Spread information, not STDs

When I entered my senior year of high school my mom came to me and said it was time to put me on birth control. She didn’t ask me if I was having sex, but knew that if I were she would rather I be safe than sorry.

They taught health at my high school, but I really didn’t learn anything about sex. They didn’t teach me to use protection or very much about STDs. I ended up getting most of my sex education from my friends and my subscription to Seventeen magazine.

Some people never receive that information, though. With no one to inform them about safe sex practices, they don’t learn what to do to protect themselves against pregnancy and STDs.

I wasn’t taught that about one in six people has genital herpes, and I wasn’t taught that by age 50, 80 percent of women will have had some exposure to HPV.

According to the National Survey of Family Growth, about 96 percent of teens are given some kind of formal sex education. However, only 62 percent of males and 70 percent of females are taught methods of birth control.

The rest are simply taught to just say no, which is obviously pretty unrealistic.

As much as parents want to believe their kids are safe from the pressures of having sex, they aren’t. Instead of hiding the concept from them, parents should take steps to keep them safe from an unwanted pregnancy or STD.

It’s okay to emphasize abstinence, but they should still be receiving all the information.

Last year, the health care law signed by President Barack Obama gave a $375-million grant to different programs for sexual education that were not just abstinence-based.

The popular TV show “Glee” also had a recent episode about formal sex education in high school and how it’s important to teach teens more than abstinence.

The rising interest on the topic will hopefully prove successful to increase awareness about safety when it comes to sex.

A new app created by the New York City Health Department will be able to tell Manhattan users where the closest place to receive free condoms are relative to their current location.

The app provides a good safety net for the people who need protection but don’t have it readily available.

More state health departments should be making an app like this. It isn’t promoting sex, but it is preventing diseases and unexpected pregnancy.

Maybe this topic seems blatantly obvious to most people. But believe it or not, I know more people who don’t use any kind of protection than those who do.

Hopefully this column will help at least one person be safer. After all, it’s about spreading information, not STDs.

Source from:http://www.statepress.com/2011/04/27/spread-information-not-stds/

The Signs and Symptoms of Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that affects the genitals and anal area. It is caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2). Most cases of genital herpes is caused by HSV-2.

The challenge with genital herpes is that you cannot always tell if you have been afflicted with it. It is estimated only about 20 percent of those who have herpes are even aware they are infected with the virus. The majority of those inflicted never have symptoms, or they have such mild signs that they do not even notice or mistake them for another problem, such as a vaginal yeast infection, insect bite, hemorrhoids and or an ingrown hair.

The initial sign of genital herpes is usually pain or itching which begins within a few weeks after one has been exposed to an infected sexual partner. Symptoms can affect the vulva, vagina, anus, urethra, thighs and buttocks.

The classic symptom of genital herpes is a cluster of small fluid-filledblisters that break, becoming ulcers that ooze or bleed. They eventually form painful sores that crust and heal. This process can take several days.

Various factors may trigger outbreaks, including but not limited to stress, menstruation, immune system suppression, medication or chemotherapy, illness, surgery and fatigue.

One of the worst symptoms for women is pain while urinating. This is due to the internal sores. Women may also have unusual vaginal discharge. During the initial outbreak, there can be flu-like signs and symptoms, such as headache, muscle aches and fever and swollen glands. About a quarter of all women may develop meningitis during their first occurrence.

Genital herpes is different for each person. Symptoms come and go with no rhythm or reason. Generally people diagnosed with an initial outbreak of genital herpes can expect four or five outbreaks within a year. Herpes sores are usually worst the first time they appear and some people never experience a second outbreak.

The bad news is the signs and symptoms may recur for years. One person may have an outbreak once a year, while another may have one every few weeks. For many people, however, the outbreaks are less painful and less frequent as time passes. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.

Unfortunately, there is no current cure for herpes. If you suspect you have genital herpes, contact your doctor.

soure from:  http://www.empowher.com

Living with Herpes or any other kinds of STD's?

Tens of thousands of people like you have joined STDfish.com, to give them a new leaseon life. This site allows you to open yourself up to people who have an STD.

