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According to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, an estimated 9 million young people (ages 15-24) each year contract such sexually transmitted diseases as chlamydia, human papillomavirus, genital herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV/AIDS. This accounts for nearly half the cases diagnosed in the United States annually. It is important to note that many of these infections can be present in the body without you experiencing any signs or symptoms, therefore if you have ever been sexually active, you should be tested for sexually transmitted diseases. Each individual sexual encounter is a potential exposure to a sexually transmitted disease. Chlamydia \| Genital HPV \| Genital Herpes \| Syphilis \| Gonorrhea \| HIV/AIDS CHLAMYDIA Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. 75% of cases occur in people under the age of 25. 75% of women and 50% of men experience no symptoms of this infection. Therefore, many times the infection is not diagnosed or treated until complications develop. For this reason, chlamydia is often called the "silent" disease. Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Symptoms in females may include an abnormal vaginal discharge, or a burning sensation when urinating. If the infection spreads up into the fallopian tubes, some women still have no symptoms. Others have low back or abdominal pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or bleeding between periods. Permanent and irreversible damage can occur if the infection spreads this far into a woman's reproductive organs. Men with signs or symptoms may also have a discharge from the penis and a burning sensation when they urinate. They may also have itching and burning around the opening of the penis, pain and swelling in the testicles, or both. Untreated chlamydia in men typically causes urethral infection, which may spread to the epididymis (a tube that carries sperm from the testis), which may cause pain, fever, or potentially, infertility. If symptoms do appear, it is usually within 1-3 weeks of exposure. If you test positive for chlamydia, it is very important that all sexual partners also be treated. back to top GENITAL HPV (HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS) HPV is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection in the U.S. 50% to 75% of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. Most of these infections have no symptoms, so you may be completely unaware that you are infected or infecting a partner. HPV is actually the name of a group of over 100 strains or types of viruses, 30 of which are sexually transmitted and can affect the penis, vulva, labia, anus, or tissues of the vagina or cervix (opening of the uterus). Some HPV viruses are "high risk" and can cause cervical cancer and abnormal Pap smears, others can cause genital warts (single or multiple growths or bumps in the genital area, sometimes forming a cauliflower shape). Most women are diagnosed with HPV bases on the results of an abnormal Pap smear. It is very important that if you have ever been sexually active, you have a Pap test done every year. If you have an abnormal Pap test, your doctor may need to do further testing or take further cell samples to further diagnose the abnormality. There is no known "cure" for HPV, but for most people, the infection becomes undetectable within two years. Persistent infection with certain types of HPV is the key risk factor for cervical cancer. back to top GENITAL HERPES Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that can be caused by the HSV-1 (herpes simplex type 1) or HSV-2 (herpes simplex type 2) viruses. HSV-1 causes infections of the mouth and lips, called "fever blisters". These can be spread by coming in contact with the saliva of an infected person. This infection can also be spread to the genitals of a partner during oral-genital sexual contact. One in five of the total adolescent and adult population is infected with HSV-2, a genital herpes infection. Most people have no or minimal signs and symptoms of these infections. If symptoms do occur, they typically appear as blisters or ulcers (sores) around the genitals or rectum. These can be very painful, and may take two to four weeks for them to heal after the first outbreak. Future outbreaks may occur weeks or months after the first, and are usually less severe. HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be released from the sores that the viruses cause, but they also are released between episodes from skin that does not appear to be broken or have a sore. So even if you are not having an outbreak, you can be spreading the virus. This viral infection stays in the body indefinitely. There is no treatment that can cure herpes. If you are pregnant, and you test positive for genital herpes, be sure to notify your doctor. HSV-2 can cause potentially fatal infections in newborns if the mother is shedding the virus at the time of delivery. If active herpes sores are present at delivery, a cesarean delivery is usually necessary. back to top SYPHILIS Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is passed through direct contact with syphilis sore. These sores occur mostly on external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. They can also be found on the lips or in the mouth. Syphilis rates are higher in the Southern states than in the rest of the country. The rate of infection is increasing in males and decreasing in females. Syphilis can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. There are three stages of syphilis; primary, secondary, and late. The primary stage is the time between the infection and the appearance of the first symptom. This takes an average of 21 days (10-90 days). Usually a sore (called a chancre) appears, but there could actually be many sores. The chancre is usually firm, round, small, and painless. It appears where syphilis entered the body. This sore may persist 3-6 weeks, and it will heal on its own. If correct treatment is not administered, the infection