How to Know if You Have a Sexually Transmitted Infection

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are also commonly called sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They are the infections you become from some other person through sexual contact. Co-ordinate to the CDC, there are more than 20 known types of STDs/STIs. In addition, over 20 1000000 people in the United States are infected each year. About half of these people are age fifteen-24. Luckily, most STDs can be treated and cured.

How practice you know if you lot have one? What is the best treatment? The data hither should help answer these questions.

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How do the male person reproductive organs work?

The male reproductive system is specialized for the following functions:

• To produce, maintain and send sperm (the male person reproductive cells) and protective fluid (semen)
• To discharge sperm within the female reproductive tract
• To produce and secrete male person sexual activity hormones

The male reproductive anatomy includes external structures which include the:

• Penis
• Scrotum
• Testicles (testes)

The male reproductive anatomy includes internal structures which include the:

• Vas Deferens
• Ejaculatory ducts
• Urethra
• Seminal Vesicles
• Prostate Gland
• Bulbourethral Glands (Cowper'southward Gland)

How practice the female reproductive organs work?

The female reproductive system provides several functions. The ovaries produce the female person egg cells, called the ova or oocytes. The oocytes are then transported to the fallopian tube where fertilization by a sperm may occur. The fertilized egg and then moves to the uterus, where the uterine lining has thickened in response to the normal hormones of the reproductive cycle. One time in the uterus the fertilized egg tin implant into thickened uterine lining and continue to develop. If fertilization does non accept place, the uterine lining is shed as menstrual flow. In addition, the female reproductive organisation produces female sexual practice hormones that maintain the reproductive cycle.

During menopause the female reproductive organization gradually stops making the female hormones necessary for the reproductive bike to work. At this point, menstrual cycles can become irregular and eventually stop. One year after menstrual cycles cease, the woman is considered to be menopausal.

The female reproductive anatomy includes both external and internal structures.

The part of the external female reproductive structures (the genital) is twofold: To enable sperm to enter the trunk and to protect the internal genital organs from infectious organisms.The main external structures of the female person reproductive organization include:

• Labia Majora
• Labia minora
• Bartholin Glands
• Clitoris

The female person reproductive anatomy includes internal structures which include the:

• Vagina
• Uterus (Womb)
• Ovaries
• Fallopian Tubes

Often, there are no symptoms at all.

Men may feel the post-obit symptoms:

• Burning or itching in the penis
• A drip (belch) from the penis
• Pain around pelvis
• Sores, bumps or blisters on penis, anus, or mouth
• Called-for and hurting with urine or with bowel movements
• Having to go to the bathroom often

Women may feel the post-obit symptoms:

• Burning or itching in the vagina
• A discharge or odor from the vagina
• Pain around the pelvis
• Haemorrhage from the vagina that is not normal
• Pain deep inside during sex
• Sores, bumps or blisters in the vagina, anus, or mouth
• Called-for and pain with urine or with bowel movements
• Having to go to the bathroom oftentimes

What causes STDs?

Bacteria and viruses that grow in warm, moist places in the body cause STDs. They are passed from one person to some other through sex activity. Infections can spread from the penis, vagina, oral cavity or anus. These infections tin can be pocket-sized or they can be very painful, even life threatening.

How do sexually transmitted infections spread?

They are spread through fluids in the body. Most often shared during vaginal, oral or anal sexual activity. Some STDs laissez passer from one person to some other through infected blood. For instance, amidst people who share infected drug needles. Or a mother may infect her child during pregnancy, childbirth or nursing.

STDs are not spread through casual contact. Shaking hands, sharing clothes, or sharing a toilet seat, for example, would non lead to STDs.

Who is at risk?

Anyone can become a STD. Teenagers and young adults have the highest risk. They are more than likely to have many sex partners, and they may not know how to prevent issues. Street-drug users who use dirty needles are as well at risk.

A wellness care professional person tin diagnose STIs. They volition enquire personal questions virtually your sexual practice history. It'southward important to exist honest so yous tin can become assistance. They may take a sample of fluid from the vagina or penis, or a blood exam to ostend the problem. Laboratory tests can show what, if whatsoever, bacterial or viral STIs are nowadays.

