Sexual Transmitted Diseases (std's)

Explanation

An issue too many American's are embarrassed to deal with are Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STD's). This epidemic has affected the entire world, and we must take it seriously because it spreads at a very rapid rate and many have no cures and can result in death.

First, we must ask this question, what is an STD? An STD is an infection or disease passed from person to person through sexual contact. Second, how many people have STDs? The United States has the highest rates of STDs in the industrialized world. In the United States alone, an estimated 15.3 million new cases of STDs report each year. That means one out of every three people you see has or had an STD.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is reported by health professionals as the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, there are about 6 million newly reported cases of HPV infections per year. It is estimated that about 20 million people are affected now with this disease. Many do not even know they are infected. At least 50 percent of sexually active Americans contract a type of HPV at some point in their lives.

Etiology

The most commonly sexually transmitted infection is HPV, the Human Papilloma virus. The virus can be transmitted through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. The virus affects men and women and can trigger abnormal cell growth within a person's reproductive organ, causing genital warts, lesions, or cancer. There are over 100 HPV types. At least 40 of the variations are sexually transmitted. Most are usually harmless and will be fought off by the body's' immune system within two years. The four most common HPVs are six, eleven, sixteen, and eighteen. HPV types six and eleven are what cause genital warts. HPV types sixteen and eighteen can be a bit more serious. These HPV types can cause cervical cancer, as well as other, less common but serious cancers, including cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and head and neck (tongue, tonsils and throat). (CDC, 2009)

Symptoms

There are not many visible symptoms of HPV because the virus causes changes on the cell level that often cannot be seen or felt. Genital warts are the most common visible symptom and are a clear indicator of genital HPV infection. Genital warts can vary in size, amount, location, and appearance. Women generally present genital warts on the outside or inside of the vagina, on the cervix, and around the anus. Men most commonly find warts on the shaft of the penis, on the scrotum, or around the anus. In rare cases genital warts may also appear in the throat or mouth of a person who has had oral sex with an infected partner. The virus is able to permeate the skin and mucous membranes through small abrasions that occur during sex. Once the virus has infected the cells it is possible that it may lay dormant and never show any symptoms at all. During this time it is still possible to pass on genital HPV. Generally symptoms appear a few weeks or months after contact with an infected person, or they may never appear at all. Many people do not know they are infected with HPV, allowing for the rapid spread of the virus and making it increasingly difficult to ascertain the source of the infection. Genital warts, however, will not develop into cancerous lesions. Most adults with a healthy immune system will clear the infection without developing any symptoms.

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