Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are among the most common infectious diseases today. More than 20 different STDs have been identified, and about 19 million men and women are infected each year, according to the CDC. Depending on the disease, the infection can be spread through any type of sexual activity involving the sex organs, the anus, or the mouth; an infection can also be spread through contact with blood during sexual activity. STDs are infrequently transmitted by other...
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Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are among the most common infectious diseases today. More than 20 different STDs have been identified, and about 19 million men and women are infected each year, according to the CDC. Depending on the disease, the infection can be spread through any type of sexual activity involving the sex organs, the anus, or the mouth; an infection can also be spread through contact with blood during sexual activity. STDs are infrequently transmitted by other types of contact (blood, body fluids or tissue removed from an STD infected person and placed in contact with an uninfected person). However, people that share unsterilized needles markedly increase the chance to pass many diseases, including STD's (especially hepatitis B), to others. Some diseases are not considered to be officially an STD (for example, hepatitis types A, C, E) but are infrequently noted to be transferred during sexual activity. Consequently, some authors include them as STD's, while others do not. Some lists of STD's can vary, depending on whether the STD is usually transmitted by sexual contact or only infrequently transmitted.Most STDs respond well to treatment. However, many patients develop repeat episodes of STDs because their sex partners are not treated or because they continue to be exposed to STDs through unprotected sex. To help avoid getting the same disease again, sex partners usually need treatment as well. Genital herpes cannot be cured, because the virus remains dormant in nerves for the rest of a patient's life. However, many people do not notice any problems after the initial infection, and many people don't even notice when they are first infected. In people who do notice herpes flare-ups, about 40 percent of them experience more than 6 flare-ups over a lifetime; whereas less than 10 percent have more than 6 flare-ups a year. In patients with herpes simplex virus type II, antiviral therapy can successfully suppress repeated episodes of genital ulcers.HIV cannot be cured. But with regular medical attention, monitoring and treatment, most people with HIV live for many years with minimal or no symptoms.