Facts About Sexual Diseases

Sexual diseases or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections and disorders that affect your sexual health. For example, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human papillomavirus (HPV) and chlamydia, are potentially serious conditions that can result in infertility or other complications. In this article, we are going to discuss sexually transmitted diseases. Continue reading.

Sexual Diseases or Sexually Transmitted Diseases 

Sexual diseases or sexual health problems are medical conditions that may affect your reproductive organs. However, many can be prevented, treated, or cured with proper diagnosis and treatment. STDs are also called STIs or Sexually transmitted infections.  This change in terms is used to help public awareness remove some of the stigma associated with sexual infections. 

Sexual diseases and infections involve the body’s sexual organs (such as the genitals, reproductive organs, digestive system, and nervous system), as well as behaviors and activities that involve touching or engaging in sexual activity.

Types of STDs

There are many types of STDs and STIs  but four main groups can be differentiated:

• Chlamydia and gonorrhea are bacterial infections that affect the reproductive system.
• Trichomoniasis is a parasite that may infect both males and females; it affects the urinary tract and other body parts, such as the eyes or genitals. 
• Syphilis and Tertiary syphilis

Tertiary syphilis is the most severe form of the disease and can cause serious health problems. The symptoms may include fever, rash, or hair loss on your palms and soles (onychomadesis), muscle pain (myalgia), headache, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck (lymphadenopathy) or groin area (proctitis).

In addition to these physical symptoms, you may experience cognitive problems such as memory loss and poor judgment. 

• Cancer

Cervical cancer is a disease that affects the cervix, which is the lower part of the womb.

HPV (human papillomavirus) is a virus that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer. HPV vaccines are available to help prevent you from getting these diseases if you have had sex with someone who has HPV in the past year or two.

The most common types of oral cancers are squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma; anal cancers include anal adenocarcinomas and anorectal mesonekomenic neoplasms; penile intraepithelial lesions may be precancers that need treatment before they become malignant tumors.

• Genital warts

Genital warts, also known as “condyloma” or “genital HPV,” are sexually transmitted diseases. They can be found in the genital area, including the penis and vulva.

Most people will clear their infections naturally within two years without treatment, but some people may need treatment for several months to clear their conditions completely.

• AIDs

AIDS is a serious disease that can be transmitted through sex, blood, and breast milk. It can also be transmitted from mother to child.

Underlying STD Causes

STDs are caused by viruses, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there! Some people with no symptoms do get infected; others do have symptoms but think they’re just getting “little flu.” 

It’s important to talk about your sexual history honestly with a healthcare provider, so they can determine whether additional testing is needed before going forward with treatment options such as antibiotics or condoms.

The following are the top five underlying causes of STDs:

• Unprotected sex

In many cases, people with STDs will not realize they have them until they already have symptoms. This can be because there are no apparent signs or symptoms, and people are unaware that they’ve been exposed to the disease.

• Condoms don’t always work as well as they should

Condoms provide some protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but they aren’t perfect and may not protect against all forms of STDs. In addition, condoms sometimes break or slip off during sex, even with the proper fit.

• Not using condoms correctly. 

Not using a condom correctly during intercourse or oral sex can lead to an STD — even if your partner wears a condom! The most common way for condoms to break is when the condom is misapplied by a partner who doesn’t know how to use it properly or has lost their erection while wearing it.

• Having sex with more than one partner 

Having multiple partners increases your risk of getting an STD — especially if you don’t use condoms properly each time. Even if you have only one sex act with someone else in a single session, if it is unprotected, it is dangerous. 

STD Symptoms

• Painful sex
• Unexplained weight loss
• Unexplained swollen lymph nodes

STDs and Pregnancy

STD screening is a must for all pregnant women, regardless of whether or not they are sexually active. However, if you are planning on having children and want to know exactly what kind of STD you may carry—and how likely it is for your baby to get it—you should consider undergoing an exam during pregnancy.

If you’re worried about getting an STD from someone else’s body fluids (like blood), then the best thing to do is talk with your healthcare provider about screening options that fit into your lifestyle; some experts recommend getting tested at least once per year while others suggest doing so every three months until birth or beyond (depending on how long they’ve been TTC).

Diseases and Related Conditions

STDs are a group of diseases that are caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites. Some STDs can be cured with antibiotics; others cannot be cured but can be managed with treatment.

