STDs Are Diseases That You Can Acquire if You Have Unprotected Sex.
Although both men and women are affected by STDs 
, the consequences are generally more serious and permanent for women. If STDs are untreated in women it can result in infertility and sometimes death. These diseases can affect women of all ages, including children if there is sexual abuse and complications from these infections can continue for a lifetime.
A big problem is that STDs often have no symptoms until they are in advanced stages. Men will often transmit a virus or bacteria unknowingly, as they may have no symptoms. Women also may have no hint of a problem until the infection causes abdominal pain, infertility or the development of genital warts. Sometimes, even warts are not visible to the naked eye and are only detected by a doctor during a routine check up!
Remember, when you have unprotected sex, you are exposing yourself to all of the germs, visible or not, that your partner has contracted from all his past sexual partners! If he has one sexually-transmitted germ, chances are, he has another!
A smart approach is to assume that any sexual partner has a possible infection even if he has no symptoms and denies any knowledge of an infection. He may have a germ and not know it.
Avoid Unprotected Sex!
The only 100-percent-effective way to avoid infections is don't have sex at all. However, if you are sexually active, use a male or female condom and spermicidal foam or jelly that has some infection suppressing properties. Female condoms are not as effective as male condoms against infection, but they are better than not using anything at all.
What are the Most Common STDs in Women?
SYPHILLIS -- This is an ancient disease that is still very prevalent today and is caused by a spirochete germ called Treponemun Pallidum. This disease, if untreated, can progress through three stages during a person's life and can eventually result in dementia. An untreated person with syphillis is infectious throughout his or her entire life. Thirty percent of pregnant women with active syphillis will have stillborn babies, premature babies or babies infected with syphillis themselves. Back to the top of the page.
- Stage I is marked by a painless genital ulcer in the vagina, cervix or vulva or on the male's penis. It often goes unnoticed but is highly infectious.
- Stage II occurs within six weeks of the ulcer and involves a generalized rash of the palms and soles. Blood tests for syphillis will be positive at this stage.
- The third stage is the latency period when the only evidence of infection is a positive blood test.
- Fortunately, antibiotic therapy is effective, provided the infection is diagnosed. As with all STDs, the key is prevention by reducing the number of sexual partners, avoiding unprotected sex or not having sex at all.
GONORRHEA -- This is the most commonly reported STD in the U.S. This is caused by a gram-negative bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhea. The cervix is infected as often as 50 percent of the time when exposed to infection. As many as 50 percent of women who are infected will develop inflammatory diseases. This is a widespread infection of the uterus and fallopian tubes that results in infertility. This infection can also be transmitted to the throat through oral sex. Back to the top of the page.
- Just as with syphillis, early diagnosis is often missed because there are few symptoms. Occasionally, there will be a change in the normal vaginal discharge, perhaps some vaginal irritation or swelling of the vulva.
- Untreated gonorrhea can result in pelvic inflamatory disease (PID). It can also result in arthritis, infection of the heart valves, endocarditis, infection of the heart muscle and, rarely, meningitis.
- PID is the most common, severe complication of gonorrhea. This infection of the fallopian tubes can result in tube blockage that will prevent future pregnancies. It can result in abscesses of the tube, which can rupture, cause a widespread abdominal infection and even death.
- As with syphillis, gonnorrhea can be treated with antibiotics if the diagnosis is made early. Infected partners should also be identified and treated.
CHLAMYDIA -- Chlamydia is the most common STD in American women, striking as many as 40 percent of sexually-active women. Incidence is also on the rise. This infection by an atypical bacteria, Chlamydia trachomatis, targets the female endocervix and is more common in those who use oral contraceptives. In these women there tends to be more exposed endocervical tissue in the vagina, which increases the risk of infection. Chlamydia generally causes cervical discharge, occasionally urinary irritation and, occasionally, PID. Most women, however, have no symptoms.
- As with gonorrhea, complications of chlamydia infection includes infertility due to infection of the fallopian tubes.
- Antibiotic treatment is a cure when the diagnosis is made. Partners should be identified and treated. Back to the top of the page.
HERPES -- Herpes simplex virus Type 2 affects almost 30 million people in the U.S. and the incidence is increasing. Once infected, there is no permanent cure. Antiviral medications can suppress the frequency of recurrences or shorten the course of each eruption, but once the virus is present, it stays for life. In this sense, it is much like the fever blister, which is also caused by a herpes virus, Type 1.
Women with herpes will develop painful, blisterlike clusters in the skin of the vulva, labia, vagina or cervix. These eruptions usually last about 10 – 14 days and then disappear. Men will develop these eruptions on the penis or testicles. The person is the most infectious while the eruptions are present, as this is when the virus is shed in greatest quantities. Even when there is no eruption, however, a person carrying the herpes virus can pass it on.
