Chlamydia: (from the CDC website)

Most people who have chlamydia don’t know it since the disease often has no symptoms. Chlamydia is a common STD that can infect both men and women. It can cause serious, permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive system and this can make it difficult or impossible for her to get pregnant later on. It can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy that occurs outside the womb).

You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has chlamydia. If you’ve had chlamydia and were treated in the past, you can still get infected again. The only way to avoid STDs is not to have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection to your baby during delivery. This could cause an eye infection or pneumonia in your newborn. Having chlamydia may also make it more likely to deliver your baby too early.

Most people who have chlamydia have no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may not appear until several weeks after you have sex with an infected partner. Even when chlamydia causes no symptoms, it can damage your reproductive system. Women with symptoms may notice an abnormal vaginal discharge and/or a burning sensation when urinating. Laboratory tests can diagnose chlamydia.

In a woman, untreated chlamydia can spread into your uterus and fallopian tubes. This can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which often has no symptoms, however some women may have abdominal and pelvic pain. Even if PID doesn’t cause symptoms initially, it can cause permanent damage to your reproductive system. PID can lead to long-term pelvic pain, inability to get pregnant, and potentially deadly ectopic pregnancy.

Chlamydia can be cured.

Gonorrhea: (from CDC Fact Sheet)

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease that can infect both men and women. It can cause infections in the genitals, rectum, and throat. It is a very common infection, especially among young people ages 15-24 years.

You can get gonorrhea by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has gonorrhea. A pregnant woman with gonorrhea can give the infection to her baby during childbirth. The only way to avoid STDs is not to have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

Most women with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms. Even when a woman has symptoms, they are often mild and can be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection, even if they don’t have any symptoms.

Symptoms in women can include painful or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods. Rectal infections may either cause no symptoms or cause symptoms in both men and women that may include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or painful bowel movements.

You should be examined by your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms or if your partner has an STD or symptoms of an STD, such as an unusual sore, a smelly discharge, burning when urinating, or bleeding between periods.

Most of the time, urine can be used to test for gonorrhea. However, if you have had oral and/or anal sex, swabs may be used to collect samples from your throat and/or rectum. Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems in both women and men.

In women, untreated gonorrhea can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). Some the complications of PID are formation of scar tissue that block the fallopian tubes, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, or long-term pelvic/abdominal pain.

Gonorrhea can be cured.

Syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can cause serious health problems if it is not treated. There are different signs and symptoms associated with each stage.

You can get syphilis by direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. You can find sores on or around the penis, vagina, or anus, or in the rectum, on the lips, or in the mouth.

Syphilis is divided into stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary), with different signs and symptoms associated with each stage. A person with primary syphilis generally has a sore or sores at the original site of infection. These sores usually occur on or around the genitals, around the anus or in the rectum, or in or around the mouth. These sores are usually (but not always) firm, round, and painless. Symptoms of secondary syphilis include skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, and fever. The signs and symptoms of primary and secondary syphilis can be mild, and they might not be noticed. During the latent stage, there are no signs or symptoms. Tertiary syphilis is associated with severe medical problems.  A doctor can usually diagnose tertiary syphilis with the help of multiple tests. It can affect the heart, brain, and other organs of the body.

The only way to avoid STDs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

If you are pregnant and have syphilis, you can give the infection to your unborn baby. Having syphilis can lead to a low birth weight baby. It can also make it more likely you will deliver your baby too early or stillborn (a baby born dead). To protect your baby, you should be tested for syphilis at least once during your pregnancy. Receive immediate treatment if you test positive.

An infected baby may be born without signs or symptoms of disease. However, if not treated immediately, the baby may develop serious problems within a few weeks. Untreated babies can have health problems such as cataracts, deafness, or seizures, and can die.

Syphilis can be cured with the right antibiotics from your health care provider. However, treatment might not undo any damage that the infection has already done.

Trichomoniasis

Or “trich” is a very common sexually transmitted disease (STD). It is caused by infection with a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Although symptoms of the disease vary, most people who have the parasite cannot tell they are infected.

In the United States, an estimated 3.7 million people have the infection. However, only about 30% develop any symptoms of trichomoniasis. Infection is more common in women than in men. Older women are more likely than younger women to have been infected with trichomoniasis.

The parasite passes from an infected person to an uninfected person during sex. In women, the most commonly infected part of the body is the lower genital tract (vulva, vagina, cervix, or urethra). In men, the most commonly infected body part is the inside of the penis (urethra). During sex, the parasite usually spreads from a penis to a vagina, or from a vagina to a penis. It can also spread from a vagina to another vagina. It is not common for the parasite to infect other body parts, like the hands, mouth, or anus. It is unclear why some people with the infection get symptoms while others do not. It probably depends on factors like a person’s age and overall health. Infected people without symptoms can still pass the infection on to others.