• Claret tests can show if you have a disease that infects the blood.
• Urine samples can bear witness if y'all have a bacteria in your urine from an STI.
• Fluid samples can show if you accept active sores and help diagnose the type of infection.

What are the virtually common types of STIs/STDs and how are they treated?

• Chlamydia

• Gonorrhea

• Syphilis

• Genital Herpes

• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

• Hepatitis B (HBV)

• Genital Warts (HPV)

• Trichomoniasis

Chlamydia

This is the most common bacterial STI in the United States. An estimated 1.iv million new cases are diagnosed each year. Information technology is transmitted through unprotected vaginal and anal sexual practice.

Sometimes people accept no sign that they have this disease. A man with chlamydia may experience hurting when urinating or see fluid drip from the penis. A woman may bleed between periods, feel pain when urinating, encounter a discharge or feel mild hurting in the lower abdomen. From anal sex, a patient may have anal bleeding or pain.

Once diagnosed, a person can be treated with an antibiotic. If untreated, it tin cause serious damage to a woman's reproductive system. Information technology can brand information technology difficult or impossible to get pregnant.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea tin can cause infections in the genitals, rectum, and pharynx. Young people, age 15-24, are most often affected. You can get it by having unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the disease.

It may show no symptoms. Or, a person may find a discharge from the penis or vagina, and feel hurting when urinating.

Gonorrhea is treated with antibiotics. If untreated, information technology tin can cause serious damage to a woman's reproductive system. Information technology tin can go far difficult or incommunicable to get significant. In men, if this is left untreated information technology may cause urethral stricture.

Syphilis

This is a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection from vaginal, anal or oral sexual practice. Information technology can spread if the sores acquired by syphilis touch the skin of a salubrious person. Sores tin be establish on the penis, vagina, anus, in the rectum, or on the lips and rima oris. Syphilis tin also spread from an infected female parent to her unborn babe.

Ordinarily, the commencement symptom is a painless open sore. Sores can grade on your genitals, or the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. The 2d stage rash can look like rough, red or crimson brown spots.

Penicillin is a successful treatment. If syphilis is not treated, it can remain in the body for years. It tin cause serious problems including paralysis (unable to movement torso parts), mental disorders, damage to organs and fifty-fifty death.

Genital Canker

This infection is very common. I in half-dozen people (age xiv-49) has genital herpes. Many people don't know they have it. This infection, caused by two viruses, Canker Simplex Virus Type i (HSV-1) and Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-two).

The Herpes Simplex Virus Type one (HSV-1) is more often than not spread past nonsexual contact but it tin spread with oral sexual practice. HSV-1 ordinarily causes sores on the lips.

The Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-ii) spreads when fluid from the infection touches a partner, often during sex. Genital blisters from HSV-2 may not be seen.

Blisters tin grade, break, cause pain and take weeks to heal. There is no known cure for HSV just symptoms can be treated with antiviral medicine.

Caused Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

AIDS results from an infection with the man immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Information technology is not curable, and potentially deadly. It attacks the body's allowed arrangement.

Only claret, semen ( cum), pre-seminal fluid ( pre-cum), rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk carry the virus. Infected needles or other sharp tools can spread AIDS likewise. An infected mother tin give her babe the virus during pregnancy, childbirth or nursing.

Some people have no signs if they get it. Others may experience like they have a bad flu for a long time. The virus tin can go un-noticed for many years. If yous think you've been in contact with an infected person, you lot should get tested.

Antiviral, HIV medicines are available to improve the life and health of an infected person.

Hepatitis B (HBV)

This STI is a serious virus that attacks the liver. Effective vaccines since the 1990s take helped to forestall this infection. At that place are fewer cases every yr. Blood, semen and torso fluids shared during sexual activity can spread the virus. Many people are built-in with the disease from their infected mother. Getting intendance to people with long-term HBV is important but often people accept no articulate symptoms.

When symptoms are nowadays, they can include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, poor ambition, vomiting and diarrhea. Since HBV attacks liver cells, it can pb to cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and possibly decease. Dark urine, abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes are signs of liver damage.

