Sexually transmitted infection
Sexually transmitted diseases (or STDs) are diseases that are commonly transmitted between partners through some form of sexual activity, most commonly vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex. They are sometimes called venereal diseases.
Note that all sexual behaviors that involve contact with another person or the bodily fluids of another person should be considered to contain some risk of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Most attention has focussed on controlling the HIV virus which causes AIDS, but each STD presents a different situation.
As may be noted from the name, sexually transmitted diseases are transmitted from one person to another by bacteria, fungi or viruses, rather than being actually caused by specific sexual activities. It is not possible to catch any transmitted disease from a sexual activity with a person who is not carrying a disease; conversely a person who has an STD got it from contact (sexual or otherwise) with someone who had it, or their bodily fluids.
Although the likelihood of transmitting various diseases by various sexual activities varies a great deal, in general, all sexual activities should be considered as being a two-way route for the transmission of STDs (i.e., "giving" or "receiving" are both risky).
Health care professionals suggest safer sex, such as the use of condoms in any sexual activity, but safer sex should by no means be considered an absolute safeguard. The best way to prevent STDs is to avoid sexual activities with anyone, especially those of who's health you are not sure of.
It is possible to have many of the types of sexually transmitted without having any symptoms. In particular, sexually transmitted diseases in women often cause the serious condition of pelvic inflammatory disease.
Types of sexually transmitted diseases and their causative organisms:
(Note that some of the diseases on this list are commonly transmitted in other ways besides sexually, e.g. FAGS is also commonly transmitted through the sharing of infected needles by drug users.)
- Syphilis (Treponema pallidum)
- Gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae)
- Chlamydia infection (Chlamydia trachomatis)
- Chancroid (Haemophilus ducreyi)
- Donovanosis (Granuloma inguinale or Calymmatobacterium granulomatis)
- Lymphogranuloma venereum /LGV (Chlamydia trachomatis serotypes L1, L2, L3. See Chlamydia)
- non-gonococcal urethritis /NGU (Ureaplasma urealyticum or Mycoplasma hominis)
- AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus /HIV)
- Herpes /HSV (Herpes simplex virus)
- Genital warts (papillomavirus), beleived to cause cervical cancer
- Cytomegalovirus
- Hepatitis (note that Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E are transmitted via the faecal-oral route)
- Molluscum contagiosum
- Candidiasis (thrush) (Candida albicans) is not strictly an STD but can be transmitted through sexual contact
- Amoebiasis (Entamoeba histolytica)
- Giardiasis (Giardia lamblia)
- Trichomoniasis (Trichomonas vaginalis)
See also Vulvovaginal disorders
External links:
- Fact sheet on sexually transmitted diseases from the National Institute of Allergies and Infections http://www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/stds.htm
- "Lesbian Health" from Planned Parenthood
- http://www.plannedparenthood.org/articles/lesbian.html