What are STDs?
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), also known as sexually transmitted infections or (formerly) as venereal disease, is a broad term that refers to more than 50 diseases and syndromes, which may be transmitted through the exchange of body fluids, such as semen, vaginal fluids, and blood, or in some cases, by kissing, caressing, or direct contact with infected areas. STDs can be serious and painful and may have long-term health consequences including sterility, chronic infection, scarring of a woman's fallopian tubes, ectopic pregnancy, cancer and death.
STDs affect men and women of all backgrounds and economic levels. It is estimated that by age 24, 1 in 3 sexually active people will have contracted a STD. Nearly 65% of all STDs occur in people younger than 25 years of age. The most common STDs on college campuses include chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes and HPV (genital warts).
What should I watch for?
Unfortunately some sexually transmitted diseases cause no symptoms. For example, it is estimated that 50% of the male population and 75%of the female population who are infected with chlamydia experience no symptoms. You can be infected and unknowingly transmit a disease.
Several common signs that may indicate a STD are listed below. These symptoms can show up anytime from two days to several months after initial exposure to the disease. Though it is rare, some symptoms show up as much as several years later.
For women:
- An unusual discharge or odor from the vagina
- Pain in the pelvic area
- Burning or itching around the vagina
- Unusual bleeding (other than the menstrual cycle)
- Vaginal pain during intercourse
For men:
- A discharge (drip) from the penis
For both women and men:
- Sores, bumps or blisters near the mouth or genitals
- Burning and pain during urination or a bowel movement
- Flu-like feelings, including fever, chills, aches
- Swelling in the groin area
- Persistent swelling or redness in the throat (three or more weeks)
If you have any of these symptoms, or if you know or suspect that you have been exposed to a STD, see a health care provider immediately.
What should I do if I think I have a STD?
You may feel embarrassed about having a STD. Do not allow embarrassment to keep you from seeking medical attention. Procrastinating and hoping that the symptoms will disappear is not the answer. Every day that you wait means increased risk to you and your partner(s) health. That is why it is also important to notify your sexual partner(s) as early as possible so that they can be tested and receive proper treatment.
You may have more than one STD at the same time. One STD may mask another that poses a more serious health problem, and one STD may make it easier for another STD to flourish. If you have one STD, your health care provider might want you to be tested for another. It is important that the health care provider be aware of your sexual practices so that you can be appropriately examined and tested.
If I call for an STD examination at the Student Health Center, what should I expect the health care provider to do?
Diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases varies. Some STDs are diagnosed by physical examination, while others require blood tests or other types of laboratory tests. If you have reason to believe that you have been exposed to an STD, see your health care provider immediately. Even if you have experienced no symptoms (which is characteristic of some STDs), if you are sexually active you may need to be screened for certain STDs as part of your regular medical check-up. If your health care provider at Duke Student Health recommends the screening, your health fee covers it. You can make an appointment for confidential STD screening at the Student Health Center by calling 681-WELL. It is important to remember that you can not be tested for every STD, especially if there are no signs. This refers to STDs such as herpes and HPV, where a sore, lesion or bump must be present to test.
How easy is it to cure STDs?
STDs include bacterial and viral organisms and parasites. Bacterial STDs, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis, are relatively easy to cure with antibiotics. If diagnosed and treated early, they usually have no long term effects or damage to the body.
Viral STDs such as genital herpes, HPV (genital warts), hepatitis B, and HIV cannot be cured. Symptoms can be relieved, however, with medication and treatment.
Diseases caused by parasites, including trichomoniasis and pubic lice, can be treated with medication but can also be spread nonsexually to others. As in all other cases, do not wait for treatment or for it to 'just go away'.
No STD should be dismissed as harmless. Even a curable sexually transmitted disease, if left untreated, can have serious consequences. Also, having an STD once does not protect you from getting the same or other STDs in the future.
What are the risks if an STD is not treated?
The most obvious outcome of not being treated for an STD is that you can give the STD to your sexual partner(s). Other consequences include continued uncomfortable or painful symptoms, development of precancerous conditions, serious infection and possible damage of the reproductive organs, infertility, transmission of the disease to a baby during childbirth, heart disease, brain damage, blindness and death.
As a result of the frequency of asymptomatic infection in women, many do not seek medical care until serious problems occur. For this reason it is advisable for sexually active women to be screened for common infections such as chlamydia as a regular part of their yearly GYN exam.