Body

• Itching in the pubic area
• Often no symptoms
• Occasional presence of rust-colored spots on your underclothes from bleeding at sites of bites
• Mild fever and tiredness may occur if you have been bitten by a large number of lice

• Transmitted primarily through intimate skin-to-skin contact with an infected person
• Documented cases of transmission have been reported from toilet seats, bedding, and infested clothing

Testing: You can usually see the crabs yourself, if you look closely enough. Your doctor may need to use a microscope.

Treatment:

• Treatable and curable with doctor ordered prescription or non-prescription medicine that effectively kill both the adult and egg lice
• The only method of determining if you are infected is to be screened by a doctor
• Consult a doctor or nurse for correct diagnosis and treatment

Many do not have symptoms, but those that do can have:

• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Burning sensation when urinating

If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1-3 weeks after exposure.

Even if there are no symptoms, without treatment the infection can spread from your cervix to your uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID may or may not have symptoms. Some symptoms:

• Lower abdominal pain
• Low back pain
• Nausea
• Fever
• Pain during sex
• Bleeding between menstrual periods

Over time, PID can result in chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility.

• Transmitted through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person
• Can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth

Testing: A urine test or by taking a specimen from the infected area can determine if you have Chlamydia.

Treatment:

• Treatable and curable with antibiotics prescribed by a doctor or other trained medical personnel
• The only method of determining if you are infected is to be screened by a doctor or other trained medical personnel
• Annual testing is recommended for sexually active youth under age 26

Most people do not know they have genital herpes unless they start developing blisters. After exposure to genital herpes, you often start seeing symptoms within two weeks, typically on or around the genital area or rectum. Symptoms can be:

• Painful small red bumps, blisters, or open sores on the vagina, penis, or on or around the genital region or rectum
• Fever, headache, and other muscle aches
• Swollen glands in the genital area
• Pain in legs, buttocks, or genital area
• Abnormal vaginal discharge or pain when urinating

• Transmitted through sexual contact with someone who is already infected
• Can be transmitted from someone who has sores that you can see and also from those who do not have visible sores
• Those without visible sores may not know they are infected
• Can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth (This can be very serious for the newborn, causing severe disease or death)

Testing: Your doctor may be able to see sores. If not, a blood test is usually done.

Treatment:

• There is no cure, but the symptoms can be managed with medications prescribed by a doctor or nurse
• The only method of determining if you are infected is to be tested by a doctor or nurse

Most who are infected have no symptoms. If they have symptoms, they are often mild and may be mistaken for a bladder or other vaginal infection. Symptoms may include:

• Pain or burning sensation when urinating
• Yellowish and sometimes bloody vaginal discharge
• Vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods

Gonorrhea infection can also be present in the anus or rectum. Symptoms of rectal infection include:

• Anal discharge
• Anal itching
• Soreness
• Bleeding
• Painful bowel movements

Gonorrhea infection can also be present in the throat, which may cause a sore throat. Untreated gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can result in chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, or infertility. When left untreated, gonorrhea can also spread to the blood or joints, which can be life threatening.

• Transmitted through contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of an infected person
• Can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth

Testing: A urine test or by taking a specimen from the infected area can determine if you have gonorrhea.

Treatment:

• Treatable and curable with antibiotics prescribed by a doctor or nurse
• The only method of determining if you are infected is to be tested by a doctor or other trained medical personnel

You may have symptoms including:

• Yellow skin or yellowing of the whites of the eyes (jaundice)
• Tiredness
• Dark-colored urine
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea, vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Joint pain

• Transmitted when blood from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected
• This can occur through having sex with an infected person without using a condom; by sharing drugs, needles, or “works” when “shooting” drugs; through needle sticks or sharp exposure on the job; or from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth

Testing: A blood test can determine if you have Hepatitis B.

Treatment:

• There is no cure
• Hepatitis B vaccine is the best protection to prevent HBV infection
• There are no medications available for recently acquired (acute) HBV infection
• Antiviral drugs are available for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. These drugs should not be used by pregnant women
• Blood tests and medical evaluation should be done to determine if you are infected with HBV

You may have symptoms including:

• Yellow skin or yellowing of the whites of the eyes (jaundice)
• Tiredness
• Dark-colored urine
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea

• Transmitted when blood from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected
• This can occur by sharing needles or “works” when “shooting” drugs; through needle sticks or sharp exposures on the job; or from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth

Testing: A blood test can determine if you have Hepatitis C.

