Sexually Transmitted Diseases

(Name (Professor (Subject

xx November 2007

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Sexually transmitted diseases , also known as STDs , are infectious diseases transferred from one person to another through sexual contact They can be transmitted through any type of sexual contact that involve the sex organs or the mouth or through contact with the infected person 's blood . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , over 20 STDs have already been identified and annually , some 13 to 15 million Americans are affected by them . Those with greatest risk of acquiring an

STD are said to be adolescents and young adults (Epigee , Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Left untreated , many types of STDs can pose severe consequences on its victims , especially on women . Some are curable and may just cause discomfort on the infected individual but others such as AIDS , herpes genital warts and gonorrhea have been known to be fatal . Undesirable effects on women include pelvic infections , complications during pregnancy , sterility and cancer

STDs do not discriminate against sexual orientation , age and background . They can even be passed on from mother to infant during pregnancy or after birth . There is also an alarming rise in the spread of STD among younger generations who are becoming sexually active and are having multiple partners . Some STDs are asymptomatic (do not show symptoms ) hence they can be unknowingly passed on to another person who has sexual contact with the infected person . Since most STDs are transmitted sexually , a person can acquire more than one STD at a time and someone who has STD increases his or her chances of becoming infected with AIDS

HIV /AIDS

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus ) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome . Considered the 6th leading cause of death among young men and women , HIV /AIDS is an infection of the immune system which destroys the body 's ability to fight off infections HIV infects the cells (T Lymphocytes ) of the immune system weakening the entire system (Sexually Transmitted Disease Resource Center

Blood , breast milk , semen , vaginal fluids , tears and saliva can contain HIV but medical experts have shown that the disease is only transmitted through blood and sexual fluids . People living with HIV /AIDS may not look sick but they can still infect others

Initial symptoms of HIV include swollen lymph glands , headaches muscle aches , fatigue and fever ' Because of its flu-like symptoms many people fail to notice any indication of this disease . The virus can remain dormant in the person 's system for many years but it continually weakens the immune system by attacking the CD4 cells . When these cells become loaded with the virus , the infection will eventually progress to a diagnosis of AIDS (Epigee , Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The advanced stage of HIV which is AIDS will manifest the following common symptoms : fever , seizures , shortness of breath , confusion and forgetfulness , vision loss , weight loss and fatigue , severe headaches and coma (Stoppler , HIV /AIDS

There may be treatments that can prolong the life of a person with HIV...