Lecture Notes: STIs-2
The CDC estimated in 2002 that:
Over 65 million people in the USA are living with an incurable STI.
15 million additional Americans become infected with some sort
of STI every year.
People age 15-25 remain at highest risk.
Anyone having sex with more than one partner (or who's had sex
with someone who's been with someone else) in a year should be
tested annually.
All states and DC require the reporting of syphilis, gonorrhea, and
AIDS. Other states also require the reporting of chlamydia, genital
herpes, genital warts, and HIV.
Historically, STI's have been around a long time. They were
written up in Egypt by 1900 B.C., but their nature and causes
were naturally not well understood.
STI's ("venereal diseases") were considered to be God's (gods')
punishment for sinful behavior.
This hasn't exactly inspired people to seek testing or treatment.
STI's have also been used to slander whole races (syphislis as the
"French disease").
STI's
How caused?
(Bacterial, Viral, Other)
Some symptoms
How treated?
How to catch one
How to avoid them
Attitudes: Punishment, shame
Women: more vulnerable, less symptomatic
Pregnancy: damages to fertility, fetus
Any mode of transmission will work fine: oral, genital, anal, skin-
to-skin.
Don't share drinking glasses, wet towels, lipstick, razors,
toothbrushes, toilet seats, underwear, combs, needles
....
Undiagnosed STI's are trouble
Many STI's show no symptoms, but meanwhile internal damage
may occur.
Inflammation of pelvic organs can lead to infertility & other
problems. PID = Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
You can move STI's from place to place on your own body.
Transmission to baby usually happens during childbirth.
Diagnosis & treatment are individualized.
Travis County 469-3217
Planned Parenthood 472-0868
UT Health Center 471-3515
STI Info
Bacterially-Caused STIs:
•
Gonorrhea
•
Chlamydia
•
Syphilis
•
some vaginitis
There are antibiotic-resistant strains.
Gonorrhea: 80% of women who contract it have no symptoms,
but may pass it on to a partner.
Gonorrhea Symptoms:
Men: Yellowish, thick penile discharge; Burning on urination
Women: Increased vaginal discharge; Burning on urination;
Irregular menstrual bleeding
(Most women show no early symptoms)
Diagnosed: Clinical inspection; culture of discharge
Treated: Antibiotics (you hope)
Untreated: Epididymitis; kidney problems; PID in women;
infertility
•
gonococcal arthritis
•
gonococcal dermatitis
•
gonococcal endocarditis
•
gonococcal ophthalmic infection
Syphilis: About 120,000 new cases a year in U.S.
Can lead to more serious problems than gonorrhea, including:
blindness, heart disease, deteriorative mental illness, even death.
Transmission occurs during contact with open lesions, mucous
membranes, or skin abrasions on infected person.
Syphilis Symptoms
Primary Stage: A painless chancre (a hard, round, ulcerlike lesion
with raised edges) appears at the infection site within 2-4 weeks.
