Transcript Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS

Sexually Transmitted
Diseases and HIV/AIDS
by Molly Gagliardi and Jack Smith
What are STDs?
● sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections spread from person to
person through sexual contact
● infections only occur through genital contact or the exchange of body fluids
by another person with an STD
● some STDs are caused by a bacterial infection and can be cured with
medication, while many are caused by viruses and are incurable
● the most common STDs are often asymptomatic, meaning that the
individuals show no symptoms, or the symptoms are mild and disappear
after the onset of infection
Genital HPV Infections
● human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of more than 100 kinds of
viruses- 30 of them are transmitted through sexual contact
● about 6 million people in the U.S. are infected a year
● some cause genital warts, but many have no symptoms
● if they are not treated, they can develop into cervical cancer
● a vaccine treatment is available for protection against HPV
Chlamydia
● chlamydia is a bacterial infection that affects the reproductive organs
in both males and females
● it is the most common STD among teens
● if not treated, females can develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
and suffer chronic pelvic pain or infertility
● males also develop infertility
● pregnant females with chlamydia can deliver prematurely, and their
child may have eye disease, pneumonia, or other fatal conditions
● can be treated and cured with antibiotics
Genital Herpes
● genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus
● simplex 1 causes cold sores in or near the mouth and simplex 2
causes genital sores
● many people are asymptomatic and are not aware they have the
infection
● if symptoms appear, the first outbreak appears as blisters in the
genital area within 2 weeks of the virus being transmitted
● the blisters break and leave sores that take weeks to heal
● no cure, but antiviral medication can shorten and prevent outbreaks
Gonorrhea
● gonorrhea is a bacterial STD that usually affects mucous membranes
● it is the second most commonly reported infectious disease in the
United States
● most males with gonorrhea are asymptomatic and infected females
show mild symptoms
● severe health problems such as infertility and permanent damage to
the body joints can happen as a result of gonorrhea
● females can pass the infection onto their children during childbirth
● treated and cured with antibiotics
Trichomoniasis
● trichomoniasis is caused by a microscopic protozoan that results in
infections in the vagina, urethra, and bladder
● some males report a temporary irritation inside the penis, mild
discharge, or slight burning during and after urination or ejaculation
● many infected females experience vaginitis, an inflammation with
symptoms such as discharge, odor, irritation, or itching
● females also are more likely to contract HIV if exposed
● babies born to infected females are often premature and have low
birth weights
● a prescription drug, metronidazole, is given by the mouth
Syphilis
● syphilis is an infection caused by a small bacterium called a
spirochete
● curable with penicillin or other antibiotics
● people with syphilis develop sores in the genital area lasting a
couple of weeks - they pass it on to others through contact with
sores during sexual activity
● the three stages of syphilis are:
○ first stage- sore appears on genitals. if the disease goes
untreated, the sore heals & the infection remains
○ second stage- the infection produces a skin rash. the untreated
rash may disappear, but the infection stays
○ third stage- damage to the internal organs, brain dementia, and
possibly death
The STD Epidemic
● the CDC estimates that each year, 19 million people are infected with
an STD, half of which are under the age of 24
● many cases go untreated because of:
○ embarrassment or fear- people are too afraid to seek medical
help
○ lack of symptoms- many diseases are asymptomatic
○ misinformation- if the STD disappears without treatment the
person may believe they are cured
○ notification policies- state law requires health care providers to
report some but not all STDs, which can cause infected people to
unknowingly to pass on the disease to others
Prevention Through Abstinence
● because many STDs go undiagnosed, it is not enough for a person to
say they are not infected
● each month, about 750,000 teens are diagnosed with an STD
● the only 100% effective method to preventing STDs is abstinence
● to help stay committed to abstinence try this:
o set limits of physical affection
o avoid situations or people that may pressure you to engage
in sexual activity
o practice refusal skills
Avoiding STDs
● another way that can help prevent people from contracting STDs is by
avoiding high-risk behaviors, which includes:
○ being sexually active with more than one person
○ engaging in unprotected sex
○ engaging in sexual activity with high-risk partners
(people who have had sex with more than one person and/or
done illegal drugs)
○ using alcohol or other drugs
● the FDA has also approved the HPV vaccine, which can prevent
cervical cancer, pre-cancerous genital sores, and genital warts that
are cause by genital HPV infection
What is HIV/AIDS?
● human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the
immune system
● once HIV enters the body, it finds and destroys the white blood cells
that fight disease
● the final stage of the HIV infection is acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS), a disease in which the immune system is weakened
● health care officials estimate that currently 40 million people worldwide
have HIV/AIDS
Understanding HIV/AIDS
● HIV is a fragile virus that cannot live outside the human bodyexposure to air at room temperature kills the virus
● it cannot be spread through the air, casual contact, or insect bites
● HIV is transmitted among humans when a person’s infected blood,
semen, or vaginal secretions comes in contact with another person’s
broken skin or mucous membranes (which are found in the mouth,
eyes, nose, vagina, rectum, and end of penis)
● it is spread in three ways:
o during sexual intercouse
o by sharing needles contaminated with HIV
o from mother to baby
HIV/AIDS and the Immune System
● HIV attacks the body by destroying lymphocytes, or special white
blood cells that fight pathogens
● when HIV enters certain cells, it reproduces itself and eventually
destroys the cell
● as more cells are destroyed, the immune system becomes weaker
and the body becomes vulnerable to infections
● four stages the body goes through before progressing to AIDS are:
○ asymptomatic stage- no outward signs of infection
○ middle stage- fever, headache, sore throat, rash, etc.
○ symptomatic stage- flu-like symptoms such as small appetite,
body aches, fever, weight loss, etc.
○ AIDS stage- immune system weakened to the point of possible
death from ordinary illnesses
Preventing and Treating HIV/AIDS
● the CDC estimates that more than one million Americans live with HIV
and 40,000 are infected each year
● about 25% of people in the United States who are infected with HIV do
not know they are infected
● the best ways to protect yourself from infection are:
o practice abstinence
o do not share needles
o avoid situations where drug and alcohol use may be
involved
o use refusal skills
Diagnosing HIV/AIDS
● testing for HIV is available in a doctor’s office, or local health department
● the most common test is a blood sample or oral specimen and is determined
after 2 weeks in a lab
● other tests include:
o EIA test- a test that screens for HIV antibodies in the blood
o western blot test- a test that detects HIV antibodies and confirms the
results of earlier EIA tests
o rapid test- an HIV test that produces results in only 2 minutes
o home testing kits- most are not trustworthy, the results will always
be most accurate when done in a lab
Treating HIV/AIDS
● there are prescription drugs that slow the growth of HIV and treat the
symptoms, but none that can cure it
● many drugs are available to treat infections that happen as the
immune system weakens with the onset of AIDS, like pneumonia and
types of cancers
● to slow the the growth of the AIDS virus, people may take a
combination of drugs, a treatment known as highly antiretroviral
therapy (HAART)
● there is also a once-daily pill for the treatment of HIV/AIDS approved
by the FDA
BBC Documentary - STDs and HIV/AIDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pgSqJYL7Mg