear together. Chlamydia treatment consists of a seven-day course of an oral antibiotic. Sexually transmitted viral infections are not curable, but two such infections — human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B — are preventable with vaccines prior to exposure. You'll have fewer herpes recurrences if you take daily suppressive therapy with a prescription antiviral drug, but you can still give your partner herpes at any time.

9. Prevention Testing for a disease in someone who doesn't have symptoms is called screening. Most of the time, STD screening is not a routine part of health care. Vaccines are available to prevent two viral STDs that can cause cancer — human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B. The HPV vaccine is recommended for all girls between ages 9 and 26, and the hepatitis B vaccine is usually given to newborns. Inform all current partners and past partners that you have tested positive for an STD. Safe sex: using condoms during each sexual encounter

10. Avoiding Pregnancy Steering clear of genital-to-genital contact with men - though not the preferred solution for everyone - is the most surefire way to avoid conception. Settle on a birth control strategy (pill, cap, diaphragm, shot, implant, condoms - so many to choose from!) and stick with it every time. Every time.

11. Bibliography Sexually transmitted diseases. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2010, from Bing.com website: http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo- 126783/ Sexually-transmitted-diseases- STDs?q=sexually+transmitted+diseases&qpvt=STD's How to avoid getting pregnant. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/ how_4679_avoid-getting-pregnant.html Sexually transmitted diseases. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/std/