About 70% of infected people do not have any signs or symptoms. When trichomoniasis does cause symptoms, they can range from mild irritation to severe inflammation. Some people with symptoms get them within 5 to 28 days after being infected. Others do not develop symptoms until much later. Symptoms can come and go.

Women with trichomoniasis may notice itching, burning, redness or soreness of the genitals; discomfort with urination; a change in their vaginal discharge (i.e., thin discharge or increased volume) that can be clear, white, yellowish, or greenish with an unusual fishy smell. Having trichomoniasis can make it feel unpleasant to have sex. Without treatment, the infection can last for months or even years.

Pregnant women with trichomoniasis are more likely to have their babies too early (preterm delivery). Also, babies born to infected mothers are more likely to have a low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds).

It is not possible to diagnose trichomoniasis based on symptoms alone. For both men and women, your health care provider can examine you and get a laboratory test to diagnose trichomoniasis.

Trichomoniasis can be treated with medication.

People who have been treated for trichomoniasis can get it again. About 1 in 5 people get infected again within 3 months after receiving treatment. To avoid getting reinfected, all sex partners should get treated with antibiotics at the same time. Wait to have sex again until everyone has been treated and any symptoms go away (usually about a week). Get checked at 3 months to make sure you have not been infected again, or sooner if your symptoms come back before then. The only way to avoid STDs is not to have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition that happens when there is too much of certain bacteria in the vagina. This changes the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina.

Bacterial vaginosis is the most common vaginal condition in women ages 15-44.

Researchers do not know the cause of BV or how some women get it. We do know that the condition typically occurs in sexually active women. BV is linked to an imbalance of “good” and “harmful” bacteria that are normally found in a woman’s vagina. Having a new sex partner or multiple sex partners, as well as douching, can upset the balance of bacteria in the vagina. This places a woman at increased risk for getting BV. We also do not know how sex contributes to BV.  There is no research to show that treating a sex partner affects whether or not a woman gets BV. Having BV can increase your chances of getting other STDs.

BV rarely affects women who have never had sex. You cannot get BV from toilet seats, bedding, or swimming pools.

Doctors and scientists do not completely understand how BV spreads. There are no known best ways to prevent it.

The following basic prevention steps may help lower your risk of developing BV: Not having sex; Limiting your number of sex partners; Not douching; and using latex condoms the right way every time you have sex.

I’m pregnant. How does bacterial vaginosis affect my baby?

Pregnant women can get BV. Pregnant women with BV are more likely to have babies born premature (early) or with low birth weight than pregnant women without BV. Low birth weight means having a baby that weighs less than 5.5 pounds at birth.

Many women with BV do not have symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you may notice: A thin white or gray vaginal discharge; Pain, itching, or burning in the vagina; A strong fish-like odor, especially after sex; Burning when urinating; or itching around the outside of the vagina.

BV will sometimes go away without treatment. But if you have symptoms of BV you should be checked and treated. It is important that you take all of the medicine prescribed to you, even if your symptoms go away. A health care provider can treat BV with antibiotics, but BV may return even after treatment. Treatment may also reduce the risk for some STDs.

Male sex partners of women diagnosed with BV generally do not need to be treated. BV may be transferred between female sex partners. BV can cause some serious health risks, including:

• Increasing your chance of getting HIV if you have sex with someone who is infected with HIV;
• If you are HIV positive, increasing your chance of passing HIV to your sex partner;
• Making it more likely that you will deliver your baby too early if you have BV while pregnant;
• Increasing your chance of getting other STDs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. These bacteria can sometimes cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can make it difficult or impossible for you to have children.

HIV

In the United States, people who get syphilis, gonorrhea, and herpes often also have HIV, or are more likely to get HIV in the future.

If you get an STD, you are more likely to get HIV than someone who is STD-free. This is because the same behaviors and circumstances that may put you at risk for getting an STD also can put you at greater risk for getting HIV. In addition, having a sore or break in the skin from an STD may allow HIV to more easily enter your body. If you are sexually active, get tested for STDs and HIV regularly, even if you don’t have symptoms.

The only 100% effective way to avoid STDs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

Treating STDs will not prevent you from getting HIV.

If you get treated for an STD, this will help to prevent its complications, and prevent spreading STDs to your sex partners. Treatment for an STD other than HIV does not prevent the spread of HIV.

If you are diagnosed with an STD, talk to your doctor about ways to protect yourself and your partner(s) from getting re-infected with the same STD, or getting HIV.