STDs

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• QWhat causes a sexually transmitted infection (STI)?

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  A Dr. Angela Lowery, DNP , Family Medicine, answered

  You can get sexually transmitted infections by having unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who is infected. Not all STIs have symptoms. Some STIs are transmitted even when there are no symptoms present. You can get STIs through vaginal, anal or oral sex.

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• QWhat should I do if I think I have a sexually transmitted infection (STI)?

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  A Dr. Angela Lowery, DNP , Family Medicine, answered

  If you think you have a sexually transmitted disease, seek medical care as soon as possible. You may contact your healthcare provider or the local health department. Do not have unprotected sex while seeking treatment or taking medications prescribed by your provider. Be sure to follow up with your provider as directed.

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• QWhich health problems can result from untreated chlamydia?

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  A Riverside Health System answered

  Like the disease itself, the damage chlamydia causes is often "silent."
  
  For women, untreated chlamydia may lead to:
  
      • Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID occurs when chlamydia bacteria infect the cells of the cervix, then spread to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. PID occurs in up to 40 percent of women with untreated chlamydia. PID can lead to:
            o Infertility, meaning you can't get pregnant. The infection scars the fallopian tubes and keeps eggs from being fertilized.
            o Ectopic or tubal pregnancy. This happens when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. It is a medical emergency.
            o Chronic pelvic pain, which is ongoing pain, most often from scar tissue.
      • Cystitis (siss-TEYE-tuhss), inflammation of the bladder.
      • HIV/AIDS. Women who have chlamydia are 5 times more likely to get HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, from a partner who is infected with it.
  
  For men, untreated chlamydia may lead to:
      • Infection and scarring of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the body
      • Prostatitis (prah-stuh-TEYE-tuhss), swelling of the prostate gland
      • Infection in the tube that carries sperm from the testes, causing pain and fever
      • Infertility
  
  For women and men, untreated chlamydia may lead to:
      • Chlamydia bacteria in the throat, if you have oral sex with an infected partner
      • Proctitis (prok-TEYE-tuhss), which is an infection of the lining of the rectum, if you have anal sex with an infected partner
      • Reiter's syndrome, which causes arthritis, eye redness, and urinary tract problems
  
  For pregnant women, chlamydia infections may lead to premature delivery. And babies born to infected mothers can get:
      • Infections in their eyes, called conjunctivitis (kuhn-junk-tih-VEYE-tuhss) or pinkeye. Symptoms include discharge from the eyes and swollen eyelids. The symptoms most often show up within the first 10 days of life. If left untreated, it can lead to blindness.
      • Pneumonia. Symptoms include congestion and a cough that keeps getting worse. Both symptoms most often show up within 3 to 6 weeks of birth.
  
  Both of these infant health problems can be treated.
• QCan gonorrhea cause problems during pregnancy?

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  A Dr. Diana K. Blythe, MD , Pediatrics, answered on behalf of Pediatric Associates

  Gonorrhea can cause problems with a normal uterine pregnancy because a woman is more likely to have preterm labor and miscarriage. If the baby is a term delivery, the baby can be infected going through the birth canal. Untreated infection is usually of the eyes and can cause blindness, however other even more serious problems can occur.
  A history of gonorrhea in the past is also a problem. Gonorrhea can cause scarring of the fallopian tubes which puts a women at risk for an ectopic pregnancy. If you have had gonorrhea in the past, especially if it was associated with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), please let your doctor know when you are pregnant.

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• QWhy does trichomoniasis receive so little attention compared to other STDs?

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  A Dr. Alynn B. Alexander, MD , OBGYN (Obstetrics & Gynecology), answered

  Trichiomoniasis receives little attention compared to other STDs probably because it’s not associated with any significant consequence of infection. Gonorrhea and chlamydia are often highlighted because we see it in a young population, and if left untreated can lead to significant pelvic inflammatory disease, which can result in infertility. Trichomoniasis is a parasite; symptoms include vaginal discharge with odor, sometimes discomfort during sex or urination, genital itching and occasionally lower abdomen pain. But it’s easily treated with a one-time dose of antibiotics. It can be a nuisance and uncomfortable but it’s relatively easy to treat. 

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• QCan a pelvic exam help screen for sexually transmitted diseases (STD)?

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  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  Sometimes a sexually transmitted disease (STD) will cause abnormalities that can be seen on a pelvic exam. However, STDs often cause no symptoms at all for a long time. An accurate STD screening is done with lab evaluation of blood and sometimes urine.

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• QWho is at risk for gonorrhea?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  Risk factors for gonorrhea include:

  • being younger than 25 years old
  • having a previous gonorrhea or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
  • having new or multiple sexual partners
  • using condoms inconsistently
  • doing sex work
  • drug use

  Blacks and men who have sex with men have a higher prevalence of infection than the general population in many communities and settings. Routine testing for gonorrhea also is recommended for pregnant females because infection can cause harm to both the mother and infant. However, don't assume your provider will automatically test you. To be on the safe side, you should ask specifically to be tested for gonorrhea, chlamydia and other STDs.

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• QWhat is syphilis?

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  A RealAge answered

  Syphilis is a bacterial infection transmitted through sexual contact. The first symptom is usually a painless sore (chancre) in the mouth or genital area. Secondary symptoms include sore heels, swollen lymph nodes, and fever. Samples from the sores or blood tests are used to diagnose syphilis. Without antibiotic treatment it can spread throughout the body and cause heart disease, dementia, blindness, and death.

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• QWhen should I get tested for syphilis?

  1 Answer

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  A Riverside Health System answered

  Ask your doctor about getting tested for syphilis if:
  You have symptoms and signs of syphilis. You think you might have been exposed to someone with syphilis. You are pregnant. All pregnant women should be tested for syphilis at their first prenatal checkup. Some pregnant women should be tested again, later in the pregnancy. Ask your doctor about retesting. Your or your partner's sexual behavior puts you at risk for STIs (such as having sex with multiple partners, having unprotected sex, or having sex with men who have sex with men). Ask your doctor how often you should be retested. You have another STI.
  This answer is based on source information from the National Women's Health Information Center.
• QHow long does the trichomoniasis infection stay in your body?

  1 Answer

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  A Patricia Geraghty, NP , Women's Health, answered

  Trichomoniasis is an infection of the genitals, the vagina in a woman or the penis in a man, by a single cell organism. It can live idefinitely in these areas of the body unless appropriately treated. Fortunately, there are very effective antibiotics that will cure this infection. The first choice of treatment is simply taking 2 grams of metronidazole (brand name Flagyll) or tinidazole (brand name Tindamax) in a single dose.