Plain and simple facts about common STDs

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Your best protection against being infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) is adopting responsible sexual behavior. This, according to physicians, also includes performing safe sex with a steady, healthy partner.

Some STDs show no symptoms, meaning the infected person can transmit the diseases to others without knowing it. Once infected, the person and his or her partner(s) must be treated immediately to prevent the disease from developing further and to avoid secondary infection.

Sexually active people, especially those with numerous sexual partners, are also advised to have periodic medical examinations for STDs. It is advisable not to wait for the symptoms to appear if you are exposed to risk.

Chlamydia: Is a curable STD caused by the chlamydia bacterium. Don't confuse this condition with gonorrhea, which has similar symptoms and may occur at the same time. The bacteria exists in semen, vaginal fluid and blood of the infected person.

Transmission: Through oral, vaginal or anal sex. A pregnant woman infected with the disease also risks transmitting chlamydia to her newborn baby during delivery.

Chlamydia can lead to serious health problems, including pelvic inflammatory disease, which may lead to infertility, tubal (ectopic) pregnancy in women and epididymitis (inflammation of the testicles that may lead to infertility) in men.

Symptoms: It may show no symptoms (asymptomatic) and if it does, symptoms may seem to come and go. In women: Milky or yellowish vaginal discharge with offensive odor and pain during urination. In men: Sticky, milky discharge from penis, irritation around the opening of the penis, testicular pain, swollen testes, pain in the groin.

Infection can occur in the throat (oral-genital contact) and eyes, causing inflammation.

Treatment: Antibiotics.

Prevention: Avoid sexual relations with more than one partner, use condoms during sex.

Gonorrhea: Is caused by the Neisseria gonorrhea bacterium in the vagina, penis, genital tract, throat and rectum. It can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause infertility and tubal (ectopic) pregnancy and abscesses in women, and epididymitis in men.

Gonorrhea can spread unless properly treated. A previous infection may make a new infection develop more rapidly.

Transmission: Through sexual contact (vaginal, oral and anal), from mother to newborn child (may cause blindness if the baby's eyes are infected). The infected person can transfer the bacteria to other parts of his or her own body (autoinfection).

Symptoms: In men: Creamy or greenish discharge, painful urination, testicular pain. In women: Creamy, greenish or bloody vaginal discharge, pain while urinating and having sex, bleeding between periods, lower abdominal pain, irritation of the vulva, throat and rectal infection. Rectal infection can cause itchiness, constipation, bleeding, pus-like discharge and blood in the feces. However, it may also show no symptoms.

Prevention: Avoid having multiple partners and use condoms. If infected, avoid any sexual contact. Thorough hygiene (washing of hands etc.) is essential, as the bacteria can be transferred to the eyes.

Treatment: Antibiotics. When gonorrhea and chlamydia infect a person at the same time, a combination of antibiotics.

Herpes: Is caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV). It is categorized into HSV type I and HSV type II. HSV type I affects the face (oral herpes/cold sores or fever blisters) and HSV type II affects the genital area.

People can be infected for life after the first infection. It is often accompanied by psychological and emotional stress.

Transmission: Through vaginal, oral and anal sex, and skin to skin contact. Newborn babies can also be infected. Herpes can infect and kill a fetus. It can be transmitted with or without the presence of symptoms.

Symptoms: Blisters and ulcers, but it may also show no symptoms or can be so mild that it goes unnoticed. Genital herpes can cause recurrent painful ulcers, which may turn into painful blisters. The disease can't be 100 percent cured and can appear when a person is under pressure, fatigued or menstruating. Flu-like symptoms like fever, swollen glands or mild symptoms can appear, and are often mistaken for insect bites or a rash.

Prevention: Use condoms, avoid sexual contact if you are infected, avoid having more than one sexual partner.

Treatment: There is no medication for the disease, but infected people can be treated to soothe pain. They are given vitamins to improve their stamina and nutrition levels, while other medical sources claim that some drugs (including zovirax), herbs and essential oils have been used to treat herpes.

Syphilis: Is caused by a bacterium called Treponema pallidum.

The initial infection causes an ulcer at the site of infection but over time the bacteria moves throughout the body, causing damage to many organs. If untreated, it can cripple, cause blindness, heart abnormalities, skin and bone disorders, neurological problems and death. Mothers can transmit the bacteria to their unborn babies, who may possibly develop mental or physical problems, or can even be stillborn.

Transmission: Through sexual and physical contact. The bacteria can also be transmitted through broken skin on other parts of the body.

Symptoms: During primary syphilis, the ulcers develop on genitals, around the anus and mouth. With secondary syphilis, lumps appear throughout the body, accompanied by a mild fever and fatigue. It may disappear without treatment but may recur. During the late stages of syphilis, the lesions are produced but may also show no symptoms.

Prevention: Avoid contact with infected sores, infected tissues and body fluids, use condoms during sex, avoid having more than one sexual partner.

Treatment: Penicillin and other antibiotics.

Chancroid: Is a curable disease, caused by Hemophilus ducreyi bacteria. If left untreated, the sores can result in painful urination or erections and may develop into abscesses and leave deep scars around the groin.

Transmission: Sexual contact or autoinfection.

Symptoms: Tender but painful sores around genitals or mouth, swollen lymph nodes around the groin. In women, sores may be invisible if they develop inside the vagina and they can unknowingly transmit the disease.

Prevention: Use condoms, avoid having sex with more than one partner.

Hepatitis B: Is caused by the hepatitis B virus and is often called inflammation of the liver. This disease is spread through sexual contact but there are no symptoms in the genital area.

Transmission: Through blood, vaginal and seminal fluid, feces, saliva, urine, sweat and sexual contact. It can spread through kissing, sharing a toothbrush, razors, nail clippers, body piercing instruments, syringes, other items contaminated by an infected person's blood or body fluid, and through consuming contaminated drinking water, ice or food.

Symptoms: Fever, fatigue, nausea, jaundice of the whites of the eyes and skin, pain in the abdomen.

Prevention: Use condoms, don't share things that may be contaminated by an infected person's blood, get vaccinated.

Treatment: Get vaccinated because there is no medical treatment. But Interferon and Lamivudine are used to treat the disease.

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome): Is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which destroys the body's ability to fight infections, making it prone to disease-causing bacteria, viruses and other microbes.

Transmission: Through sharing of syringes, sexual contact (vaginal, oral and anal sex), blood transfusions or contact with infected blood or genital secretions. Pregnant women can also transfer the disease to an unborn child.

Symptoms: Asymptomatic people with AIDS may not look sick but can transmit HIV. Loss of the immune system may make the body prone to various infections and can lead to death.

Prevention: Abstinence from sex, avoid unprotected sex and needle sharing. You will not get HIV by touching an infected person, embracing them, sharing utensils, clothes, towels and touching objects like toilet seats or door knobs.

Treatment: There is no cure for HIV, but there are a number of drugs to treat HIV infection, like lamivudine and stavudine.

The information presented above has been collected from the Family and Reproductive Health Clinic (KKRK), and other sources.