Category: STIs
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STD/STIs: HIV and AIDS
Today we’re tackling the big one: HIV/AIDS. This is the STI that is effectively in a class of its own, both in terms of impact and the way people react to it. The good news is that while it is still a brutal disease, great strides have been made in treating AIDS over the past…
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STD/STI: Herpes Simplex (1 and 2)
It sometimes seems like no STD/STI causes as much upset as herpes. People I speak with never worry about getting chlamydia, HPV or granuloma, but the minute STD/STIs come up, they start on herpes. Folks, get over it. While not entirely benign, herpes is the closest thing you can get to an STD/STI version of…
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STD/STI: Hepatitis (A, B and E)
Hepatitis technically refers to inflammation of the liver, which can have several possible causes. However, there are five viruses that can cause hepatitis, known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Of these five, three can be transmitted sexually. Hep B is the sexual infection most people are familiar with. Vaccinations for Hep B…
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STD/STI: Gonorrhea
Colloquially know as “the Clap” or “the Drip,” Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that is currently giving disease control official around the world nightmares. It has a disturbing ability to develop resistance to antibiotics, and some very unpleasant long-term side effects. Epidemics of gonorrhea are expected to break out eventually, if new antibiotics can’t be…
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STD/STIs: Granuloma Inguinale (Donovanosis)
Granuloma inguinale is rare in the US, with less than 100 cases occurring each year. It is more common in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, especially in regions where antibiotics are not common. At first glance, granuloma inguinale can resemble several other infections involving some form of genital sore, such as CMV. Unlike…
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STD/STI: Genital Warts
For the first time in our examination of sexually transmitted infections we say hello to our good friend HPV(human papillomavirus). There are several kinds of HPV, and some of them cause genital warts. Luckily, the information I’ve been able to find suggests that the strains of HPV that cause warts are different from the strains…
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STD/STI: Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
If you are worried about cytomegalovirus, don’t. I decided to include CMV in this posting series because more information is good, but when it comes to CMV, there isn’t all that much you can do with the information. Nor (for most people) is there any real need to do anything. CMV is transmitted sexually, but…
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STD/STI: Crab Lice
Also known as pubic lice, or the crab, the crab lice are a parasite that infects the course hairs of the human body. Normally this means pubic hair, but they can also infect armpit hair, chest hair, eyelashes, and other coarse hair. Most countries don’t require incidences crab lice to be reported, so there is…
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STD/STI: Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STD/STI in the US, with over 1 million infections reported each year. Given the silent nature of this infection it is likely that it is just as common in other parts of the world. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all sexually active adults…
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STD/STI: Chancroid
Chancroid is a bacterial infection that is only transmitted through sexual contact. It is rare in the US and other parts of the world with good access to antibiotics. It tends to be very common in developing nations and other parts of the world where antibiotics are difficult to get a hold off. Prevention: Chancroid is…