STI Flashcards
- Organism Type: Gram-Negative bacterium
- Scientific name: Chlamydia trachomatis
Chlamydia
Predisposing factors for chlamydia
- Women age 14-24
- Increased # of lifetime sexual partners
- History of chlamydia/gonorrhea infections
- Unprotected sex
- MSM
How is chlamydia transmitted
- Direct sexual contact
- Mother to child during birth
Incubation period for chlamydia
Poorly defined, but typically 5-10 days. Given the
relatively slow replication cycle of the organism, symptoms may not appear until several weeks.
- Known as a ‘silent’ infection because most infected people are asymptomatic & lack abnormal physical examination findings.
- Estimated that ~ 10% of men and 5-30% of women with laboratory confirmed chlamydial infection develop symptoms.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia frequency screening recommendations
- All sexually active women <25 y/o should be tested for GC/chlamydia annually.
- Women > 25 y/o with risk factors (new or multiple sex partners or a sex partner with STD) should be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year
Female presentation:
(1) Urethritis
(a) Dysuria
(b) Pyuria
(c) Increased urinary frequency
(2) Cervicitis (most frequent clinical manifestation in female)
(a) Increased vaginal discharge
(b) Intermenstrual vaginal bleeding
(c) Dyspareunia
Chlamydia
Male presentation:
(1) Urethritis (most frequent clinical manifestation in males)
(a) Mucoid or clear watery discharge.
(b) Dysuria is most common complaint.
(c) Scant discharge on underwear usually presents in the
morning.
(2) Epididymitis
(a) Unilateral testicular pain and tenderness with palpable
swelling of epididymis.
(3) Prostatitis
(a) Pelvic pain
(b) Pain with ejaculation
(c) Dysuria
(4) Proctitis – Men who have sex with men (MSM)
(a) Anorectal pain
(b) Discharge
(c) Rectal bleeding
Chlamydia
Labs for chlamydia
- Gold standard for laboratory diagnosis is nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT).
- Usually obtained via UA, vaginal, or urethral discharge
- Females: Endocervical swab specimen as part of annual screening or if symptomatic
Treatment of chlamydia
- Preferred treatment: Doxycycline 100mg PO BID for 7 days
- Alternative treatment: Azithromycin 1g single dose (must observe patient taking med).
- Can treat with ceftriaxone if concerned for coinfection.
How long should patients being treated for chlamydia abstain from sexual activity
should abstain from sexual activity for 7 days
after single dose antibiotics or until completion of a 7-day course of antibiotics, to prevent spreading the infection to partners
In women, untreated chlamydia can cause
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
- Subclinical inflammation of the upper genital tract
“subclinical PID”. - Both acute & subclinical PID can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues, leading to chronic pelvic pain, tubal factor infertility, and potentially
fatal ectopic pregnancy.
Untreated chlamydia in pregnant women is associated with
Pre-term delivery
What is Reiter’s syndrome
Reactive arthritis can occur in men and women following symptomatic or asymptomatic chlamydial infection, sometimes as part of a triad of
symptoms (with urethritis and conjunctivitis)
When should patients with with laboratory-confirmed chlamydia be retested
~ 3 months after treatment of an initial infection, regardless of whether they believe that their sex partners were successfully treated.
- Organism Type: Gram-negative diplococci bacteria.
- Scientific name: Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Gonorrhea
Predisposing factors for Gonorrhea
- People between 20-39 years of age
- Increased # of lifetime sexual partners
- History of chlamydia/gonorrhea infections
- Unprotected sex
- MSM
How is gonorrhea transmitted
Direct sexual contact; mother to child during birth
Incubation period of gonorrhea
1 – 14 days, however, can be as short as 2-4 days.
Male presentation:
- Dysuria
- White/yellow/green urethral discharge
- Epididymitis, manifesting as testicular or scrotal pain
- Discharge, anal itching, bleeding, or painful bowel
movements or may be asymptomatic
- A sore throat, but typically asymptomatic
Gonorrhea
Female presentation:
- Dysuria, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods.
- Lower abdominal discomfort may be present.
- Dyspareunia may be present.
- Discharge, anal itching, bleeding, or painful bowel
movements or may be asymptomatic.
- a sore throat, but typically asymptomatic
Gonorrhea
Who is more likely to be symptomatic and asymptomatic between men and women for gonorrhea
Men: Symptomatic
Women: Asymptomatic
Dx of Gonorrhea
- GC/NAAT
What percentage of gonorrhea are resistant to at least one antibiotic
50%
Treatment of gonorrhea
(a) Ceftriaxone 500 mg IM in a single dose AND
(b) Doxycycline 100mg PO BID x 7 days.
(c) Alternative to Doxycycline: Azithromycin 1g orally in a single dose.
What STIs do we screen for
- Gonorrhea (at genital, rectal, and pharyngeal sites, according to exposure)
- Chlamydia (at genital and rectal sites, according to exposure)
- HIV
- RPR for syphilis
- HPV vaccination counseling
- Organism Type: Spirochete bacterium
- Scientific name: Treponema pallidum
Syphilis
Subtypes of syphilis
T. pallidum (causes syphilis), T. p. endemicum (causes
bejel), T. p. pertenue (causes yaws), T. carateum (causes pinta).
Predisposing factors for syphilis
- People between 20-39 years of age
- Increased # of lifetime sexual partners
- History of chlamydia/gonorrhea infections
- Unprotected sex
- MSM.
How is syphilis transmitted
Direct skin-to-skin contact with someone with active
primary or secondary lesions, mother to child (congenital).
Incubation period of syphilis
10 – 90 days; average is 21 days