The Truth About Stis in 2014

The Truth about STIs in 2014

Garrett Grewe

NMSU

Human Sexuality 301

Professor Redd

5/01/14

Introduction

Sexually transmitted infections are diseases that one acquires through sexual intercourse that include oral, anal or vaginal sex.  There are over 20 types of STIs mainly caused by parasites, bacteria and viruses. Anyone who is sexually active can contract STIs regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, race or origin. However, these infections seem to be more prevalent in certain races, minority groups, men who have sex with men, young people who form the sexually active category, and those participating in risky sexual behaviors. STIs have been on the rise over the recent years despite attempts and already planned strategies to curb the spread and infection rates. This topic is of special interest, as a close family member of mine succumbed from tongue cancer at the age of 28, brought on by what doctors believe was from the HPV Virus. This paper sets out to explore the truth about the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases in the year 2014, their causes, prevention mechanisms, and the available possible treatment options.

Top Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Probably the most common sexually transmitted disease (bacterial) in 2014 is Chlamydia. Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD in the United States - more than four million cases every year. Because Chlamydia can infect you without causing symptoms, the CDC estimates suggest that the real number is closer to eight million. It is however the most common curable STI caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium (Carol, 2009). It normally infects the cervix of females and male penile urethra. The scary part is that most women and many men have no symptoms. When symptoms of Chlamydia are present they involve discharge from the vagina or penis and severe pain during sexual intercourse. Often Chlamydia does not present symptoms for months, weeks or even years. For this reason, Chlamydia poses life- threatening complications if not diagnosed and treated earlier enough. Chlamydia is particularly bad news for girls and women, travels quietly, undetected, from the vagina, through the uterus, and into the fallopian tubes, where it wreaks havoc. In women, Chlamydia infection in the reproductive system results into pelvic inflammatory disease that consequently leads to problems during pregnancy and can cause damage to reproductive organs and infertility.

Another common STI is gonorrhea caused by Neisseria gonorrheoea. It is also a bacterial sexually transmitted disease (Tapsall, 2009). Gonorrhea mainly infects sexual organs just as Chlamydia does. Symptoms of gonorrhea include yellow, white, or green discharge from the vagina or penis. A burning and itching effect in the urethra when urinating are all signs of gonorrhea infection. Those practicing oral sex are not exempt since gonorrhea can also infect the throat. Women are often not aware they have the infection so it is easily spread to men who quickly find out the painful symptoms. Not only that, an infected pregnant mother can easily transmit the disease to her baby during childbirth. A part from gonorrhea, there is syphilis that is caused by Treponema pallidum (Fanfair, 2014). Syphilis is transmitted by having direct contact with syphilis sores called chancres, found in the external genitals, mouth, rectum or vagina. At times, these chancres heal by themselves; hence, the victim may assume they have healed. If left untreated Syphilis can cause heart disease, brain damage, blindness, and eventually death.