The United States has the highest rates of STDs in the industrialized world.
Most teens who are sexually active have never been tested for STDs.
Most people who are infected with an STD don't even know it.
There are more than 330 million new cases of STDs per year worldwide. The population of the United States is 280 million.
If you or someone you know has been sexually active, it is critical you visit a healthcare provider to be tested for STDs.
Read below to learn more about the most common STDs:
Non-Viral STDs: Non-viral STDs, which are primarily bacterial diseases, can be cured if properly diagnosed and treated by a doctor. However, because STDs often have no noticeable symptoms or have very mild symptoms, people with a potentially curable STD may not receive the proper treatment simply because they don't know that they are infected.
Chlamydia is a common bacterial disease which often has no symptoms and may cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women. The highest rates of chlamydial infection in America today are among teen girls, where rates are 10 times higher than in the general population.
Gonorrhea may cause a thick white discharge and a burning sensation during urination and may also cause PID. Although gonorrhea rates have been generally in decline, this disease is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. At the same time, reported rates for this STD are also highest among teenage girls.
Syphilis can produce highly contagious open sores and increases the risk of acquiring HIV. Syphilis can be contracted through any type of sexual activity.
Trichomoniasis is a very common sexually transmitted disease with approximately three to five million cases occurring in America each year. Trichomoniasis can cause painful urination, or may have no symptoms at all, especially in men. For pregnant women, trichomoniasis may result in the delivery of a low-birth-weight or premature infant.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Although STDs affect both females and males, females are more likely to suffer damage to the reproductive system. Even though bacterial diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can be cured with proper diagnosis and treatment, many teens never even realize that they are infected and therefore do not seek treatment. This is especially problematic because an infected person can infect others, ev3en if symptoms are not present. At the same time, if a bacterial STD remains in the body without treatment, it may spread throughout the pelvic region causing permanent damage to the reproductive system. This condition is known as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Each year approximately 100,000Ñ200,000 women become infertile as a result of PID. Teens are especially susceptible to bacterial sexual diseases because their bodies are still developing.
Viral STDs: Viral STDs cannot be cured. If they are properly diagnosed by a doctor, medications can be prescribed which may help to suppress outbreaks of symptoms from some viral STDs, although side effects of medications are also important to consider. Viral STDs can be transmitted during sexual activity, even if not symptoms of the disease are present.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is highly contagious and may cause genital warts or cervical cancer, although most carriers of HPV have no clear symptoms. HPV is the fastest spreading STD in America today with an estimated 5.5 million cases per year. Condoms have not been proven effective in preventing HPV because it is a highly contagious STD which can infect the entire genital region and can be passed by skin to skin contact. More women in the United States now die from HPV-related cervical cancer than die from AIDS.
Genital Herpes (HSVII) may cause blisters in the genital area and can be painful. Most people who have herpes don't know it. Although HPV is the fastest spreading STD today, more people are infected with genital herpes than any other STD.
Hepatitis B/C (HBV/HCV) can be transmitted sexually or through an exchange of contaminated blood. Hepatitis can cause liver failure and can lead to death.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) attacks the body's T-4 cells. These white blood cells are critical to the body's immune system, which fights off disease. HIV may have no symptoms for many years, as the virus slowly attacks and overcomes the body's immune system, leading to AIDS.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) A person is diagnosed with AIDS once HIV has significantly weakened the body's immune system. AIDS leads to death because the body cannot defend itself against infections such as Kaposi's sarcoma (cancer) and pneumonia (PCP).
Two primary modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS are:á
Sexual contact with an infected person.
Infected blood through sharing a needle used for drugs.
Two far less common modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS are:á
A tainted blood transfusion.
An infected mother passing the virus during pregnancy or through breastfeeding.