Treatment:

• There is no cure
• There is no vaccine available to prevent HCV infection
• HCV-infected people should be evaluated by their doctor for evidence of liver disease
• Interferon and ribavirin are two drugs licensed for the treatment of persons with chronic hepatitis C
• Combination therapy, using interferon and ribavirin, is currently the treatment of choice
• Blood tests and medical evaluation should be done to determine if you are infected with HCV

• Extreme tiredness
• Rapid weight loss
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Frequent low fevers and night sweats
• Frequent oral or vaginal yeast infections and other sexually transmitted diseases (STIs)
• Red, brown, or purplish marks on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids

• Transmitted though vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person
• Transmitted by sharing dirty needles with an infected person in drug use or by getting accidentally stuck with a needle shared by an infected person
• Babies can be infected during or before birth or through breast-feeding by an HIV-infected mother

Testing: A blood test can determine if you have been infected with HIV.

Treatment:

• There is no cure
• Managed with medications prescribed by a doctor
• The only way to determine if you are infected is to be tested by a doctor or nurse

Most people with HPV have no symptoms and do not know they are infected. Symptoms may include:

• Some types can cause genital warts

After exposure to HPV, genital warts may appear within weeks, months or not all. These may include:

• Flat or raised warts, alone or in groups on the genital area (may be hard to see; may be painless or painful)
• Lesions or warts may be on the cervix, vagina, anus, or thigh

• Most sexually active adults get it at some time in their lives
• Transmitted through genital contact, usually during vaginal or anal intercourse, with an infected person
• It may also be passed on during oral sex, but this is very rare

Testing: Your doctor may use a magnifying lens to find warts or put acetic acid (vinegar) on the genital area. This causes warts to turn white and makes them easier to see.

Treatment: There is no treatment for HPV but there are treatments for the conditions that it can cause – such as genital warts, cervical cell changes, and cervical cancer.

• HPV vaccine can help prevent infection with the types of HPV viruses that cause most cervical cancers.

Genital Warts

• Usually diagnosed by visual inspection
• Warts may go away on their own
• Warts can be removed by medications that you apply or by treatments performed by a doctor

Cervical Changes

• A Pap test can find cervical cell changes early, so they can be treated before they turn into cancer
• There is also an HPV test that can find HPV on a woman’s cervix

Symptoms in the first or primary stage appear 10 to 90 days after exposure (usually around 21 days).

Primary stage symptoms include:

• Painless sores, usually in the genital area, but may be on the lips or in the mouth
• Sores heal on their own after about 3 to 6 weeks
• Swollen lymph glands

If infection is not adequately treated, a latent (or hidden) stage occurs, which is followed by secondary stage symptoms that include:

• Skin rash on the palms and soles of the feet, usually does not itch and goes away on its own
• Fever
• Swollen lymph glands
• Sore throat
• Patchy hair loss
• Headaches
• Weight loss
• Tiredness

• Transmitted through direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal, or oral sex
• Can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth

Testing: A blood or culture test can be used to determine if you have syphilis.

Treatment:

• Easily curable in its early stages with antibiotics prescribed by a doctor
• The main way to determine if you are infected is to be screened by a doctor

Some do not have symptoms, but those who do can have symptoms appear between 5 and 28 days after exposure. Symptoms can include:

• Frothy, yellow-green vaginal discharge, which has a strong odor
• Discomfort during sex and when urinating
• Irritation and itching of the genital area
• In rare cases, lower abdominal pain

• Transmitted through penis to vagina via sex or vulva to vulva (genital area outside vagina) via contact with an infected partner or shared object

Testing: A wet mount may be done to determine whether you have trichomoniasis. (A sample of discharge is put on a slide with saline solution and looked at under a microscope.)

Treatment:

• Treatable and curable with medications prescribed by a doctor
• The only method of determining if you are infected is to be screened by a doctor