Common Viral STDs

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

Transmission:

Vaginal and anal sex; Contact with infected skin; Mother to child.

Where is it found?:

vagina, cervix, urethra, anus, scrotum, mouth, throat, and all genital areas.

Symptoms:

Cauliflower like warts or painful blisters.

Also responsible for cervical cancer in women, which kills 4,100 women a year in the U.S.

Treatment:

NO CURE (viral)—Warts can be burned or cut off, but can return at any time.

Prevention:

Abstinence is the only 100% protection. No evidence that condom use reduces the risk of becoming infected with HPV.

Teens Infected:

28 – 46% of women under the age of 25.

With 5.5 million new cases diagnosed each year, this is the fastest growing STD in the U.S.

Genital Herpes

Transmission:

Oral, anal, and vaginal sex; Contact with infected skin; Mother to child.

Can be transmitted even when blisters are not present.

Where is it found?:

Vagina, cervix, urethra, anus, mouth, throat, and all genital areas.

Symptoms:

Blisters and ulcers on the genitals that are painful and recurrent

Burning, itching sensation before outbreak

Painful, red, grape-like clusters of fluid filled blisters.

Treatment:

NO CURE (viral)—Medication can help reduce breakouts.

Prevention:

Abstinence is the only 100% protection. Condom use showed some decreased risk, but risk reduction was less than 50%.

Teens Infected:

4.5 – 8.8% of teens age 12 – 19 (depends on race and ethnicity).

1 in 5 Americans over the age of 12 have genital herpes—that’s 45 million cases in the U.S.

Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV)

Transmission:

Oral, anal, and vaginal sex; IV drug use; Mother to child.

Where is it found?:

Blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk

Symptoms:

Can go for many years without any indications of the disease

Destroys immune system making you susceptible to common illnesses

Once a person’s T-cell count falls below 500, a person is considered to have full blown AIDS

Treatment:

NO CURE (viral)—Symptom control with AIDS medicines (antiretroviral drugs)—Medicine is extremely expensive.

Prevention:

Abstinence is the only 100% protection. Condom use decreases the risk by 85%.

Teens Infected:

At the end of 2002, about 36,000 people age 13 – 24.

The fastest growing segment of the population to contract HIV/AIDS is individuals younger than 24 years of age.

The incubation period of AIDS is 8 to 10 years; therefore most of the people are contracting the disease as teenagers