There is no known cure for hepatitis B. Still, medications to care for chronic infection will help. Vaccine is the all-time protection. Acute HBV has no handling. Chronic HBV is treated with antiviral medicines, interferon treatment, or a liver transplant. Vaccine is the all-time prevention.

Genital Warts

These warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the nearly common viral STI the Us. Information technology is spread through vaginal or anal sexual activity. It tin be passed fifty-fifty when an infected person has no symptoms.

The warts that develop are painless, fleshy, cauliflower-looking bumps. They grow on the penis or in and effectually the entrance of the vagina or anus. HPV may eventually cause cervical cancer.

Fortunately, there is a successful vaccine to prevent HPV and genital warts. The vaccine is given to children age 11 or 12, or for people historic period 20-26. There is no known cure for genital warts. However, they can be treated with topical ointments. Sometimes they can exist removed with minor surgical procedures (e.g., cautery (freezing or burning off the wart), chemicals, or light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation). Vaccine is the best prevention.

Trichomoniasis

This STI results from a parasite. It is spread through sexual contact from the penis or vagina. Information technology mainly affects young, sexually active women. Uncircumcised men are found to spread the infection more than. Only nigh thirty% of people with this STI have symptoms.

Men with this STI may experience itching or irritation inside the penis. They may see discharge or feel burning subsequently urination or ejaculation. Women may notice itching, called-for, redness or soreness, discomfort with urination. Or, they may have an unusual discharge with a bad smell. Having trichomoniasis can go far feel unpleasant to have sex.

Without treatment, the infection tin concluding for months or fifty-fifty years. Women with it may deliver underweight babies. Trichomoniasis tin be easily treated with antibiotics.

Well-nigh STIs/STDs are cured after treatment. Some require life-long management with antiviral medicine. STDs tin can return with risky sexual behavior. Some people chose to become tested often, to ensure that they don't have a STI. It is possible to forestall STIs and limit your chances of getting another.

How can STIs/STDs exist prevented?

The but way to avert a STI or STD is to have no sexual contact with an infected person. Other protections include:

• Using a condom correctly, and e'er with sex
• Having a sexual relationship with only one, long-term partner who has no infections
• Limiting the number of sexual partners you take
• Using clean needles if y'all are injecting drugs

Using latex condoms the right fashion helps to protect yous and your partner. However, condoms don't encompass everything. It is possible to get or spread infections even when using a condom.

Talk virtually STIs before y'all have sex with a new partner. This style you can make informed choices well-nigh risks yous want to take with your sex life. The only style to truly forestall STIs/STDs is to avoid having sexual practice.

If you or someone you know has symptoms like unusual discharge, called-for during urination, or a sore in the genital area, please talk with a health intendance provider. You can go treatment and aid.

Can STIs/STDs cause other health problems in women?

Some STIs tin spread into a woman'due south uterus and fallopian tubes. They can cause pelvic inflammatory disease. They can cause infertility and ectopic pregnancy (leading to fetal and possibly maternal decease). STIs can be passed from female parent to baby. Too, there are some links between STIs and cancer.

What if I am pregnant?

You can get treatment to prevent issues for your baby. If yous are pregnant and take STD symptoms, please contact your md immediately. STDs during pregnancy should exist addressed quickly.

Can I get a STI by open-mouth kissing?

Open-mouth kissing is considered a low-gamble action for the spread of STIs, especially HIV. However, open-mouth kissing for a long fourth dimension could damage the pare around the rima oris and lips. This would let HIV to pass from an infected person to a partner. Because of this risk, the CDC recommends using caution with an infected partner.

Should I be checked for STIs?

If you have had many sexual partners or have sex without protection, you should talk to a doctor. Whether or not you accept symptoms, a doctor can assist. Testing for STIs/STDs is very easy and routine. Information technology'due south meliorate to have the test and get treated, than to risk health issues or infect others. HIV, HBV and syphilis testing are recommended. Cultures can be performed over fourth dimension if you accept unprotected sex with many partners.

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Source: https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/s/sexually-transmitted-infections

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