The fact that you may be living with herpes, HIV/AIDS, Thrush or any other STD is not a negative issue. You just have found a whole community of people just like you. You have an opportunity to move on with your life.

Here you can get on with your life and meet new friends, partners or potential spouses. If you just need to find someone to talk to or give them help or advice, this is the best place. Never feel lonely again !

Herpes Dating Sites - Dating With Herpes Or Another STD

As STD's becomes more known individual sites are being created that cater to individual diseases, whether it is herpes or syphilis. All of these websites have one thing in common and that is getting their members out on dates and becoming active in the dating scene. Everyone wants to attain a normal life once more and many do by joining a genital herpes dating websites.

Once registered at one of these dating sites, you are given the opportunity to keep your identity a secret without giving any personal information out.  Once you have a date lined up then it is up to you to discuss your STD condition, if you are comfortable doing so.

As a member of one of these websites you quickly discover that all the people are friendly and you will meet people of different ages and nationalities and from all walks of life.

It is still going to be important to practice safe sex and get regular checkups to monitor your herpes. Visiting a local STD clinic can be very helpful even after being diagnosed with STD, the information you give them is always done in secrecy and even though you will be asked many questions, there is no need to feel embarrassed about your answers.  They are there to provide you help and to assist you in getting your life back to normal again.

Genital Herpes Dating websites for  herpes sufferers can really prove to be a huge help and are easily accessible for everyone. www.STDfish.com is the largest genital herpes and HPV dating site online.

Bringing Awareness to a Taboo Subject: STDs

Gonorrhea, syphilis, AIDS: subjects not typically brought up in everyday conversations. However, there is one week that brings awareness to this topic.

Sexually transmitted diseases are not a favorite topic of anyone’s, especially in the doctor’s office where some have to face a hard truth. However, Annie LaForce, assistant director for programs, organized a week specifically dedicated to providing information to students about STDs and was able to do something different this year than in the previous four years she has done this event.

“This is the first time we’ve had the health department come out which I think is a great thing because they have more resources and more money to devote toward (STD Awareness Week) than we do,” LaForce said. “We don’t really have a budget so a lot of ours is just brochures, but they have more time and more energy, and they’re a little more dedicated to it than we are.”

The Richmond County Health Department came out on Monday, April 11, with various brochures about different STDs and other items to display for STD Awareness Week, including pins, stickers, and even cookies. Shawn Walker, a community disease specialist for the Health Department, among others, came out to encourage students to get the information and use it.

“With HIV, I know that it does impact a lot of people in so many different areas,” Walker said. “Whether they are infected, they know someone who is infected or if someone doesn’t know, I’m trying to get them this information and get them tested, so they’ll know what their status is.”

According to LaForce, the students received better information about STDs from the Health Department than Jaguar Student Activities would have been able to provide. However, during the week, there were booths set up in Allgood Hall and University Hall as well as the Jaguar Student Activities Center handing out information to students passing by.

“First we want to make sure they know (STDs) are not a taboo subject, it’s something they need to learn about and something they need to become aware of,” LaForce said. “I especially want people to, if they don’t want the information or need it, then to give it to their friends they may think need it or to help them learn a little bit more about it, in case there are some of those students who don’t know much about it.”

Some of the worst STDs out there, according to Beverly Collins, assistant professor of nursing, are herpes and AIDS, because they are viruses that cannot be cured at this point in time. Collins also said it is the worst thing to not inform a partner about a sexual disease for whatever reason.

“It’s now the viruses that are much harder to treat,” Collins said. “Herpes (is) painful, lifelong, nasty, if your partner doesn’t tell you and with that comes AIDS.”

In the past, STDs were something that could be treated with antibiotics, Collins said. There used to be systemic problems that would cause infertility, arthritis and other complications. However, when the medical community realized they could do cultures and treat these problems, then the viruses, like AIDS and herpes, started to grow exponentially.

It’s not only the young generation facing the STD problem, but also the older generation, such as widows and other older people who start to date again. Because most have only had one partner and were born in a time where inhibitions did not allow talk of these topics, some are unaware and contract one, Collins said.

