Sexually Transmitted Diseases are a type of infection that is highly contagious and spreadable from one person to another via intimate contact. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 1 million cases of new STDs are recorded each day around the world. The United States has been seeing actively rising STD cases since the year 2013. Nevada is one of the states that rank in one of the top 25 states in the US with high rates of STD cases.
What are STDs?
STDs are shortened form of Sexually Transmitted Diseases or otherwise known as Sexually Transmitted Infections that spreads from one person to another through sexual contact, which can include oral and vaginal/anal sex. Some have a myth that oral sex is safer and it doesn’t act as a carrier for STD transmission, but they are wrong. All the types of STDs have the ability to transmit through oral sex and even genital touching where you can get in contact with the infected person’s fluids.
Types of STDs
According to one study, there are more than 12 different types of STDs that can cause severe illness in both men and women. However, not all of them are of serious concern or seen everywhere. A handful of 6 different types of STDs are the dominant ones across the US. Following are the most common types of STDs:
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Herpes
- Syphilis
- HPV
- HIV
STDs in Nevada, US
Nevada ranks one of the top 25 states in the US according to the CDC research in 2015. Following are the three most commonly reported symptoms in Nevada:
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is caused by a bacteria named Chlamydia Trachomatis which spreads from person to person through intimate contact such as vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It is a myth that some believe oral sex doesn’t spread chlamydia. In fact, they are equally infectious and chlamydia is transmitted orally and if the symptoms occur around the oral cavity, then it is known as oral chlamydia. Symptoms of chlamydia include unusual genital discharges, frequent urination, pain while urinating, and excess vaginal bleeding in women. If you have any of these symptoms, then get tested for chlamydia as soon as possible. Leaving chlamydia untreated can lead to severe health complications such as infertility and PID in women.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported STDs in Nevada and in the United States. Gonorrhea is caused by a different type of bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhea. Both chlamydia and gonorrhea share similar symptoms and characteristics that can sometimes be hard to differentiate between the two without a screening test.
Syphilis
Syphilis is the second most commonly seen STD in Nevada and one of the major ones across the United States. Syphilis is caused by a bacteria named Treponema Pallidum that progresses slowly and causes symptoms over the long run. Typically, the symptoms of STDs tend to take multiple days even to weeks to show up, and in the case of Syphilis the signs progress in multiple stages. The stages are classified into three types according to the severity of symptoms – primary stage, secondary and tertiary. Primarily symptoms often show mild symptoms such as fever and other signs, the second stage can include sores (often called as syphilis sores) which may appear around the infected area (genitals or oral cavity), and then the tertiary symptoms are where all these symptoms come together as an outbreak and most people land straight in the tertiary phase.
Symptoms of STDs
Signs of STDs cannot be detected in the very early stages. Symptoms of STDs can vary and take anywhere from several days to multiple weeks. Often times many of the people who are sexually active, do not experience any symptoms for a while and tend to transmit the disease to all other partners in the meantime without even their knowledge. Also, most of the symptoms can resemble other diseases such as pimples, and yeast infections which can take longer to actually figure out your symptoms are caused by STDs.
Symptoms in women
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Pain while urinating
- Painful sexual intercourse
- Pain in the back or lower abdomen
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
Symptoms in men
- Dark penile discharge
- Burning sensation during urination
- Swelling and pain in the testicles
- Anal itching
- Irritation in the penis
- Painful and irregular bowel movements
Common symptoms
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fever
- Headache
- Joint pain
- Jaundice
- Diarrhea
- Cough
- Unusual sweat during the night
- Fatigue
- Soreness in throat
Can STDs be cured?
Sexually Transmitted Diseases can be cured but it depends on what type of infection you have acquired. If you have been tested positive for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea or any other similar bacteria causing STDs, then your physician shall prescribe anti-biotics that fight the STD bacteria and help you recover completely. However, the STD symptoms may tend to show up late or never until the final stage of the infection has reached, then it can become quite a slothy process to get recovered.
There is a catch with STD treatments — not all STDs can be cured. The types like HIV and Herpes which are caused by viruses cannot be easily or completely cured. You shall be prescribed medications that are anti-retroviral and help reduce the symptoms and slow the virus spread.
What happens if STDs are left untreated?
Some may expect the symptoms of STDs to go away on their own and wait for the signs to disappear. But, that is not a good idea when you have been sexually active in the past. Getting screened for STDs can help detect the right type of STD you are infected with and process further to get it treated or cured. Leaving any STD untreated can lead to severe health consequences that can result in long-term health complications such as infertility, Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) which can damage your reproductive system. Some STDs can lead to even more severe complications like cancer, tuberculosis, HIV?AIDS and can be fatal.