STIs Flashcards
Percentage of ppl with STIs
19% W, 12% M
most common among uni students
chlamydia, HPV, and herpes
Why are the rates increasing over time?
- Better testing / screening
- Increase in drug use, housing, poverty = reduces access to health care
- Decrease in condom use in vulnerable groups and gay/bisexual men
2 major categories
- Bacterial
- Cured by antibiotics
- Viral
- Cannot be cured
most prevalent in canada?
Chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis)
- bacterial
chlamydia symptoms, diagnosis, & consequences in MEN
- 50% asymptomatic
- thin, clear discharge, & mild discomfort on urination
Diagnosis = urine sample
Consequences = epididymitis (scrotal pain/swelling, can result in infertility)
chlamydia symptoms, diagnosis, & consequences in WOMEN
- 75% asymptomatic
- abnormal vaginal discharge, itching, burning, pain with urination
Diagnosis = urine sample or vaginal swab
Consequences = Pelvic inflammatory disease
Oldest of the sexual diseases?
gonorrhea (mentioned by hippocrates)
gonococcus bacteria
gonorrhea symptoms, diagnosis, & consequences in MEN
white discharge from urethera
diagnosis: urine test
treatment: antibiotics
- Can move up urethra and bladder if untreated (but usually noticed)
- Can move to other areas of the body if untreated
Can affect reproductive tract & (in rare cases) enter bloodstream and affect joints & tissues
gonorrhea symptoms, diagnosis, & consequences in WOMEN
usually no symptoms
Diagnosis: urine test and pelvic exam
TREATMENT: antibiotics
- Can spread into uterus and fallopian tubes, mouth, anus, and eyes!
- May not realize you have it but can cause many problems
syphilis fun facts
Pandemic in Europe in 1500s -> uncommon now
syphilis symptoms
Very serious if untreated—can damage NS and lead to death
- Chancre (resembles crater—point where bacteria enters body)
- Typically through mucous membrane of the genitals
- Can also be on mouth, rectum, or hand
- Painless
- 3 weeks after exposure
4 stages of sypihlis
- primary (1-5 weeks)
- chancre - secondary
- body rash -> varies
- hair loss
- go away without. treatment - latent
- no symptoms
- Bacteria burrowing into tissues (blood vessels, brain, spinal cord, bones
- not infectious - late
- SERIOUS
-Heart & major blood vessels attacked
- Neurosyphilis
- 10-20 years after initial infection
Congenital syphilis
- Present from birth (passed on from pregnant mother)
- Leads to spontaneous abortion, born with symptoms, or complications show 10-20 years later
treatment for syphilis?
penicillin
HPV? common?
Human papillomavirus
75% will get it (highest rates -> 15-24yrs.)
non-reportable -> difficult to know prevalence rates
which types cause genital warts?
6 and 11 (12) -> can be in mouth in IMMUNOSUPPRESSED ppl
HPV symptoms
- 90% asymptomatic
- genital -> on genitals, last up to 2 years
how to protect against hpv
vaccine
-gardasil (protects against 9 types)
- cerverix (protects against 7)
herpes -> strains? (2)
Herpes simplex virus
HSV-1 & HSV-2
- Both cause blisters on genitals and mouth
- Some research suggests HSV-1 prefers mouth and vice versa but they are interchangeable
Non-reportable—no Canadian data
% of pop. affected
47
symptoms of herpes
- Small painful blisters on anus, penis, vulva, thighs, or other skin close to genitals
- Take approx. 3 weeks to heal
- Some have 1 outbreak and never again, others have outbreaks frequently (stressed, lack of sleep, etc.)
- First infection usually the worst
- Most contagious during active outbreak
herpes treatment?
none
(valtrex -> reduce frequency of breakouts)
STI-related stigma
awareness that people are judged negatively for contracting an STI
STI-related shame
negative feelings people have about themselves as the result of receiving a diagnosis
HIV AND AIDS important dates
1981—first in USA
1982—first in Canada
1984—identified as HIV
most common group in transmission of HIV/AIDS
70% = heterosexual transmission WORLDWIDE
4 stages HIV/AIDS
- Primary/acute infection
- 2-4 weeks after exposure; nonspecific symptoms or no symptoms- Usually think it’s a flu or nothing
- Chronic asymptomatic infection
- virus replication; nonspecific symptoms or no symptoms- Swollen lymph nodes, fever, diarrhea, fatigue, persistent yeast infection
- Chronic symptomatic HIV infection
- virus has reduced T4 cells, body is not able to fight off infections; non-specific symptoms- Fever, chronic yeast infection, shingles, weight loss, etc.
- AIDS-defining conditions
- Life threatening opportunistic infections take over (pneumonia, Kaposi’s sarcoma—rare form of skin cancer)
HIV/AIDS DIAGNOSIS (4)
- elisa- antibodies (screens donated blood)
- Cheap
- False positives
- Western blot
- More expensive
- False positives = rare
- Rapid 60 second test
- Available all over Canada
- Takes 20 minutes—chat, pre-counselling, post-counselling to talk through results
- Home test kits (saliva, finger prick)
- Not as reliable
Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
- Giving uninfected person antivirals for protection
- Take medication everyday and stops you from getting virus
- When taken consistently and correctly, stops HIV from entering and replicating in the tissues 🙂
- Prevents permanent infection
- Helpful in high risk situation—partner has HIV
Genetic resistance to HIV/AIDS
- Gene CCR5 receptor that allows HIV to enter cells
- 2 copies of this mutation = resistant to infection
- 1% of people
- 10% of Europeans (due to survival of bubonic plague??)
Trichomoniasis “Trich” latin
Trichomonas vaginalis
can survive toilet seats?
ya (non-sexual transmission!)
symptoms, diagnosis, treatment trich men and women
SYMPOTMS
- F: Vaginal discharge
- M: urethra irritation, discharge
- Usually asymptomatic both
DIAGNOSIS
- Urine/vaginal fluid sample
TREATMENT
- Metronidazole or tinidazole (oral dose)
- Easily treatable
symptoms, diagnosis, treatment - public lice (crabs), men and women
- Live about 30 days
- Sexual transmission, or bedsheets, toilet seats, etc. (non-sexual)
SYMPTOMS:
- Itching
DIAGNOSIS
- Finding lice or eggs
TREATMENT
- Nix, Rid disinfecting clothing and bedsheets
reportable STIs in canada
- Syphilis
- Gonorrhea
- Chlamydia
- HIV
Can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility—major health issues
STI prevention
- Latex condoms
- Not perfect!
- Herpes can be outside of the area covered by the condom
- Dental dam
- Protects during oral sex on vulva
- Washing genitals before sexual activity
- Soap helps to kill bacteria
- Not best prevention plan
- Urinating before and after sex
- Clear bacteria from urethra