“We have new people facing this issue with very little experience to know how to face and deal, and if we don’t have those who have been through it saying ‘Hey let’s teach,’” Collins said. “In fact, we have other people saying don’t teach, I’ll take care of it myself, my way and ignorance is not bliss.”

Finding relief from genital herpes with Valtrex and Famvir

Genital herpes, or herpes, is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease caused by the herpes simplex virus type-I and -II. Herpes transmission by the type-I virus is rare, but can occur during oral sex. On the other hand, the type-II virus causes majority of herpes cases in the UK and elsewhere in the world.

What are the treatments available for genital herpes?

The unfortunate thing about genital herpes is that it cannot be treated. But the heartening news for you is that powerful antiviral medicines such as Valtrex and Famvir can suppress the herpes symptoms and prevent frequent outbreaks. But be very sure that herpes treatments are basically preventive and not curative. So possibility of future outbreaks depends a lot on your lifestyle. An unhygienic lifestyle increases the chance of herpes outbreaks. You need to be very careful with your sexual activities, diet and overall health to keep the symptoms from recurring.

Valtrex

Valtrex is an FDA-approved prescription drug which provides relief from the first herpes outbreak and any subsequent occurrences. It is recommended to be taken once daily. If taken within 24 hours from the first outbreak of herpes symptoms, Valtrex can give you total relief in just 5 days. If you use the medicine in conjunction with safer sex practices, the risk of herpes transmission reduces significantly. So effectively, Valtrex lets you take charge of both your general as well as sexual life.

Valtrex is available in doses of 500mg and 1000mg. It is indicated for both adults and children. Valtrex is used for treating cold sores, genital herpes and shingles for adult patients, and cold sores and chicken pox for paediatric patients.

Remember that Valtrex works best if you have a healthy immune system. HIV infection at an advanced stage or kidney or bone marrow transplant can render your immune system weak and the medicine may not work as intended then. Also, talk to your doctor if you have renal conditions.

Famvir

Preventive treatment of genital herpes is made 100% safe and effective with the fast-acting formula of Famvir famciclovir. Like Valtrex, this medicine is also approved by the FDA and it is available only on prescription. Take Famvir as soon as you think you're going to be symptomatic and it will prevent the irritable symptoms of herpes from occurring. The drug can also send the virus to a latent state and prevent future herpes outbreaks. But once again, you must have a sound immune system to get the complete benefits of the medicine.

Famvir comes in strengths of 125mg, 250mg and 500mg. It is the only medicine that can stop or reduce the severity of herpes outbreaks in just a single day. The drug is also prescribed for treating cold sores and shingles. Famvir is contraindicated when you are allergic to any of its active ingredients. Pregnant and lactating women should talk to their doctors before taking the tablet.

Both medicines seem to be the same! Is there any unique difference between the two?

Yes. Valtrex is recommended for people who are affected by genital herpes for the first time in their life. But Famvir is recommended to prevent later outbreaks.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/

How to control your herpes outbreaks

Herpes is a virus that affects the human nervous system, modifying the DNA of the nerve cells supplying the skin through which the virus entered. Most patients suffer from recurrences that may vary in frequency from once in a lifetime to several recurrences a year. The average rate of recurrences is about four times per year. Recurrences usually take about a week or so to heal.


People living with herpes face a sad reality. There is no cure for the disease yet. Although encouraging research is progressing in the field, there is some sound advice that can be followed to control the relapse and frequency of outbreaks.
Some of these factors that believed to cause herpes outbreaks are:

• Excessive exposure to sunlight 
• Chocolate, nuts and poor diet 
• Lack of proper rest 
• Menstrual cycle 
• Emotional stress 
• Physical stress or repetitive trauma such as in sexual intercourse 
• Injury 
• Illness accompanied by fever 
• Surgical trauma 
• Steroidal medication such as asthma medication

Stress is a major stimulant of recurrent herpes outbreaks. You cannot eliminate the stress in your life, but it certainly is possible to decrease the frequency of recurrences by controlling the stress level that we expose ourselves to. Getting plenty of rest and leading a balanced life is critical in controlling herpes outbreaks. Typically, important events involving an increased level of activity such as a wedding or graduation can trigger an outbreak. Each individual is different and will come to identify what triggers an outbreak in their particular case.

