Sexually transmitted infection: An infection that can be transferred from one person

to another through sexual contact. In this context, sexual contact is more than just sexual
intercourse (vaginal and anal) and also includes kissing, and the use of sexual "toys," such as
vibrators.

Sexually transmitted disease (STD) symptoms

If you have sex — oral, anal or vaginal intercourse and genital touching — you can get an STD,
also called a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Straight or gay, married or single, you're
vulnerable to STIs and STI symptoms. Thinking or hoping your partner doesn't have an STI is no
protection — you need to know for sure. And although condoms, when properly used, are highly
effective for reducing transmission of some STDs, no method is foolproof.
STI symptoms aren't always obvious. If you think you have STI symptoms or have been exposed
to an STI, see a doctor. Some STIs are easy to treat and cure; others require more-complicated
treatment to manage them.
It's essential to be evaluated, and — if diagnosed with an STI — get treated. It's also essential to
inform your partner or partners so that they can be evaluated and treated.
If untreated, STIs can increase your risk of acquiring another STI such as HIV. This happens
because an STI can stimulate an immune response in the genital area or cause sores, either of
which might raise the risk of HIV transmission. Some untreated STIs can also lead to infertility,
organ damage, certain types of cancer or death.
Asymptomatic STIs
Many STIs have no signs or symptoms (asymptomatic). Even with no symptoms, however, you
can pass the infection to your sex partners. So it's important to use protection, such as a condom,
during sex. And visit your doctor regularly for STI screening, so you can identify and treat an
infection before you can pass it on.
Some of the following diseases, such as hepatitis, can also be transmitted without sexual contact,
by coming into contact with an infected person's blood. Others, such as gonorrhea, can only be
transmitted through sexual contact.

Causes

Sexually transmitted infections can be caused by:

 Bacteria (gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia)

 Parasites (trichomoniasis)
 Viruses (human papillomavirus, genital herpes, HIV)
Sexual activity plays a role in spreading many other infectious agents, although it's possible to be
infected without sexual contact. Examples include the hepatitis A, B and C viruses, shigella, and
Giardia intestinalis.

HIV and AIDS

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a syndrome caused by a virus called HIV
(human immunodeficiency virus). The disease alters the immune system, making people much
more vulnerable to infections and diseases. This susceptibility worsens if the syndrome
progresses.
HIV is found throughout all the tissues of the body but is transmitted through the body fluids of
an infected person (semen, vaginal fluids, blood, and breast milk).

HIV is a virus that attacks immune cells called CD-4 cells, which are a subset of T cells. AIDS is
the syndrome, which may or may not appear in the advanced stage of HIV infection.

HIV is a virus.

AIDS is a medical condition.

HIV infection can cause AIDS to develop. However, it is possible to contract HIV without
developing AIDS. Without treatment, HIV can progress and, eventually, it will develop into
AIDS in the vast majority of cases.
Causes

HIV is a retrovirus that infects the vital organs and cells of the human immune system.

The virus progresses in the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART) - a drug therapy that slows or
prevents the virus from developing.

The rate of virus progression varies widely between individuals and depends on many factors.

These factors include the age of the individual, the body's ability to defend against HIV, access
to healthcare, the presence of other infections, the individual's genetic inheritance, resistance to
certain strains of HIV, and more.

How is HIV transmitted?

Sexual transmission — it can happen when there is contact with infected sexual fluids (rectal,
genital, or oral mucous membranes). This can happen while having sex without a condom,
including vaginal, oral, and anal sex, or sharing sex toys with someone who is HIV-positive.

Perinatal transmission — a mother can transmit HIV to her child during childbirth, pregnancy,
and also through breastfeeding.

Blood transmission — the risk of transmitting HIV through blood transfusion is extremely low
in developed countries, thanks to meticulous screening and precautions. However, among people
who inject drugs, sharing and reusing syringes contaminated with HIV-infected blood is
extremely hazardous.
HIV symptoms
HIV is an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV interferes with your body's
ability to fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause illness, and it can lead to AIDS, a
chronic, life-threatening disease.
When first infected with HIV, you may have no symptoms. Some people develop a flu-like
illness, usually two to six weeks after being infected. Still, the only way you know if you have
HIV is to be tested.
Early signs and symptoms
Early HIV signs and symptoms may include:

