Week 4: STIs Flashcards
Urethritis symptoms
- Pain or burning sensation on urination
- May be discharge (may be purulent or mucoid)
Causes of urethritis
- Irritation due to chemicals or contraceptive gel
- Urinary tract infection
- STI infection (usually bacterial)
Purulent urethral discharge is indicative of infection with which pathogen?
N. gonorrhoeae
Non purulent urethral discharge is indicative of infection with which pathogen?
C. trachomatis, genital Mycoplasmas
Which pathogen causes most cases of
epididymitis in young, heterosexually
active males?
C. trachomatis
Symptoms relating to epididymitis
Unilateral scrotal pain, swelling, tenderness, and fever
Which pathogenic organism is associated with cervixitis?
N. gonorrhoeae or (less commonly) C. trachomatis
Symptoms relating to cervixitis
Discharge, irregular menstrual bleeding but may be asymptomatic
Healthy microbiota predominantly consists of which bacterial species?
Lactobacillus spp.
Vaginal lactobacilli metabolize a) _____ secreted by the b) _____, to produce c) _____ and d) _____.
a) glycogen
b) vaginal epithelia
c) lactic acid
d) hydrogen peroxide
What is the normal vaginal pH?
<4.5
Causes of unusual vaginal discharge
- Cervicitis caused by N. gonorrhoea, C. trachomatis
- Vaginitis (inflammation) or vaginosis (unusual discharge without inflammation) caused by Candida albicans, Trichomonas vaginalis, and bacterial vaginitis
Bacterial vaginosis is characterised by symptoms of
moderately increased white discharge and vaginal malodor
Most common vaginal “infection” in women of
childbearing age
Bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis aetiology, pathogenesis and symptoms and diagnosis
Aetiology: BV is thought to be caused by dysbiosis/polymicrobial - overgrowth of normal microbiota by other species, (e.g. Prevotella, Garderella) and anaerobes (e.g. Bacteroides, Mobiluncus)
Can be asymptomatic in 50% of women
