Sexually Transmitted Diseases Essays (1795 words) -

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), formerly known as venereal diseases, infectious diseases passed from one person to another during sexual contact. STDs are among the most common infections known. More than 12 million people in the United States, including 3 million teenagers, are infected with STDs every year. The United States has the highest STD rate in the industrialized world about one in ten Americans will contract an STD during his or her lifetime. People who do not know they are infected risk infecting their sexual partners and, in some cases, their unborn children. If left untreated, these diseases may cause debilitating pain or may destroy a woman's ability to have children. Some STDs can be cured with a single dose of antibiotics, but many, such as (AIDS), cannot be cured. People with these diseases remain infected for their entire lives. Those most at risk for contracting STDs are people who have unprotected sex?that is, sex without using some form of contraceptive, those who have multiple partners, and those whose sex partners include drug users who share needles. Studies show that Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are at bigger risk of catching STDs than older adults are, because younger people are more likely to have multiple sexual partners rather than a single, long-term relationship. Young people may also be more likely to have unprotected sex and may be embarrassed to tell their sexual partners they are infected. Young people may also be embarrassed or unable to seek medical attention for STDs. This means that they are not only more likely to pass the disease to other young people, they also have a greater risk of suffering the long-term consequences of untreated STDs. STDs are transmitted by infectious agents?microscopic bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and single-celled organisms called protozoa?that thrive in warm, moist environments in the body, such as the genital area, mouth, and throat. Most STDs are spread while having sex , but other forms of sexual contact, such as oral sex, can also spread disease. Some STDs are passed from a mother to her child before birth, when the disease enters the baby's bloodstream, during childbirth as the baby passes through the birth canal, or after birth, when the baby drinks infected breast milk. Some viral STDs, especially AIDS, may be transmitted by blood contact such as open wounds, between people who share infected needles or received through a transfusion of infected blood. Some people mistakenly believe that STDs can be transmitted through shaking hands or other casual contact, or through contact with inanimate objects such as clothing or toilet seats. Such transmissions are extremely rare meaning that it is highly unlikely. Chlamydia, caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium, is the most commonly transmitted STD in the United States. About 500,000 chlamydia infections are reported each year. But because chlamydia may not produce noticeable symptoms, it often goes undiagnosed, and it is estimated that the true number of people infected with chlamydia is nearly ten times the number of reported cases. People who do not know they are infected may not seek medical attention and may continue to have sex, unknowingly they're spreading the disease. When symptoms do develop, men may experience painful or burning urination or a discharge from the penis. Women may experience burning urination, vaginal secretion, or mild lower abdominal pain. If left untreated, chlamydia damages reproductive tissue, causing inflammation of the urethra in men and possibly (PID) in women. PID can cause chronic, debilitating pelvic pain, infertility, or fatal pregnancy complications. Chlamydia infections are diagnosed by testing penile and vaginal discharge for the presence of the bacteria. Gonorrhea, caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae, infects the membranes lining certain genital organs. Although roughly 325,000 gonorrhea infections are reported each year in the United States, experts estimate that closer to 800,000 people are infected annually. Like chlamydia, gonorrhea is often symptomless, and men are more likely to develop symptoms than women are. When present, symptoms may be similar to those of chlamydia and include burning urination and penile or vaginal discharge. Untreated gonorrhea can cause PID in women. Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea are at risk of infection during childbirth; such infections can cause eye disease in the newborn. Physicians diagnose gonorrhea by testing penile or vaginal discharge specimens for the presence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Gonorrhea is treatable with several antibiotics, although it has become resistant to treatment with many drugs in the past several decades. A potentially life-threatening STD, is caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. According to experts, there are an estimated 100,000 new