Transcript Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS

Sexually Transmitted
Infections, HIV & AIDS
© Sarina Shen
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
(STD)
 Infectious diseases transmitted with some form of
intimate, usually sexual, contact
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Sexual intercourse
Oral-genital contact
Hand-genital contact
Anal intercourse
Chlamydia
 If symptoms are present,
 Males: painful and difficult urination, frequent urination
and a watery pus-like discharge from the penis
 Females: yellowish discharge, spotting between
periods and occasional spotting after intercourse
 This infection in
women can
damage the
cervix or fallopian
tubes, causing
sterility and can
lead to pelvic
inflammatory
disease
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
 A term used to describe the various infections of the female
reproductive tract
 Nonsexual causes
such as vaginal
douching, smoking,
and drugs are also
common
Gonorrhea (the clap)
 Caused by a bacteria that usually infects the urethra, genital
tract, pharynx, and rectum but may spread to the eyes or other
areas of the body via the hands or fluids
 Male symptoms: white milky discharge from the penis with
painful, burning urination
 Female symptoms: very few
experience a discharge or
burning sensation with a
possible fever
Syphilis
 Caused by a bacterium that is transferred only by direct sexual contact because
it dies upon exposure to air, dryness, or cold
 Primary syphilis
 Development of a chancre (painless sore that oozes with bacteria) that
disappears in 3 to 6 weeks
 Secondary syphilis
 A rash or white patches on the skin or mucus membranes of the mouth,
throat, or genitals appears along with possible hair loss, lymph node
enlargement, fever and headaches
 Symptoms again will disappear
 Latent syphilis
 Organism begins to invade the body’s other organs
 Infectious lesions may again reappear
 Late syphilis
 Heart and nervous system damage, blindness, deafness, paralysis,
senility and insanity
Pubic Lice (crabs)
 Small parasites that are usually transmitted during
sexual contact
 They attach to pubic hair where they deposit their eggs
(nits)
 When crab lice feed they can inject saliva into the host,
causing itching
Genital Warts
 Caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
 The virus penetrates the skin and mucous membranes
of the genitals or anus through sexual contact
 Can be treated with topical medications
or removed by being
frozen with liquid
nitrogen
 Large warts may
require surgical
removal
Candidiasis (yeast infection)
 This yeast like fungus normally inhabits the vaginal tract in
most women
 Under certain conditions, when the normal chemical balance
of the vagina is disturbed, these organisms multiply and cause
problems
 Symptoms include severe itching and burning of the vagina
and vulva, swelling of the vulva and a white, cheesy discharge
Trichomoniasis (trich)
 Caused by a protozoan
 Symptoms include a foamy,
yellowish, unpleasant smelling
discharge with a burning
sensation, itching, and painful
urination
 Usually spread by sexual
contact, but can also be
spread by toilet seats, wet
towels, or other items that
have discharge fluid on them
Herpes
 Genital herpes is caused by the herpes
simplex virus (HSV)
 Symptoms include a redness at the site of
infection followed by a blister filled with clear
fluid containing the virus
 The blister will crust over, dry up and
disappear and the virus will travel to a nerve in
the area and stay dormant until the virus
becomes reactivated
HIV / AIDS
 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the slow acting virus
that causes AIDS
 Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease that
causes the immune system to become inoperative
Transmitting HIV
 Engaging in High-Risk Behaviors
 Unprotected sex, multiple partners
 Exchange of Body Fluids
 Vaginal or anal intercourse, deep wet kissing
 Blood Transfusions prior to 1985
 Since 1985, all donated blood is tested
 Injecting Drugs
 Sharing or using contaminated needles and syringes
 Mother-to-Infant (Perinatal)
 In the womb or exposure during delivery
HIV Symptoms
 A person may go months or years
before any symptoms appear
 A person may experience infections, colds, sore throats, fever,
tiredness, nausea, night sweats and other non-life threatening
conditions
 Meanwhile, their immune system gradually weakens until they
are diagnosed with AIDS.
HIV Testing
 ELISA is a blood test that detects the presence of antibodies
to the HIV virus
 Western blot is a test more accurate than the ELISA to
confirm the presence of HIV antibodies
AIDS Treatments
 Current treatments combine different drugs
 Older drugs worked by preventing the virus from infecting new
cells
 There are many side effects to the different drugs and getting
the right combination and dosage is difficult
Preventing STD’s
 Latex condoms are the only form of contraception now available
that are highly effective in protecting against the transmission of
HIV and other STDs
 Condoms give good disease protection for vaginal sex and can
also reduce the risk of disease transmission in
oral and anal sex
 Condoms may not be
100% effective, a lot
depends on knowing
the right way to buy,
store and use them