Apart from HIV which is widely known as an STD, there are other terrible diseases that you can get if have unprotected sex with multiple partners. Some are curable but others are not. Sexually transmitted diseases are diseases that are passed from one person to another through sexual contact. The causes of STD are bacteria, parasites, yeasts and viruses. Anyone who engages in any kind of sexual activity is at risk of STDs.
Sexually transmitted viral infections include:
- Human papillomavirus [HPV].
- Human immunodeficiency virus [HIV].
- Herpes simplex virus [HSV],
- Hepatitis B and C.
- Human herpesvirus-8 [HHV-8].
We shall look at a few of these conditions
- HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION.
Genital warts
This is the most common sexually transmitted infection that affect both men and women. It is so common that most sexually active people will get some variety of it at some point, even if they have few sexual partners. It is an infection that causes warts in various parts of the body, depending on the strain.it is passed between people through skin-to-skin contact. There are over 100 varieties of HPV 40 of which are passed through sexual contact and can affect your genitals, mouth or throat.
CAUSES.
Most people get HPV through direct sexual contact, such as oral sex. Because HPV is a skin to skin infection, intercourse isn’t required to contract the infection. In rare cases a mother with HPV can infect her baby during delivery.
SYMPTOMS
The warts associated with most HPV infections go away on their own without any signs and symptoms. But the virus is still in an infected person’s body. As a result, that person may unknowingly pass HPV to sexual partners. If the virus doesn’t go away on its own it can cause serious health problems. HPV can also cause cervical cancer and other cancers of the genitals, head, neck and throat.
PREVENTION
The only way to prevent HPV are to use condoms and to limit the number of sexual partners.
Treatment depends on stage. There is no cure for the virus and warts may go away on their own. Treatment focuses on removing the warts. A vaccine that prevents HPV strains most likely to cause genital warts and cervical cancer is recommended for boys and girls.
- GENITAL HERPERS.
This is a common sexually transmitted infection marked by genital pain and sores. It is caused by herpes simplex virus. Most people with genital herpes do not know they have it. That is because in most people it produces either no symptoms or very mild ones.
Genital herpes virus is passed from one person to another through sexual contact. This happens even if the person with the virus does not have symptoms or signs of infection. Once the virus enters through the skin, it travels along nerve paths it may become dormant [inactive] in the nerves and remain there indefinitely. From time to time it may become active and when it happens the virus travels back along the nerve path to the surface of the skin, where additional virus is shed.
At this point the virus may cause an outbreak of symptoms. Or it may remain undetected. The active virus is passed from one partner to another through sexual contact. Even wearing a condom may not protect the uninfected partner. The virus can be present on skin that remains uncovered.
SYMPTOMS
- Symptoms are severe when you are infected. They may start as small blisters that eventually break open and produce raw, painful sores that scrab and heal over within a few weeks. The blisters and sores may be accompanied by flu like symptoms with fever and swollen lymph nodes
- You may feel itchy or tingly around your genitals [penis or vagina] or around your buttocks, thighs or rectal area which is followed by painful, small blisters that pop and leave sores that ooze or bleed. Most people notice these symptoms within a few weeks after they get the virus from someone else. The first time it happens you may experience fever, headache or other flue like feelings.
- Pain from urine passing over the sores especially in women.
There is no cure for genital herpes. But the symptoms can be lessened and prevented with treatment, which can also reduce the risk of infecting others.
PREVENTION
- Always use a condom when having sex.
- Don’t kiss when you or your partner has cold sores.
- Avoid oral sex when either partner has oral or genital sores.
- Don’t have genital or anal contact when any sores are present
- Wash your hands after touching infected areas.
Gonorrhea in throat. It is a very common infection especially among young people of ages 15 to 24 .This is a transmitted bacterial infection that, if untreated may cause infertility. It can infect both men and women. It causes infections in the genitals, rectum and throat.
You can get gonorrhea by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has gonorrhea. A pregnant woman with gonorrhea can give the infection to her baby during child birth.
