It is foolish to think that STDs are not harmful. All sexually transmitted diseases come with a certain amount of health risk. It is a risk not only for the person with the disease, but for your partner, your future partners and possibly your children. If anyone has been sexually active, especially without protection, it is important to get tested before exposing anyone else. If anyone has signs or symptoms of an STD, it is even more critical to get tested and/or treated as soon as possible. Not all sexually transmitted diseases are the same. Some are much worse to get than others. Certain STDs are dangerous to carry for a long time without knowing the infection is in your body. Types of STDs There are many types of STDs. Following is a list of the worst STDs to get and what you can expect if you get them. HIV Most everyone is familiar with HIV and the dangers of contracting HIV and AIDs. Although we have come a long way with treatment over the last several decades, there is still no cure. HIV is a viral condition, which means that no cure currently exists. It is important for anyone who is sexually active to get tested for HIV often. If HIV is found, the sooner treatment begins, the better prognosis for optimal health. HIV can lead to multiple health issues including rashes, genital sores, flu-like symptoms, persistent diarrhea and organ failure and even death. Syphilis Syphilis can not only be a painful disease, but it can potentially be fatal. It is spread through vaginal, oral or anal sex. Usually symptoms appear about three weeks after someone has been exposed. However, this is not always the case. There are four stages of syphilis and each stage has different symptoms. The Four Stages of Syphilis are: Primary Stage Syphilis – In primary stage syphilis, the first noticeable sign is a single sore or multiple sores. The place on your body where you contracted syphilis is where you contracted the disease. In women, it is usually in or around the vagina. In men, it is on their penis. If a woman contracted it through giving oral sex, the sores will appear on her lips or mouth. The sores usually last a month to six weeks, whether you receive treatment or not. If treatment is not given, the infection moves to the secondary stage. Secondary Stage Syphilis – During the secondary stage, rashes and sores appear in the mouth, vagina or anus. There is usually a rash on more areas of the body, including the hands or bottom of the feet. The bumps are typically rough, red or reddish-brown. Other symptoms of the secondary stage are fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, hair loss, headaches, fatigue and body aches. Without the proper treatment, syphilis can stay in your body for years and move to the latent or tertiary stage. Latent Stage Syphilis – The latent stage is when there are no visible signs or symptoms. Left untreated, it can develop into the tertiary stage. This can affect the heart, blood vessels, brain and nervous system and can be life threatening. Tertiary Stage Syphilis – Tertiary syphilis is serious and usually occurs 10-30 years after infection. It damages your internal organs or causes death. Without a diagnosis of syphilis or treatment — during any stage of the disease — it can spread to the brain, nervous system, eyes or ears. It can cause headaches, muscle weakness, eye pain, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vertigo, changes to your mental state, personality changes and dementia. Congenital Syphilis — Passing Syphilis on to Your Baby If a woman has syphilis and becomes pregnant, she can pass the disease to her baby. Congenital syphilis can have a major impact on the baby’s health. It can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight or death shortly after birth. Babies born with syphilis can have deformed bones, anemia, enlarged liver, jaundice, brain and nerve problems, meningitis, skin rashes blindness or deafness. Congenital syphilis has tripled in recent years and the growth rate is alarming to public health officials. ACOG recommends that all pregnant women receive STD testing at their first initial OB visit and again at 36 weeks. Routine testing during pregnancy is not only for syphilis, but HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes and hepatitis. As congenital syphilis is on the rise, it can be assumed that not enough pregnant women are getting proper prenatal care. Hepatitis Hepatitis A, B and C can spread through vaginal, oral or anal sexual activities. It is a viral disease but it may either be temporary or long-lasting. The worst case scenario is that it can lead to liver disease and death. It is a life-long disease. Hepatitis is harder to detect than other STDs, unless someone is tested. With HIV, syphilis, herpes, etc., usually painful sores or rashes make the STD obvious. Hepatitis symptoms don’t present in the same way. Some of the symptoms include fatigue, flu-like illness, dark urine, pale stool, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, jaundiced skin and yellow eyes. If anyone has any of these symptoms, it is imperative they seek diagnosis and treatment from a physician. Chlamydia Chlamydia can be a serious disease if not found and treated. It can cause major health issues for women like pelvic inflammatory disease, scarring of the urethra, infertility and complications during pregnancy. About 70% of women who get chlamydia do not have symptoms but it can spread it if they are sexually active. Sometimes the infection remains in your body for weeks, months or years without symptoms. If you are sexually active and without protection, undetected chlamydia is highly transmittable to other partners. Often symptoms occur about three weeks after chlamydia is contracted. The most common symptoms in women include: The treatment for chlamydia is antibiotics. Chlamydia Can Cause Infertility Often, a woman doesn’t know she is infertile until it is time to try to have a baby. If