Some symptoms of an STD may include:

• A sore in the genital area (vulva), commonly called a “chancre,” lasts 2–6 weeks and then disappears on its own. This is normal for some STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea (chlamydia).
• Painful sores in the mouth or throat area where you have been exposed to chlamydia or gonorrhea bacteria through oral sex with an infected partner

How to Request Laboratory Testing Through CDC?

CDC can help you get tested. If your doctor or health care provider thinks that you might have an STD, they may recommend that you get tested at a clinic or hospital lab near you. The staff there will ask about your symptoms and send the results to CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP).

How Can You Prevent Sexually Transmitted Diseases?

There are some ways you can prevent STDs.

• Use a condom. This is the most effective way to prevent STDs, so you must use one every time you have sex with someone new or your partner has a new partner. If you don’t already have condoms at home, there are many places where people can get them for free (including public health clinics).
• Limit the number of sexual partners. The more people who touch each other during sex, the greater chance there is that someone will get an STD—and this includes oral sex and any kind of penetration (fingers inside the vagina or anus, penis in the mouth, etc.). 
• It’s best not to have sex with more than one person at once; if two people want each other romantically but don’t want another person in between them, they should find another way instead!

How to Use Male Condoms

When you’re ready to use it, (the condom) open the package carefully. Check the expiry date on the condom and make sure it’s still good before putting it on. If you feel any damage or tears in the package, throw it away immediately. You should also check for holes or tears in your new condom—if so, discard that condom and get another one from a different brand (or use more than one).

If your new condom feels dry under normal circumstances but doesn’t smell foul at all during sex (like when you’ve washed it with soap), consider these possibilities:

• The condom has been sitting around for too long; try using a water-based lubricant before putting on this type of rubber. This will help keep things moist enough so no one gets hurt by irritation caused by dryness!
• First, ensure your partner is erect and ready to have intercourse before applying the condom. The condom should be placed over his penis as soon as possible before penetration begins.

How to Use Female Condoms

Female condoms are designed to be used with a water-based lubricant. 

• Place the closed end of the condom inside your vagina before starting penetrative sex, the closed end of the condom should fit well inside the vagina comfortably up against the pubic bone. Make sure the outer ring of the condom stays outside of the body. For more information, also see this article: https://www.healthline.com/health/birth-control-female-condom#how-to-use

Put Yourself to the Test

You are not alone. There are millions of people who have been sexually assaulted or abused, and they don’t want you to feel alone or ashamed. You can get tested through your doctor or local health clinic if you’re unsure where to go for testing or how much it will cost. 

Don’t be afraid—it’s essential that you know what’s going on in your body to make better decisions about how to protect yourself from STDs and pregnancy.

If you are sexually active, it’s important to get tested for STDs. Many people don’t realize that they can get pregnant when they have an STD. However, some STDs do impact the ability to have children later in life and will require treatment before conception is possible.

You should consider getting tested if:

• You’re having unprotected sex with multiple partners (including ones you’ve just met). This includes oral and anal sex as well as vaginal intercourse without a condom.
• You’re not using birth control but sometimes engage in high-risk sexual behaviors like being on the pill or having sex without condoms (if both partners use them).

Program Management & Evaluation Tools

CDC has a program management and evaluation toolkit (PMETK) that can be used to help manage STD programs, evaluate them, plan for future STD programs, and assess their current performance. 

Treatment and Screening

STDs are usually treated with antibiotics and other medications. However, some STDs can be passed on even after treatment is complete. Therefore, you should be tested for all of the following STDs:

• Chlamydia (the most common STD).
• Gonorrhea — is a sexually transmitted disease that affects both men and women. It can cause pain during urination or ejaculation in men who have had sex with infected partners; it also causes burning when you pee after sex with someone with gonorrhea. 
• If left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to infertility in both males and females. In addition, women who get pregnant while infected with gonorrhea are at risk for premature labor or delivery before 37 weeks into pregnancy.
• Babies born prematurely may have health problems later in life due to developmental delays caused by infection during pregnancy.

Conclusion

If you have any questions about sexually transmitted diseases or sexual diseases, there are many more resources available. We want to help ensure everyone has access to safe sex practices and services, so they can lead healthy lives.

(Written by Dr. Ebad Khan)

References 

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