Managing genital herpes during pregnancy is very important to the health of the soon-to-be-born infant. Neonatal herpes although rare is a very serious condition. Infants exposed to herpes simplex virus can experience brain infection, seizures, prolonged hospitalization, mental retardation, and death if the infection takes hold.

Certain nutrients and vitamins such as beta-carotene, vitamin C & E and zinc can help prevent herpes outbreaks. It has been know for some time now that the amino acid lysine can help to reduce both the frequency and duration of outbreaks. Good sources of lysine can be obtained from the following foods: margarine, plain yogurt, Swiss cheese and other dairy products, whey, papaya and beets.

Since the recurrence pattern of herpes is almost as varied as the people who harbor the virus, you every precaution possible should be taken to keep the virus in remission.

Article from articlesbase.com

Genital herpes more virulent in Africa than in US

Strains of genital herpes in Africa are far more virulent than those in the United States, researchers at Harvard Medical School report, a striking insight into a common disease with important implications for preventing HIV transmission in a region staggered by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The researchers arrived at this finding by testing mouse model strains of the disease against vaccine candidates. All vaccines were far more efficacious in abating the U.S. strain. The researchers say identification of the properties of the African viruses would open the door to developing a more potent vaccine against an infection now rampant in sub-Saharan Africa. This is important, they say, because genital herpes patients are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection, as the open sores symptomatic of herpes contain a high concentration of immune cells that are targeted by HIV.

The challenge lies in formulating either a single vaccine that protects against both types of strains of the genital herpes virus or two different vaccines. The vaccine farthest along in development—it is headed for clinical trials in about a year—works best against the U.S. isolates of herpes simplex 2, but it also protects laboratory animals from the African viral strains if given in five-fold-higher doses.

This research, which appears online on April 15 in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, is led by David M. Knipe, the Higgins Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and vice chair of that department at Harvard Medical School, and Clyde Crumpacker, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a physician in division of infectious disease at Beth Israel Deaconnes Medical Center. Their collaborators are former Knipe lab members Timothy E. Dudek, currently of the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, and Ernesto Torres-Lopez, now of the Universidad Autonoma in Monterrey, Mexico.

Live-virus vaccine

In southern Africa, infection rates among adults for genital herpes are exceedingly high— from 80 percent to 90 percent in some groups compared to slightly less than 20 percent in the United States.

In evolutionary terms, the herpes viruses are very old. They have honed their talents to become efficient parasites in humans, often persisting for decades while causing limited or no disease symptoms—although they can be deadly in immunocompromised persons and in newborns.

The herpes virus that causes ordinary cold sores, herpes simplex 1, is present in about 70 percent of the U.S. population. These stealthy viruses hide in nerve cells but can emerge over and over again, prompting repeated cold sore outbreaks.

Despite decades of research, there is no commercially available vaccine for herpes. But Knipe says their prototype vaccines are being tested in animals, and one such vaccine has been licensed to the French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur.

According to Knipe, animal tests demonstrate clearly that the strains of herpes virus seen in sub-Saharan Africa are more virulent than the herpes simplex 2 virus strains seen in the United States. That difference suggests that an effective vaccine will probably have to be given to people in Africa in larger or more frequent doses. So far, says Knipe, results of animal tests are heartening.

Part of the promise in this work lies in the strong chance that a vaccine against herpes simplex 2 can help reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in southern Africa. Epidemiological studies have shown that genital herpes infection is associated with a three-fold increase in the risk of HIV infection.

"If the rate of herpes infection can be reduced, it's conceivable the rate of HIV/AIDS infection will also come down, perhaps reducing the death rate," says Knipe.

Knipe's approach to vaccine development is based on using abnormal, live, mutant viruses to stimulate protective immune responses. These disabled viruses cannot multiply inside cells or cause symptomatic disease, but they do contain enough of the right proteins and molecules needed to arouse detection by a healthy immune system. Knipe's strategy is to trigger a strong immune response without causing disease.