 Fever
 Headache
 Sore throat
 Swollen lymph glands
 Rash
 Fatigue
These early signs and symptoms usually disappear within a week to a month and are often
mistaken for those of another viral infection. During this period, you're highly infectious. More-
persistent or -severe symptoms of HIV infection may not appear for 10 years or more after the
initial infection.
As the virus continues to multiply and destroy immune cells, you may develop mild infections or
chronic signs and symptoms such as:

 Swollen lymph nodes — often one of the first signs of HIV infection
 Diarrhea
 Weight loss
 Fever
 Cough and shortness of breath
Late-stage HIV infection
Signs and symptoms of late-stage HIV infection include:

 Persistent, unexplained fatigue

 Soaking night sweats
 Shaking chills or fever higher than 100.4 F (38 C) for several weeks
 Swelling of lymph nodes for more than three months
 Chronic diarrhea
 Persistent headaches
 Unusual, opportunistic infections
Chlamydia: The agent of a sexually transmitted disease, a type of bacteria found in the
cervix, urethra, throat, or rectum that acts very much like gonorrhea in the way it is spread, the
symptoms it produces, and its long-term consequences. Chlamydia is destructive to the Fallopian
tubes, causing infertility, tubal pregnancy, and severe pelvic infection. Chlamydia is one of the
reasons newborns are routinely treated with antibiotic eyedrops. Chlamydia can also cause
inflammation of the urethra, epididymis, and rectum in men. A chronic form of arthritis, called
reactive arthritis, can develop after chlamydia infection.

What causes chlamydia?

Chlamydia is an infection with Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria. When an infection is present,

the bacteria can be present in the cervix, urethra, vagina, and rectum of an infected person. It can
also live in the throat. Any type of sexual contact (vaginal, anal, or oral) with an infected person
can spread the infection.

Young people who are sexually active are at high risk for chlamydia.

An infected mother can also spread the infection to her baby at the time of birth as the baby
passes through the vaginal canal. The most common complications of chlamydia acquired
through the birth canal are eye damage and pneumonia in the newborn.

Even after a person has been treated for chlamydia, it is possible to get the infection again. With
chlamydia, repeat infection is common.

Chlamydia symptoms
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of your genital tract. Chlamydia may be difficult to detect
because early-stage infections often cause few or no signs and symptoms. When they do occur,
they usually start one to three weeks after you've been exposed to chlamydia. Even when signs
and symptoms occur, they're often mild and passing, making them easy to overlook.
Signs and symptoms may include:
 Painful urination
 Lower abdominal pain
 Vaginal discharge in women
 Discharge from the penis in men
 Pain during sexual intercourse in women
 Bleeding between periods in women
 Testicular pain in men

Gonorrhea: A bacterial infection that is transmitted by sexual contact. Gonorrhea is one of

the oldest known sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and it is caused by the Neisseria
gonorrhoeae bacteria. Men with gonorrhea may have a yellowish discharge from the penis
accompanied by itching and burning. More than half of women with gonorrhea do not have any
symptoms

Causes

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). It’s caused by infection with the
bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It tends to infect warm, moist areas of the body, including the:

 urethra (the tube that drains urine from the urinary bladder)
 eyes
 throat
 vagina
 anus
 female reproductive tract (the fallopian tubes, cervix, and uterus)

Gonorrhea passes from person to person through unprotected oral, anal, or vaginal sex. People
with numerous sexual partners or those who don’t use a condom are at greatest risk of infection.
The best protections against infection are abstinence, monogamy (sex with only one partner),
and proper condom usage. Behaviors that make a person more likely to engage in unprotected
sex also increase the likelihood of infection. These behaviors include alcohol abuse and
illegal drug abuse, particularly intravenous drug use.

Gonorrhea symptoms
Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection of your genital tract. It can also grow in your mouth, throat,
eyes and anus. The first gonorrhea symptoms generally appear within 10 days after exposure.
However, some people may be infected for months before signs or symptoms occur.
Signs and symptoms of gonorrhea may include:

 Thick, cloudy or bloody discharge from the penis or vagina

 Pain or burning sensation when urinating
 Heavy menstrual bleeding or bleeding between periods
 Painful, swollen testicles
 Painful bowel movements
 Anal itching

Genital herpes: An infection by human herpes virus that is transmitted through intimate
contact with the moist mucous linings of the genitals. This contact can involve the mouth, the
vagina, or the genital skin. Following infection, the virus travels to nerve roots near the spinal
cord and settles there permanently. When an infected person has a herpes outbreak, the virus
travels down the nerve fibers to the site of the original infection; when it reaches the skin,
redness and blisters occur. Commonly called herpes.
Causes

Two types of herpes simplex virus infections can cause genital herpes:

 HSV-1. This is the type that usually causes cold sores or fever blisters around your mouth.
HSV-1 is often spread through skin-to-skin contact, though it can be spread to your genital
area during oral sex. Recurrences are much less frequent than they are with HSV-2
infection.
 HSV-2. This is the type that commonly causes genital herpes. The virus spreads through
sexual contact and skin-to-skin contact. HSV-2 is very common and highly contagious,
whether or not you have an open sore.
Because the virus dies quickly outside of the body, it's nearly impossible to get the infection
through contact with toilets, towels or other objects used by an infected person.

