Sexually Transmitted Diseases Flashcards
Chlamydia
- Most frequently reported STD in the US
- 75% of all cases in 15-29 years old
Symptoms of Chlamydia
- Asymptomatic: discharge, painful urination, light bleeding
- Milder chronic infection: lower ab and back pain, spotting in general and after sex
Complications of Chlamydia
Women: Pelvic inflammatory disease, scarring of the fallopian tubes, ectopic pregnancy
All: Epidydimitis, infertility
Diagnosing Chlamydia
Pus sample tests, vaginal discharge tests, urine analysis
Treatment of Chlamydia
Azithromycin (best for pregnant women), doxycycline, erythromycin, ofloxacin (not during pregnancy), and amoxicillin
- Avoid sex and douching during treatment
- Treatment for sexual partners
Syphilis
- Caused by Treponema pallidum spirochete bacteria
- “The Great Imitator” b/c of similar symptoms with other diseases
- It’s symptoms come in stages
Primary syphilis symptoms
Chancre: painless open genital sore on penis or on/in vagina; but disappears with or without treatment
Penis, vaginal, cervix, hand, mouth ulcer
Very contagious
Enlarged lymph nodes all over the body, but they return to normal
Secondary syphilis symptoms
*About 1/3 of untreated patients
Will progress; symptoms appear 3-6 weeks or 1-6 months after the chancre
Skin rash, small penny-sized sores (palms and soles), wart-like lumps, mouth lining rash, flu-like symptoms (very general), patchy hair loss, swollen lymph nodes throughout the body
*Intermittent symptoms makes come and go for up to 2 years
Very contagious
Latent syphilis symptoms
No symptoms
Not contagious
*This or tertiary is the result of leaving the overall condition untreated
Tertiary syphilis symptoms
Usually many months or years later
Less than 1/3 of cases progress to tertiary
Greatly varied symptoms depending on organs affected by syphilis; multiple non-cancerous tumors throughout the body and in organs
Late syphilis symptoms
MAJOR
After severe progression of tertiary
Includes: mental illness, blindness, neurologic problems charcot joint (Painless), heart disease, and death
Also, neurosyphilis: headache, stiff neck, fever, seizures, paralysis, lightning pain
Congenital syphilis
Possible and can cross via the placenta to the baby; causes delays in development, seizures, deformities, and hutchinson’s teeth
Diagnosing Syphilis
Swab of chancre (primary and secondary), syphilis blood test, VDRL (venereal diseae research lab test), RPR (rapid plasma reagin test), syphilis antibody tests, CSF syphilis test for protein that doesn’t belong
Treatment of Syphilis
- First Savarsan 606; but had side effects
- Then antibiotics: procaine and benzathine penicillin, doxycycline, amoxicillin
Gonorrhea
Approx. 395,216 cases in 2015 in the US
Symptoms of Gonorrhea
Men: very specific symptoms
Most cases develop symptoms from2-5 days after infection (up to 30 days)
Include: burning urination, white/yellow/green penile discharge, orchitis
Women: mild and non-specific symptoms
50% of cases have no symptoms
Those that do include: painful or burning urination, vaginal discharge, vaginal bleedings between periods
Both:
Rectal infection including discharge, itching, soreness, bleeding, and painful defecation
Complications of Gonorrhea
Women:
PID in women who don’t know they have it and don’t get treated. Scarring of the fallopian tubes, ectopic pregnancy, infertility.
Men: epidydimitis which can affect fertility
Diagnosing Gonorrhea
Nucleic acid amp. tests, nucleic acid hybridization test, gonorrhea culture, gram stain, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
Treatment of Gonorrhea
Ofloxacin, Cefixine, Ceftriaxine
*Most people with gonorrhea also have chlamydia so antibiotics for BOTH
Genital Herpes
Caused by Herpes Simplex Virus II (HSV 2) MORE THAN HSV-1
- Note: HSV-1 is more often associated with cold sores
- *Both herpes and cold sores hide in dorsal root ganglia of nerves in the dermatones of the infected areas until stimulation by stress or infection
Is HSV-2 more common in women than in men?
Yes! 1 in 4 women over 1 in 8 men
How is genital herpes spread?
Spread by virus coming from open sores and through skin that shows no signs of sores
Symptoms of Herpes
Recurrent, painful sore, pain in the legs, buttocks or genital area
Does herpes have recurrent outbreaks?
Yes!
- The first is the most pronounced, the extends to 4 or 5 outbreaks in that 1st year
- Most people have sores or have very mild signs that makes it easier to be spread again
Diagnosing Herpes
Visual inspection of lesions, lab testing of material from a sore, blood test to detect HSV antibodies
Treatment of Herpes
*NO medication can cure, BUT they SHORTEN OUTBREAKS and REDUCE THEIR INTENSITY/FREQUENCY
Meds include: acyclovir (zovirax), famcyclovir (famvir), valcyclovir (valtrex)
Genital warts (Condyloma acuminata)
Caused by HPV! Most common STI. Over 100 strains of HPV and only 9 are cancer causing. Infects the genital areas including skin of the penis, vulva, and LININGS of vagina, cervix, and rectum
“Low-risk” HPV
Wart causing
Symptoms: warts appearing within weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected person.. or may not appear at all, left untreated -> may go away, increase, or not change BUT WON’T BECOME CANCER
“High-risk” HPV
Cancer causing; 9 of the 100 types
Cervical cancer and other cancers don’t have symptoms till late in the infection and manifestation.. making them a large problem and sometimes fatal
Symptoms/Signs of Genital Warts
Small bumps, raised or flat, single or multiple, small or large, sometimes soft, moist, flesh-colored, can appear on the vulva, in or around the vagina or anus, on the cervix or male counterpart genitalia
Diagnosing Genital Warts
Visual inspection and history of sexual activity
Treating Genital Warts
None for the virus, but a healthy immune system to fight it off naturally
*Treatments DON’T CURE but interfere with the viral replication
Trichomoniasis
A common cause of vaginitis
- Its protozoa (Trichomonas vaginalis) produce mechanical stress on vaginal cells and then ingest cell fragments after death of the cells
- Most common site of infection is the urethra and vagina in young, sexually active women
- Most common and curable STD for these women
Symptoms of Trichomoniasis
Cervicitis, urethritis, vaginitis, itching, burning, discomfort during intercourse and urination, possible reduction in vaginal elasticity
**VERY SPECIFIC: yellow-green, itchy, foul-smelling discharge
Diagnosing Trichomoniasis
Usually done by observing, under a microscope, trichomonads collected during an exam
Treatment of Trichomoniasis
Metronidazole AKA “Flagyl”; treat sexual partners b/c they could be carriers
Why is trichomoniasis associated with an increased risk of HIV and cervical cancer?
The creatures attack the cells and destroy the lining of the vagina; this makes the vagina more raw and susceptible to infection
Why is trichomoniasis associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer in men?
There is speculation of increase of prostate cancer for men dating women with trichomoniasis