Paper Topic:

STD`s

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Outline

Introduction

1 . Prevalence of STDs

2 . Primary STDs

3 . STDs : Impact on Health

4 . Diagnosing and Prevention of STDs

Conclusion

References Introduction

Sexually transmitted diseases , or STDs , are grabbing increasing attention given that the category includes AIDS , often labelled as the plague of our century . However , there are other important STDs that affect a large number of individuals and lead to disastrous consequences . These include Gonorrhea , Syphillis , Chlamydia , Herpes type II , Human Papilloma Virus (Warts , Hepatitis B , Trichimonis , Pubic Lice (CRABS . Different in

origin , symptoms , treatment and outcomes , all these diseases share the way of transmission , where sexual intercourse is the primary vehicle

1 . Prevalence of STDs

The list of most important STDs has changed over time . Thus , syphilis was non-existent in pre-Columbian Europe . After Columbus ' trip to America , syphilis emerged as a devastating disease that used to plunder towns and villages , which gave scientists reasons to believe that it was brought over from the New World (Crosby , 1973 ,

. 124-126 . In the 1960s the five most important STDs included gonorrhea , syphilis , granuloma inguinale , chancroid , and lymphogranuloma venereum (STDs : Yesterday and Today , 2004

According to the statistics publicised by the American Social Health Association , more than half of all people will have an STD at some point in their lifetime (ASHA , 2005 . The same association estimates that one in two sexually active Americans gets infected with an STD by the age of 25 , and one out of four teenagers per year will contract an STD . The compilation of reliable statistics is difficult since only a few sexually transmittd diseases including gonorrhea , syphilis chlamydia , hepatitis A and B have to be reported to the health authorities when diagnosed . However , these numbers show the prevalence of SDTs in contemporary society and demonstrate that this is a serious health issue that has to be addressed with adequate measures on prevention and cure

STDs are typically caused by bacteria , parasites , and viruses Physicians use antibiotics to treat STDs cause by bacteria , but the problem is that the bacterium can develop a resistance to the medication , complicating treatment . Parasitic STDs are for the most part curable . The greatest challenge for humanity at this point is the viral STDs , including HIV /AIDS , as the virus tends to stay in the body for prolonged time periods without exhibiting any symptoms . Besides , there are no known cures for viruses (STDs : Yesterday and Today , 2004

2 . Primary STDs

HIV / AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome ) usually tops the list of concerns related to sexually transmitted diseases to the uniformly lethal outcome and unavailability of the cure . A person develops AIDS after contracting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus ) that decreases the potential of the immune system to respond to infections and cancers . As a result , the host dies of a certain infection or cancer , although HIV can reside in the body for years without developing into AIDS

Gonorrhea is a curable bacterial infection and one of the oldest sexually transmitted diseases . The disease is found in both men...

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