Genital herpes symptoms

Highly contagious, genital herpes is caused by a type of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) that
enters your body through small breaks in your skin or mucous membranes. Most people with
HSV never know they have it, because they have no signs or symptoms or the signs and
symptoms are so mild they go unnoticed.
When signs and symptoms are noticeable, the first episode is generally the worst. Some people
never have a second episode. Others, however, can have recurrent episodes for decades.
When present, genital herpes signs and symptoms may include:

 Small red bumps, blisters (vesicles) or open sores (ulcers) in the genital, anal and nearby
areas
 Pain or itching around the genital area, buttocks and inner thighs
Syphilis is an STD that has been around for centuries. It is caused by a bacterial organism
called a spirochete. The scientific name for the organism is Treponema pallidum. The spirochete
is a wormlike, spiral-shaped organism that wiggles vigorously when viewed under a microscope.
It infects the person by burrowing into the moist, mucous-covered lining of the mouth or
genitals. The spirochete produces a classic, painless ulcer known as a chancre

How is syphilis transmitted?

Syphilis is caused by a spirochete (a spiral-shaped bacteria) called Treponema pallidum. You can
get the bacteria in the following ways:

 direct contact with a syphilis sore (usually found on the vagina, anus, rectum, in the mouth, or
on the lips)
 during vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person
 an infected mother can pass syphilis to her unborn child, which can result in serious
complications or even death of the unborn child

The primary and secondary stages of syphilis are extremely contagious. Tell your previous
sexual partners if you are diagnosed with syphilis so that they can get tested to see if they have
the disease.

You can’t catch syphilis from doorknobs, toilet seats, swimming pools, clothing, bathtubs, or
silverware.

There is a high correlation between syphilis and HIV, since HIV can be transmitted through
syphilitic sores. Since the behaviors that lead to the spread of STIs are the same for both syphilis
and HIV, having syphilis is an indicator that you are also at risk for contracting HIV.
Syphilis symptoms
Syphilis is a bacterial infection. The disease affects your genitals, skin and mucous membranes,
but it can also involve many other parts of your body, including your brain and your heart.
The signs and symptoms of syphilis may occur in four stages — primary, secondary, latent and
tertiary. There's also a condition known as congenital syphilis, which occurs when a pregnant
woman with syphilis passes the disease to her unborn infant. Congenital syphilis can be
disabling, even life-threatening, so it's important for a pregnant woman with syphilis to be
treated.
Primary syphilis
The first sign of syphilis, which may occur from 10 days to three months after exposure, may be
a small, painless sore (chancre) on the part of your body where the infection was transmitted,
usually your genitals, rectum, tongue or lips. A single chancre is typical, but there may be
multiple sores.
The sore typically heals without treatment, but the underlying disease remains and may reappear
in the second (secondary) or third (tertiary) stage.
Secondary syphilis
Signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis may begin three to six weeks after the chancre
appears, and may include:

 Rash marked by red or reddish-brown, penny-sized sores over any area of your body,
including your palms and soles
 Fever
 Enlarged lymph nodes
 Fatigue and a vague feeling of discomfort
 Soreness and aching
These signs and symptoms may disappear without treatment within a few weeks or repeatedly
come and go for as long as a year.
Latent syphilis
In some people, a period called latent syphilis — in which no symptoms are present — may
follow the secondary stage. Signs and symptoms may never return, or the disease may progress
to the tertiary stage.
Tertiary syphilis
Without treatment, syphilis bacteria may spread, leading to serious internal organ damage and
death years after the original infection.
Some of the signs and symptoms of tertiary syphilis include:

 Lack of coordination
 Numbness
 Paralysis
 Blindness
 Dementia
Neurosyphilis
At any stage, syphilis can affect the nervous system. Neurosyphilis may cause no signs or
symptoms, or it can cause:

 Headache
 Behavior changes
 Movement problems