"The candidate vaccine, ACAM529, is under development by Sanofi Pasteur, and under the current plan will enter phase I clinical testing in 2012," said Jim Tartaglia, a company respresentative. Phase I testing involves giving vaccine to a few human volunteers and watching for signs of toxicity. Trials for efficacy come later.

Although it has been difficult to create a vaccine for genital herpes, vaccines against a closely related herpes virus—varicella zoster virus, the cause of chicken pox and shingles—proved successful and are now widely used. This gives reason for optimism about a genital herpes vaccine.

The researchers do caution that, previously, two well-executed trials of Acyclovir, an effective, safe, antiviral drug for herpes, did decease the occurrence of genital herpes infections but failed to prevent transmission of HIV-1 in African study participants.

Source: Harvard Medical School

STDs: Get Your Facts Straight

Learn the truth about sexually transmitted diseases.

On the one hand, the facts about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are pretty straight forward. More than a half-dozen STDs can be spread from one person to another during sexual activity. Some are caused by bacteria. Some are caused by viruses. Some are curable, and some are not. Some cause fairly minor health problems, and some are deadly.

On the other hand, the myths about STDs are widely repeated and widely believed. One big STD myth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is that if you don't have any symptoms, then you don't have an STD. That's simply not true.

As a sexual health educator at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction at Indiana University in Bloomington, Debra Herbenick, PhD, has heard plenty of other incorrect beliefs about sexually transmitted disease. Here are a few of the most common myths about sexually transmitted diseases:

Myth 1: You can always see signs of an STD
"One of the most common myths is that people think you can tell someone is infected just by looking at their genitals," Herbenick says. "STDs are not usually visible at all. With genital warts, in particular, people think you'll be able to see warts if you have them, or that you'll be able to see herpes if you have it."

Some types of human papillomavirus (HPV) cause warts on the genitals. The warts can be tiny, Herbenick says, and you might not even be able to see them. In most cases, people with the HPV virus give it to others without knowing they are infected, according to the CDC.

Myth 2: You can only catch herpes from a partner during an outbreak 
That's also not true, Herbenick says. According to the CDC, most people infected with the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), which causes most cases of genital herpes, don't know they're infected. Although people may get sores during a first outbreak within a few weeks after they catch the virus, it’s more likely that they won't ever have noticeable sores.

In addition, people with HSV-2 infection can spread the virus even when they don't have visible sores.

Myth 3: You can be tested for every kind of STD 
For some diseases, testing isn't available or is limited, Herbenick says. For example, no test is available for HPV in men, although women can be tested for it during screening for cervical cancer.

You probably also won't find a test for bacteria called Mycoplasma genitalium, Herbenick says. This causes symptoms similar to chlamydia. Researchers may test people for it during studies, but you wouldn't get tested for it if you went to a clinic, she says.

Myth 4: You can catch HIV from casual contact
"Some people still think you can get HIV through kissing or touching. I had a student recently tell me they were surprised to learn that you couldn't get HIV through casual contact," Herbenick says.

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is spread between adults by sharing a body fluid such as blood in one of two ways, according to the CDC: by having sex with someone infected with the virus, or by sharing needles and syringes with someone with the virus. You can't catch it from shaking hands, hugging, or a light kiss.

Information is power. Get educated and keep yourself, and your loved ones, better protected with the facts.

Common Symptoms of Female Herpes

Female symptoms herpes exhibits are not always visible, sometimes making it difficult to detect. In fact, up to two thirds of women with herpes never notice any signs. Herpes cannot be cured, but if the symptoms can be recognized when they do appear it can be identified and controlled so it does not spread.

Early Warnings

Before any severe or visible symptoms appear a woman will often feel a tingling, itching, or uncomfortable sensation around the genital area. The consistency and smell of the vaginal discharge may also change. However, these warnings often go unnoticed or ignored because they are mild, and could be associated with something else such as a yeast infection or temporary irritation from allergy or simply a slight rash. In some cases, signs may not progress beyond this stage and, if uninformed, one may remain unaware of the presence of the virus.

