What Do You Know about Sexually Transmitted Diseases?
Chlamydia, herpes, and gonorrhea are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Millions of new STD infections occur in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC. Take this quiz to find out more about STDs, as well as how to protect yourself from them.
4. Which of these is a health problem that can be caused by STDs in women?
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Health problems caused by STDs tend to be more severe and more frequent for women than for men, the NIAID says. This is because women are more susceptible to
HIV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, and because they may not know they are infected until serious problems have developed. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) occurs when STDs spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes. PID can lead to
infertility and ectopic pregnancy. The human papillomavirus infection, which causes
genital warts, has been linked to
cervical cancer and other cancers of the reproductive system. In addition, a pregnant woman with an STD can pass the disease on to her baby. Some of these illnesses can cause permanent disabilities or death.
5. Which is the most common bacterial STD?
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About 2.8 million new cases of
chlamydia are reported each year, according to the NIAID. Untreated chlamydia can lead to PID in women. Most people with this infection have no symptoms, however. It is treated with
antibiotics. Because of the widespread incidence of chlamydia, the CDC now recommends that sexually active female teens and young women, as well as older women at risk, be screened annually for this STD. The CDC also recommends that women who are treated for
chlamydia be rescreened three to four months after treatment.
7.
Gonorrhea is treated with antibiotics. What problem has occurred recently in treatment?
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Because of this, the CDC recommends only one class of antibiotics to treat gonorrhea – the cephalosporins. The most common symptom of gonorrhea is a discharge from the vagina or penis and painful or difficult urination. Women with gonorrhea can develop PID, ectopic pregnancy, and
infertility. Overall, STDs that are caused by bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics.
9. Which of these are other types of
STDs?
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Chancroid (pronounced SHAN-kroid) is a bacterial STD. It occurs in the U.S. in periodic outbreaks, but it is common in sub-Saharan Africa. Like
genital herpes and syphilis, the first symptom of chancroid is an open sore on the genitals. Lymph nodes in the groin become painful. Scabies is a skin infection with a tiny mite. It is fairly common and highly contagious. It can be spread through sexual contact but also can be passed on by nonsexual contact with skin, infested sheets, towels, and furniture. Scabies causes intense itching, particularly at night. Small red bumps or lines appear on the body where the female scabies mite has burrowed into the skin to lay her eggs. Molluscum contagiosum is a common viral infection that most often affects young children, who pass it to one another through saliva. In adults, the virus is transmitted sexually. Symptoms are sores on the genitals, lower abdomen, buttocks, or inner thighs. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus, or HTLV, can be passed from one person to another not only through sexual contact but also through blood. This is a rare disease in the U.S., found primarily among intravenous drug users and people who have genital ulcers or a history of syphilis.
10. The cytomegalovirus (CMV) can be spread by sexual contact and also by:
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CMV is a member of the herpesvirus family and is spread not only by sexual contact, but also by other forms of contact, the NIAID says. The virus is found in saliva, urine, and other bodily fluids. Because the virus is also often found in semen, as well as in secretions from the cervix, it can be spread by sexual contact. People in a day-care setting who care for children 3 and younger are at higher risk for contracting CMV. The virus doesn't spread easily, and casual contact with an infected person doesn't typically pass on the infection. Like other herpesviruses, CMV is incurable. The virus, however, usually remains inactive in the body.
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