If you are sexually active man who is gay, bisexual, or have sex with men you should be tested for gonorrhea every year. And if you are a sexually active woman, a lesbian younger than 25 years or older with risk factors such as new or multiple sexual partners, and does oral sex should also get tested every year.
CAUSES
- It comes from bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhea. Even though it is spread through sex, a man doesn’t have to ejaculate in order to pass it on to his partner. You can get gonorrhea from any kind of contact, including: vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse oral intercourse [both giving and receiving] in other words blow jobs.
- You can get the bacterium that causes gonorrhea just from touching an infected area on another person, if you come into contact with penis, vagina, mouth or anus of someone carrying this bacterium you can get gonorrhea.
- These germs cannot live for more than a few seconds outside the body, so you can get this STD by touching objects like toilet seats or clothes.
SYMPTOMS.
- Burning sensation when urinating
- A white yellow, or green discharge from the penis.
- Painful or swollen testes.
- Increased vaginal discharge
- Vaginal bleeding between periods.
- Anal itching.
- Painful bowel movements.
- Painful sore throat.
Gonorrhea can be cured with the right treatment. And although medication may stop the infection, it will not undo any permanent damage caused by the disease.
You should wait for some time after finishing all medications before having sex to avoid getting infected again or spreading it to your partner. If you’ve had gonorrhea in the past and took medicine you can still get infected again if you have unprotected sex with a person who has gonorrhea
If not treated gonorrhea may cause:
- Pelvic inflammatory diseases in women
- Formation of scar tissue that blocks the fallopian tubes.
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Gonorrhea can cause painful conditions in the tubes attached to the tactical which may cause a man to be sterile or prevent him from being able to father a child.
- Untreated gonorrhea may increase your chances of contracting HIV/AIDS.
PREVENTION.
- Use condoms
- Have your sexual partner tested once in a while.
- Don’t have sex with someone with symptoms of gonorrhea.
- Get regular screenings
- SYPHILIS
This is a highly contagious disease spread primarily by sexual activity, including oral and anal sex. Occasionally it can be passed to another person through prolonged kissing or close bodily contact. Although it is spread from sores, the vast majority of those sores go unrecognized. The infected person is often unaware of the disease and unknowingly passes it on to his or her sexual partner.
Pregnant women with this disease can spread it to their baby. This disease called congenital syphilis, can cause abnormalities or even death to the child.
Syphilis cannot be spread through toilet seats, door knobs swimming pools, shared clothing or eating utensils.
CAUSES
It is caused by a bacteria treponema paliidum.
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE SYPHILIS
It occurs in in 3 distinct stages
- Early or primary syphilis. People with primary syphilis will develop one or more sores. The sores are usually small painless ulcers. They occur on the genitals or in or around the mouth somewhere between 10 to 90 days after exposure. Even without treatment they heal without a scar within six weeks.
- The secondary stage. It may last 1 to 3 months and begins within 6 weeks to 6 months after exposure. People with secondary syphilis experience a rosy ‘’ cooper penny’’ rash typically on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. However rashes with different appearance may occur on other parts of the body, they may also experience warts in the groin, white patches on the inside of the mouth, swollen lymph glands, and fever and weight loss.
- Latent syphilis. This is where the virus lie dormant without causing symptoms.
- Tertiary syphilis. If you are not treated, it may then progress to a stage characterized by severe problems with the heart, brain and nerves that can result in paralysis, blindness, dementia, deafness impotence and even death.
SYMPTOMS.
- Sore in your mouth, vagina or anus.
- Swollen glands.
- Weight loss.
- Hair loss.
- Skin rashes that cause small, reddish brown sores.
PREVENTION.
- Avoid intimate contact with a person you know is infected.
- Use a condom on every sexual encounter.
- Avoid having multiple sex partners.
Sexually transmitted diseases are a serious business. And the rules are plain simple, if you cannot abstain from sex make it a habit of using a CONDOM. Also, avoid having unprotected sex with multiple partners. If you suspect you might be infected visit a doctor for tests so you can get treated as soon as possible.