Visual Symptoms

The most well-known sign of herpes is genital warts. These bumps resemble acne or boils and are not limited to the area right around the vagina. They can affect the entire genital area, including the buttocks and the thighs. If severe enough they can even spread internally up to the uterus. Scratching or touching them can easily spread them to even more parts of the body through skin contact. These sores are often painful to the touch, making one experience a burning or stabbing sensation on contact. Sometimes burning is also felt when urinating.

Accompanying Signs

Because herpes is a virus, it often comes with other symptoms as the body works to fight it off. These include fever, backache, headache, or general flu-like symptoms. Glands in the groin area can also swell, causing pressure and discomfort in the abdominal region, much like the lymph nodes in the neck can swell during respiratory or throat infections. Many of these symptoms can vary greatly in severity depending on the individual, and can be easily mistaken for another kind of common virus of any variety, especially as symptoms flare up and disappear instead of remaining constant.

Outbreaks

Unlike many other sexually transmitted diseases, the signs of herpes are not constant, even though the infection never actually goes away. When they disappear one can feel or see no physical indication of infection, leading to the false belief that the virus is either gone or at least unable to be transmitted. When first infected, symptoms can flare up every couple of months. But as time goes on both the frequency and severity of outbreaks often diminish, although it is still just as contagious.

Many factors can make female symptoms herpes normally exhibits difficult to detect and control. Female symptoms of herpes are varied and do not always appear, so many people may go on for a long time without suspecting they are carrying the infection. But it is only by awareness of the symptoms that one can be checked and treated to control it. Also, women must be aware that even without symptoms the disease can be spread, and proper treatment should never be ignored.

STD symptoms: Common STDs and their symptoms

If you have sex, you may also have an STD, along with subtle or noticeable STD symptoms. Straight or gay, married or single, you're vulnerable to STDs and STD symptoms, whether you engage in oral, anal or vaginal sex.

Although condoms are highly effective for reducing transmission of STDs, no method is foolproof. This is particularly true with certain STDs, such as genital warts and genital herpes.

STD symptoms aren't always obvious. If you think you're experiencing STD symptoms, see a doctor. Some STD symptoms can be treated easily and eliminated, but others require more involved and long-term treatment.

Either way, it's essential to be evaluated, and — if diagnosed with an STD — get treated. It's also essential to inform any partners so that they can be evaluated and treated. If untreated, STDs can increase your risk of acquiring another STD such as HIV. This happens because an STD can stimulate an immune response in the genital area or cause sores, either of which might make HIV transmission more likely. Some untreated STDs can also lead to infertility.

STDs often asymptomatic

You could have an STD and be asymptomatic — without any signs or symptoms. In fact, this happens with a lot of STDs. Even though you have no symptoms, you're still at risk of passing the infection along to your sex partners. That's why it's important to visit your doctor on a regular basis for STD screening, so you can identify a potential infection and get treated for it before passing it along to someone else.

Chlamydia symptoms

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of your genital tract. Chlamydia may be difficult for you to detect because early-stage infections often cause few or no signs and symptoms. When they do occur, they usually start one to three weeks after you've been exposed to chlamydia. Even when signs and symptoms do occur, they're often mild and passing, making them easy to overlook.

Signs and symptoms may include:

• Painful urination
• Lower abdominal pain
• Vaginal discharge in women
• Discharge from the penis in men
• Pain during sexual intercourse in women
• Testicular pain in men

Gonorrhea symptoms

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection of your genital tract. The first gonorrhea symptoms generally appear within two to 10 days after exposure. However, some people may be infected for months before signs or symptoms occur. Signs and symptoms of gonorrhea may include:

• Thick, cloudy or bloody discharge from the penis or vagina
• Pain or burning sensation when urinating
• Frequent urination
• Pain during sexual intercourse

Trichomoniasis symptoms

Trichomoniasis is a common sexually transmitted disease caused by a microscopic, one-celled parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. This organism spreads during sexual intercourse with someone who already has the infection. The organism usually infects the urinary tract in men, but often causes no symptoms in men. Trichomoniasis typically infects the vagina in women and may cause these signs and symptoms:

• Greenish yellow, possibly frothy vaginal discharge
• Strong vaginal odor
• Vaginal itching or irritation
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Painful urination
• Light vaginal bleeding

HIV symptoms

HIV is an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV interferes with your body's ability to effectively fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause disease, and it can lead to AIDS, a chronic, life-threatening disease.

