STDs Flashcards
bacterial infections
chlamydia
gonorrhea
syphilis
Chlamydia cause who gets it transmission risks
Caused by Chlamydia trachomatis
Most common in 15-24-year-old women who are sexually active
Transmission:
Vaginal, oral or anal sex
Genital contact without ejaculation or penetration
Sharing or sex toys
Childbirth (baby - conjunctivitis, pneumonia)
Increased risk for contracting:
Multiple sex partners
Barrier methods not utilized
Previous infection
chlamydia symptoms
70-95% of women infected have no symptoms – “silent” infection
Starts with infection of cervix and spreads to other organs
Fever
Nausea
Vaginal discharge (yellowish) with strong smell
Bleeding between periods
Pain during intercourse
Spread to urinary tract: frequent urination with burning
Spread to rectum: anal pain, discharge, bleeding
Spread to eyes: redness, pain, discharge (conjunctivitis)
Spread to upper reproductive tract: PID
Lower back/abdominal pain
Chronic pelvic pain (months to years)
PID: Pelvic inflammatory disease
If an infection enters the uterus and oviducts (fallopian tubes) it can spread to other pelvic organs.
Infections include STDs (but not limited to these types of infections)
- Chlamydia and Gonorrhea - major causes
- IUD insertion at time of vaginal infection
- Unsterile abortion procedure
Salpingitis – infection in oviducts
- Scar tissue may form – blocks tubes
- Increases risk of ectopic pregnancy and infertility
chlamydia diagnosi, treatment, and screening
Diagnosis
Urine test or tissue swabs from vagina, cervix, rectum or throat – NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test)
Looks for a specific nucleic acid sequence that is found in a particular pathogen
Treatment
Antibiotics (azithromycin or doxycycline) – work great!
Does not reverse scarring/tissue damage
Annual screening – great idea!
< 25 years old and sexually active
> 25 years old and new/multiple partners
Gonorrhea cause who gets it transmission risks
Caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Most common in:
15-24-year-old women who are sexually active
Gay, bisexual males
Transmission:
Vaginal, oral or anal sex
Genital contact without ejaculation or penetration
Childbirth (baby –eyes: discharge and loss of sight without treatment)
Silver nitrate or antibiotic at birth
Increased risk for contracting:
Multiple sex partners
Barrier methods not utilized
Previous infection
gonorrhea symptoms
Most women infected are asymptomatic
Often mild and mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection
Fever
Vaginal discharge (whitish fluid that changes to pus-like)
Bleeding between periods
Pain during intercourse
Spread to urinary tract: frequent urination with burning
Spread to rectum: anal pain and itching, discharge, bleeding, painful bowel movements
Sore throat
Spread to upper reproductive tract: PID
May spread through blood to heart, brain, spinal cord membranes, eyes, skin, joints (disseminated gonococcal infection)
Gonorrhea diagnosis, treatment, and screening
Diagnosis
Tissue swabs from vagina, cervix, rectum or throat – NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test)
Treatment
Antibiotic resistance has been a continual problem
IV Ceftriaxone
Annual screening – great idea!
Sexually active women with new/multiple partners
Syphilis
cause
transmission
Caused by Treponema pallidum
Transmission:
Direct contact with sores (on skin or mucous membrane) usually during sexual contact
Pregnancy (congenital syphilis)
At all stages, at a higher risk of contracting HIV due to direct access through the sores
Syphilis primary and secondary stages
Primary Stage
One or multiple painless sores (chancre) at site of bacterial entry
Last 3-6 weeks and then heals (with or without treatment)
Secondary Stage
2 weeks – 6 months later
Extensive rash
Very infectious
Other: hair loss, sore throat, joint and muscle pain, fever, swollen lymph glands
Lasts several weeks; recurring symptoms for 1-2 years
Syphilis: latent and tertiary stages
Latent Stage
May last for years
Few to no symptoms
Tertiary Stage
15-30% chance
Multiple organ infection results in large tumor-like sores (gummas) on various organs
Symptoms will be depending on which organs were infected
Neurosyphilis – brain, nervous system, eye (wide range of symptoms)
Cardiovascular syphilis – damage to heart, valves, blood vessels
May be fatal
Congenital syphilis
Risk of stillborn or death shortly after birth
Untreated symptoms include: Rash Damage to eyes; deafness Teeth deformities Saddle nose (bridge of nose collapses)
Syphilis diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis
Antibody tests
Indicate infection, but not specific to treponema
Specific against bacterium
Tissue microscopy
CSF sampling (lumbar puncture) – neurosyphilis
Treatment
Antibiotics – penicillin IM
Cures infection, but does not repair damage
viral infections
Human papillomavirus (HPV) Genital herpes
HPV
fun fact
transmission
stats
Most common STD in the U.S.
Late teens/early twenties
Virus infects skin and mucous membranes
Transmission
Vaginal, oral or anal sex; skin-to-skin touching during sex
90% of people infected will be cleared within 2 years through natural immunity
HPV symptoms
Genital warts
Moist, soft, cauliflower-like bumps; single or grouped; may have color
Locations: cervix, labia, vulva, perineum
Itching, discomfort in genital area
Bleeding with intercourse
Cervical cancer
(Also: cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, throat
HPV diagnosis and treatment (warts)
Diagnosis for genital warts
Physical examination
Vinegar solution – turn white
Pap test (collect cervical cells) – abnormal results
Treatment for genital warts
May return even after treatment/removal; recurrence is common
Contagious for life
HPV diagnosis and treatment (cervical cancer)
Diagnosis for cervical cancer
Pap test – abnormal followed by HPV antibody test
Treatment for cervical cancer
LEEP: loop electrosurgical excision procedure
Best results when discovered and treated early
HPV vaccine
Gardasil
Protects against HPVs that typically cause cancer and most genital warts
Typically 2 doses
Recommended before becoming sexually active
Preteen girls + boys (11-12 years old)
By 26 years of age
Genital herpes
causes
who gets it
Caused by Herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2)
(Other Herpes viruses: cold sores, fever blisters, chicken pox, shingles, mononucleosis)
Most common in teenager and young adults
More common in women than men
No cure
Herpes transmission
HSV-1: above waist
+ Genitals
Oral coitus with infected person
Can be transmitted without sexual contact: skin-to-skin contact, kissing
HSV-2: below waist
Genitals, thighs, buttocks
Transmitted by sexual contact: genital, oral or anal contact
Very contagious, even when open sores are not visible
Pregnancy or childbirth
Fetal or neonatal damage (lesions, blindness, brain damage)
Exposure during childbirth eliminated with C-section delivery
Herpes symptoms
Clusters of tiny blisters within 1 week that transition into painful, itchy ulcers
Locations: labia, clitoris, cervix, vaginal, urethral orifice, perineum
Heal within 1-6 weeks
More contagious during sores phase
Latent period – hangs out on sensory nerve root outside spinal cord
Recurrence within days, weeks, months affecting different areas of skin
Swollen lymph nodes and fever
Continual recurrence
Painful urination and intercourse
Touching an open sore and then eyes can result in blindness
Herpes diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis
Physical examination of sores
Cervical tissue culture
Antibody test distinguishes type 1 or 2
Antibody tests for IgM (made first) vs. IgG (made later; longer-lasting)
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test – checks for genetic material of virus
Treatment
Acyclovir – minimizes frequency and length of outbreaks
Medications to relieve symptoms (ice, analgesics)
Some people develop sufficient antibodies to prevent further outbreaks or lessen severity