progresses to the secondary stage. The secondary stage begins when one or more areas of skin break into a rash that does not itch. This may appear as the chancre is fading, or it can be weeks later. It can appear as rough, red or reddish brown spots on the palms of hands or bottoms of feet. Sometimes the rash is so faint that it goes unnoticed. Even without treatment, the rash will clear up on its own. In addition to the rashes, other secondary symptoms may include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue. This disease can easily be passed to sexual partners when primary or secondary stage signs or symptoms are present. The late or latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when the symptoms of the secondary stage disappear. Without treatment, the infected person still has syphilis, but no signs or symptoms. The infection remains in the body, and it can begin to damage internal organs brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. This internal damage may not show up until years later. Late signs and symptoms include not being able to coordinate muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia. The damage may be serious enough to cause death. Every pregnant woman should have a test for syphilis. Early syphilis left untreated during pregnancy can lead to the death of the baby in 40% of the cases. If you have syphilis and become pregnant within four years, there is a 70% chance that the baby will be infected. back to top GONORRHEA Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by bacteria that grows and multiplies in the mucous membranes of the body cervix (opening of the uterus), uterus, fallopian tubes in women and in the urethra in both women and men. The bacteria can also grow in the mouth, eyes, throat and anus. Gonorrhea is a very common infection. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) estimates that 700,000 people in the U.S. are infected each year. Gonorrhea is spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Gonorrhea infection can also be spread to other unlikely parts of the body. For example, a person can get an eye infection after touching infected genitals and then the eyes. In men, when initially infected with gonorrhea, the signs and symptoms include a burning sensation when they urinate and a yellowish white discharge from the penis. Sometimes men will also get painful or swollen testicles. Symptoms of rectal infection include anal itching, soreness, bleeding, and sometimes painful bowel movements. In women, the early symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild, and many women have no symptoms of infection. Many times, when they do have symptoms, they can be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. The initial signs and symptoms in women may include a painful or burning sensation when urinating and a vaginal discharge that is yellow or occasionally bloody. Women with mild or no symptoms of this infection are still at risk for developing complications. Untreated gonorrhea in women can lead to PID (pelvic inflammatory disease). This may not cause any symptoms. If symptoms are present, they can be severe, and include abdominal pain and fever. PID can cause internal abscesses (pockets of pus) that are difficult to cure which can damage the fallopian tubes enough to increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy (when the fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, such as in the fallopian tube) or even infertility. In men, gonorrhea can cause epididymitis, a painful condition of the testicles that may sometimes lead to infertility if left untreated. Gonorrhea, if left untreated, can also lead to scarring of the urethra, making urination difficult. If you are pregnant, you should be tested for gonorrhea. It is possible for you to give the infection to your baby as they pass through the birth canal during delivery. This could cause blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby. Treatment of gonorrhea as soon as it is detected in a pregnant woman will lessen the risk of these complications. back to top HIV/AIDS HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a virus that kills off your body's CD4 cells (or T-helper cells) that help your body fight off infection and disease. You might have the HIV virus and feel completely healthy. You may have flu-like symptoms after the initial infection, and then the virus may remain undetected in your system for months or years before you are diagnosed. If you are sexually active during that period, you could be infecting others. There is no cure for HIV. The breakdown of your immune could result in the development of various infections in your body over time, any of which could develop complications because of your body's decreased ability to fight them off. The body fluids that are known to carry the HIV virus are blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, and other body fluids containing blood. Sexual contact and/or sharing needles with someone who is HIV positive are the most common ways that the virus is transmitted. Other body fluids that could transmit the virus to others would include the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, fluid surrounding the bone joints, and the amniotic fluid surrounding an unborn baby. All pregnant women should be tested for the HIV virus. If the test is positive, there are medications that can be taken during the pregnancy to decrease the chance that the virus will be passed on to her unborn child. A diagnosis of AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is made if an HIV positive person declines in their health to the point that their T-helper cell count drops below 200. They also may begin having fevers, night sweats, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, difficulty swallowing, persistent cough, rashes or purplish spots. Pneumonias and cancers can develop, and although medications can help fight off the illnesses for a while, eventually the fight will be lost. back to top

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