When first infected with HIV, you may have no symptoms at all. Some people develop a flu-like illness, usually two to six weeks after being infected. Early HIV signs and symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Swollen lymph glands
• Rash
• Fatigue

These early signs and symptoms usually disappear within a week to a month and are often mistaken for those of another viral infection. During this period, you are very infectious. More persistent or severe symptoms of HIV infection may not appear for 10 years or more after the initial infection.

As the virus continues to multiply and destroy immune cells, you may develop mild infections or chronic signs and symptoms such as:

• Swollen lymph nodes — often one of the first signs of HIV infection
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Cough and shortness of breath

Signs and symptoms of later stage HIV infection include:

• Persistent, unexplained fatigue
• Soaking night sweats
• Shaking chills or fever higher than 100.4 F (38 C) for several weeks
• Swelling of lymph nodes for more than three months
• Chronic diarrhea
• Persistent headaches

Genital herpes symptoms

Genital herpes is highly contagious and caused by a type of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). HSV enters your body through small breaks in your skin or mucous membranes. Most people with HSV never know they have it, because they have no signs or symptoms. The signs and symptoms of HSV can be so mild they go unnoticed. When signs and symptoms are noticeable, the first episode is generally the worst. Some people never experience a second episode. Other people, however, can experience episodes over a period of decades.

When present, genital herpes signs and symptoms may include:

• Small, red bumps, blisters (vesicles) or open sores (ulcers) in the genital, anal and nearby areas
• Pain or itching around the genital area, buttocks and inner thighs

The initial symptom of genital herpes usually is pain or itching, beginning within a few weeks after exposure to an infected sexual partner. After several days, small, red bumps may appear. They then rupture, becoming ulcers that ooze or bleed. Eventually, scabs form and the ulcers heal.

In women, sores can erupt in the vaginal area, external genitals, buttocks, anus or cervix. In men, sores can appear on the penis, scrotum, buttocks, anus or thighs, or inside the urethra, the tube from the bladder through the penis.

While you have ulcers, it may be painful to urinate. You may also experience pain and tenderness in your genital area until the infection clears. During an initial episode, you may have flu-like signs and symptoms, such as headache, muscle aches and fever, as well as swollen lymph nodes in your groin.

In some cases, the infection can be active and contagious even when sores aren't present.

Genital warts (HPV infection) symptoms

Genital warts, caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), are one of the most common types of STDs. The signs and symptoms of genital warts include:

• Small, flesh-colored or gray swellings in your genital area
• Several warts close together that take on a cauliflower shape
• Itching or discomfort in your genital area
• Bleeding with intercourse

Often, however, genital warts cause no symptoms. Genital warts may be as small as 1 millimeter in diameter or may multiply into large clusters.

In women, genital warts can grow on the vulva, the walls of the vagina, the area between the external genitals and the anus, and the cervix. In men, they may occur on the tip or shaft of the penis, the scrotum, or the anus. Genital warts can also develop in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person.

Hepatitis symptoms

Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are all contagious viral infections that affect your liver. Hepatitis B and C are the most serious of the three, but each can cause your liver to become inflamed.

Some people never develop signs or symptoms. But for those who do, signs and symptoms may occur after several weeks and may include:

• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially in the area of your liver on your right side beneath your lower ribs
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Dark urine
• Muscle or joint pain
• Itching
• Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

Syphilis symptoms

Syphilis is a bacterial infection. The disease affects your genitals, skin and mucous membranes, but it may also involve many other parts of your body, including your brain and your heart.

The signs and symptoms of syphilis may occur in four stages — primary, secondary, latent and tertiary.

