What are some facts on viral and bacterial stds?

[Julie C]

doing a school project..
i need some facts from like a doctor or something,
any facts other than "bacterial can be cured and viral can't"

[Sexy Geek]

Most sexually transmitted diseases fall into one of two categories – Viral infections and bacterial infections. Bacterial infections, such as gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia are curable with antibiotics. STDs caused by viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papilloma virus (HPV), herpes and hepatitis B are not curable.

[hillarie]

The most common bacterial in the US is Chlamydia, most common viral is HPV. Herpes and HPV are both 'skin to skin" contact, so a condom doesn't always keep you safe.

Chlamydia is usually asymptomatic in women until the disease has progressed significantly.
All STD's can be trandsmitted by Penis-Vag. sex, oral and anal sex, and in any other moucus membrane. HPV can be transmitted on sex toys and damp washcloths and also in CO2 lasers plumes when treating HPV's genital warts.(gross,huh?)
Check out Planned Parenthood and the Denters for Disease Control's websites, and also your state Department of Public Health's website.
ALSO: there is a Federal law called the mature minor rule/law that allows underage teens to be treated and tested for STD's without parent's authorization-Family Planning and Planned Parenthood will treat and test minors-good info. to have for a school report,you can educate your classmates!!
Good luck.

[sa_2006]

Easy to Treat But Often Discovered Too Late
Crawling on the bottom of our TV screens and splashed across our newspapers recently are the chilling statistics that half of our nation's sexually-active youth carry at least one sexually-transmitted disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that almost half of all new cases of STDs come from those between ages 15-24. We cringe, but expect to hear that these STDs are the viral kind (see Runaway Viruses) and that the rapid spread has much to do with the fact that viral diseases have no "cures." Ironically, two of the three fastest spreading STDs among our youth are bacterial, highly curable and sadly, often diagnosed long after the damage is done.

Chlamydia: The Silent Disease
Chlamydia, the most frequently reported bacterial STD, infects at least four million adolescents and young adults annually, and health officials believe that it is grossly under-reported. Any sexually-active person can contract chlamydia, but the teenage girl is at greater risk for infection if exposed because the cervix has not fully matured. Chlamydia is stealthy and has earned its "silence." More than three-quarters of infected women and about half of the infected men are asymptomatic. When symptoms do occur, a woman may experience a foul and/or yellowish discharge, vaginal bleeding or spotting, and pelvic pain 1-3 weeks after exposure. In advanced stages, fever and severe abdominal and back pain may be present. Men can have a discharge and burning upon urination. If chlamydia is diagnosed early, it can be treated with a single dose or single course of antibiotics for the patient and her partner. If untreated, up to 40 percent of women with chlamydia may develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) as the infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Permanent damage to the reproductive organs can occur. PID leads to the scarring of the fallopian tubes. Blocked fallopian tubes increase the chance of ectopic pregnancies (pregnancy occurring outside the uterus-in this case, the fallopian tube.) At best, scarred fallopian tubes cause infertility; undetected ectopic pregnancy can be fatal if the tube ruptures.

Trichomoniasis: "Trich"
The CDC terms trichomoniasis as the most common curable STD in young, sexually-active women. This single-celled protozoan parasite, Tricomonas vaginalis, is one of the three fastest growing STDs affecting our youth. And as with most other STDs, symptoms are more obvious in women than men, even though just as many men can be affected and infected. Symptoms in women include a yellowish discharge with strong odor and may cause itching and/or pain with urination or intercourse. Usually, symptoms appear 5-28 days after exposure. Women who have given birth while infected with trichomoniasis may have low-weight or pre-term babies. Women can be diagnosed through pelvic exam and laboratory tests, then treated with a single dose of metronidazole, a medication that kills parasites and some bacteria.

Syphilis: The Great Imposter
Syphilis has made a dubious come-back as a major player on the STD field. In addition to damaging the internal organs, women can pass syphilis-a bacterial infection-- to the developing fetus. Recent rises in syphilis are attributed to the activities of men who have sex with men. Luckily, the syphilis spirochete (bacterial name) has not done much changing over the years. While researchers fight to stay one step ahead of other craftier bacteria, like streptococcus and staphylococcus, syphilis is still sensitive to penicillin and other antibiotics. "The interesting thing about syphilis is that the incidence of new infection tends to run in cycles, going up and down," says Lisa M. Hollier, MD, assistant professor in maternal-fetal medicine in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston . "And it looks like we are in a bit of an 'up' right now." The CDC report that the incidence of infectious syphilis was highest in women ages 20-24 and in men 35-39. Primary syphilis (first stage) is usually marked by a single sore or chancre that appears at the site of bacterial entry. First symptoms can appear anywhere from 10 to 90 days from exposure. The sore will heal on its own, without treatment in 3-6 weeks. However, the disease itself will continue on to the secondary stage, if left untreated. Rashes on other parts of the body, just as the chancre seems to be healing, herald the secondary stage of syphilis. In addition, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat and generalized aches and fatigue are signals that the disease has gone systemic. Effects of late stage syphilis, which can surface years later, range from gradual blindness to paralysis and dementia. Rampant, untreated syphilis can lead to death. The effects of syphilis are devastating to the children born of infected women. Hollier notes that the most striking problem is the racial disparity among those who are infected. "Seventy-five percent of infections are in the African-American population. We still have women who get or who are infected in the pregnancies and occasionally still see babies who die from syphilis when moms get inadequate prenatal care."

Vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis is not really an STD, but a "sexually-associated" condition. It can occur in women who are not sexually active. In this condition, there are changes in the vaginal flora, the bacteria that normally colonize in the vagina. It has been associated with serious problems such as postoperative infection, preterm birth, and infection after delivery. "All these strides in medicine are wonderful, especially for women, who carry a disproportionate burden because of the effects of STDs on fertility as well as adverse pregnancy outcomes," comments Hollier. But all the new diagnostic tests and medications are useless if people don't talk with their physicians. "Because many STDs are asymptomatic, annual screening of sexually-active women aged 20 to 25 years is recommended by the CDC as is screening of older women with risk factors (such as a new sexual partner)," Hollier says. Hollier is a contributor and a guest editor to the recent issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America-Infectious Disease and Women's Health , Volume 30, Number 4, published by W.B. Saunders Company. The other editor is George D. Wendel, Jr., MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Every year more than 12 million cases of STDs are reported in the U.S. says the CDC, which recently published updated guidelines for the treatment of STDs. Highlights are discussed in Hollier's new book.

[mjboudx]

try www.webmd.com



-me