Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Among all the concerns about having sex these days, a lot of attention is focused on viruses such as HIV, but bacterial sexually transmitted diseases are not to be overlooked. While a viral sexually transmitted disease may stay with a person for the rest of his/her life, a bacterial sexually transmitted disease can cause lifelong complications.

1. Chlamydia Chlamydia is currently thought to be the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Women tend to be asymptomatic if they're infected with chlamydia, with only 50 to 70 percent of women showing symptoms. Symptoms in women include unusual vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, pain during sexual intercourse and fever. Women can be infected for months or years before the infection is detected. Detection of infection is usually easier in men, since they show symptoms more often than women. Symptoms of a chlamydia infection in men include painful urination, fever, swollen or tender testicles or unusual discharge from the penis. Luckily, chlamydia is easily treated with a course of antibiotics.
2. Gonorrhea Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in the United States. The age groups that are the biggest risk factors are women between the ages of fifteen and nineteen and men between the ages of twenty and 24. Gonorrhea shows more symptoms in women than chlamydia does, with around 40 to 60 percent of infected women reporting symptoms, such as vaginal discharge and frequent urination. Men are more likely to seek medical attention because of unpleasant symptoms, such as pain and discharge during urination. Also like chlamydia, a gonorrhea infection is treated with a course of antibiotics. If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause joint problems and issues with the heart valves.
3. Syphilis Once the most common sexually transmitted disease, syphilis has become less common in this day and age. There are several stages of syphilis and each stage has different symptoms. The most easily recognized symptoms occur during the second stage, such as sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and a rash on the hands and feet. If left untreated, syphilis can cause brain damage and prove fatal eventually. If a pregnant women has untreated syphilis, there is a 50 percent chance of the woman spreading the disease to her child.

Tips:

• Regular screening for all sexually transmitted diseases is imperative.
• Chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease drops drastically with the use of condoms if you engage in sex acts with multiple partners or if your partner has multiple partners.
• Bacterial sexually transmitted diseases can be treated with antibiotics, while viral sexually transmitted diseases cannot.