Primary
These signs may occur from 10 days to three months after exposure:

• A small, painless sore (chancre) on the part of your body where the infection was transmitted, usually your genitals, rectum, tongue or lips. A single chancre is typical, but there may be multiple sores.
• Enlarged lymph nodes.

Signs and symptoms of primary syphilis typically disappear without treatment, but the underlying disease remains and may reappear in the second (secondary) or third (tertiary) stage.

Secondary
Signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis may begin two to 10 weeks after the chancre appears, and may include:

• Rash marked by red or reddish-brown, penny-sized sores over any area of your body, including your palms and soles
• Fever
• Fatigue and a vague feeling of discomfort
• Soreness and aching

These signs and symptoms may disappear within a few weeks or repeatedly come and go for as long as a year.

Latent
In some people, a period called latent syphilis — in which no symptoms are present — may follow the secondary stage. Signs and symptoms may never return, or the disease may progress to the tertiary stage.

Tertiary
Without treatment, syphilis bacteria may spread, leading to serious internal organ damage and death years after the original infection.

Some of the signs and symptoms of tertiary syphilis include:

• Neurological problems. These may include stroke and infection and inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). Other problems may include poor muscle coordination, numbness, paralysis, deafness or visual problems. Personality changes and dementia also are possible.
• Cardiovascular problems. These may include bulging (aneurysm) and inflammation of the aorta — your body's major artery — and of other blood vessels. Syphilis may also cause valvular heart disease, such as aortic valve problems.

If you suspect you have an STD, see your doctor

If you suspect you have these or other STDs or that you may have been exposed to one, see your doctor for STD testing. Timely diagnosis and treatment are important to avoid or delay more severe, potentially life-threatening health problems and to avoid infecting others.

How Many Patients Spread Herpes, But Don't Even Know They Have It?

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world. In the U.S., it affects 16% of the adult U.S. population, even more among young adults and college students. But given that 75% to 90% of people who test positive for HSV-2 have ever been officially diagnosed with genital herpes, many infected people don't even know they carry the virus.
A significant number of HSV-2 positive people have never had symptoms like blisters and sores, which means that many people may be transmitting the virus to others unknowingly, and because they're asymptomatic they're unlikely to get tested. Even if they do get tested, a positive blood test doesn't help patients understand their risk of transmission. Worse, many such patients believe that HSV-2 can't be passed on unless they have an active herpes outbreak — a dangerous misconception.

The question is, how dangerous? How often do people with asymptomatic infections transmit the virus? According to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it may be more common than you'd think. "Most HSV-2 infections are acquired from persons without a clinical history of genital herpes," wrote the study's authors.

To quantify exactly how easily the virus is transmitted from someone without genital herpes, researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center instructed 498 HSV-2-infected participants, average age 41, to take genital swabs every day for at least one month. The scientists then analyzed the samples for evidence of viral shedding — conditions under which the virus was detectable in the genital area and able to spread to another person.
Of the participants, 410 had experienced an outbreak of genital herpes symptoms; 88 participants had been completely asymptomatic until that point. On average, the researchers found, those who had had past herpes outbreaks were infectious 20.1% of the time, while the asymptomatic group was found to be able to transmit the virus 10.2% of time — but nearly all of that (84%) was when these patients were symptom-free (some of these patients developed symptoms during the course of the study). Further, there was no difference in the amount of virus shed by symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.
During the study, which lasted for an average 57 days, researchers were able to detect shedding virus at least once in 68.2% of the people who had asymptomatic infections, compared with 83.4% of the symptomatic group.
Even though the asymptomatic participants were less likely to pass on HSV-2, they were still significantly infectious. "The risk of HSV-2 transmission is high from persons with unrecognized HSV-2 infection," the authors wrote.
The researchers say the findings should be a wake-up call to public health officials in the United States, where genital herpes rates have remained stagnant over the past decade. They suggest that wider HSV-2 testing could help more people become aware of their status, and help curb transmission: "Condom use, daily valacyclovir therapy, and disclosure of HSV-2 [positive] status each approximately halve the risk of HSV-2 transmission."
So go get tested, people!