- Women may also have low-grade fever, generalized aching, headache and flu-like symptoms four to five days before the eruptions appear.
- For most women with normal immunity and general good health, herpes simplex II simply means a lifetime of occasional eruptions, but always the potential for infecting a sexual partner, which can affect her self-esteem and make her feel ashamed and dirty.
- The eruptions can occur as frequently as every month, but usually occur five-six times per year, especially during times of physical or emotional stress.
- Treatment involves taking an antiviral medication beginning as soon as symptoms appear. This will give partial relief from the pain, may limit the length of the eruptions and sometimes can be taken at low dose on a regular basis to prevent further occurences. The antiviral medications are quite expensive, but considered safe for most people.
- As with all STDs, the best defense is ABSTINENCE! However, if you are sexually active, always use a barrier method such as a male or female condom with spermicidal foam or jelly. In general, the fewer sexual partners you have in your lifetime, the lower the risk of getting an STD. Back to the top of the page.
GENITAL WARTS -- Genital warts are caused by a virus, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are over 70 different types of papilloma or wart virus in humans, the most common causing warts of the hands or feet. Twenty five of these viruses can infect the genital tissues and cause genital warts. Many of the warts are raised, ugly warts of the vulva and vagina and can spread, causing deformity, irritation and embarassment if not treated. These raised genital warts are caused by HPV types 6 and 11. They are benign and can be treated by freezing with liquid nitrogen, burning with chemical acids or surgery if they are extensive.
- HPV 16 and 18 cause a much more worrisome form of wart called a flat condyloma on the cervix. These flat warts are invisible to the naked eye and are often only detected by a doctor during a routine pelvic exam with a pap smear. Please see our Annual Exam webpage for more information. The concern is that these flat condyloma increase the chance of cervical cancer. The virus causes changes of the lining of the cervix that are pre-cancerous early on, but will progress to high-grade, deadly cancer if untreated. HPV infection is the number one cause of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in females worldwide!
- This is why a yearly pap smear is so important. You might contract HPV unknowingly and the infection can only be detected by a good pelvic examination with pap smear. Remember, these warts are invisible to the naked eye. Your partner may not know that he carries the virus.
- Once you contract HPV, you have it for life! The warts can be destroyed but the virus still hangs around, so you are always contagious.
- Once these flat warts have transformed the cervical cells into pre-cancerous cells, it is necessary to destroy this pre-cancerous tissue. Your doctor will require a close look at the cells with a telescope called a colposcope in the office. Usually, some simple biopsies are taken and sent to the lab for confirmation. This is not as painful as it sounds.
- After the diagnosis of pre-cancerous cells is confirmed, the flat warts will be destroyed by a freezing treatment in the doctor's office. This also is not painful. The doctor will then require repeat examinations and pap smears every four to six months for the next couple of years to be sure that the problem does not return.
- The good news is, if you have your check ups and follow through with treatment, you will never have cervical cancer. Yearly checkups and protected sex are the key.
- Women who smoke and have HPV have a greater risk of developing cervical cancer from the HPV virus. If you know you carry HPV, stopping smoking will be a great help in preventing cancer of the cervix.
- Occasionally, genital warts will spontaneously disappear without treatment. Therefore, a good diet and good health habits may be your best defense!
- As with all of the other STDs. The best way to avoid infection is abstinence. However, if you are sexually active, use barrier protection during sexual intercourse. Back to the top of the page.
AIDS -- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. This fatal disease is caused by the human immunodeficiency (HIV) virus. It is transmitted through sex, through needle sticks with infected needles and by blood transmission with infected blood contact.
- AIDS is increasingly prevalent among women who have sex with male partners who carry the virus, knowingly or not. Transmission through needle sticks by IV drug users is also a common form of infection.
- HIV infection is the leading cause of death for women ages 25 to 40 in large U.S. cities.
- The HIV virus affects the immune system, causing a drop in the general immune defense cells. HIV patients become unable to defend themselves against common diseases and usually die of overwhelming infections or cancer. There have been many advances in the treatment of these patients and many have been able to improve their immune defenses with multiple drugs, many of which are experimental. The disease remains a fatal one for most infected people.
- Carriers of the AIDS virus may not be aware of their infection in the early stages. For this reason, if you have sex, you must use barrier protection. You can not know who is carrying a deadly infection. Your life may depend on it. Back to the top of the page.
The key is prevention. PRACTICE ABSTINENCE OR AVOID UNPROTECTED SEX. KNOW YOUR PARTNER! Remember, having sex requires planning and protection. You're in control. BE SMART!! BE SAFE !!
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