Sexually Transmitted Diseases/HIV
A sexually transmitted disease (STD) is defined as a disease-causing virus, bacterium, parasite or fungus spread from person to person primarily through sexual contact. These agents thrive in
most warm conditions in the body, such as the
mouth and vagina. Some STDs can be transmitted in ways other than just sexual contact, for example contact with infected blood. Sharing infected needles or receiving a transfusion of infected blood can pass on the STD. Bacterial, fungal and parasitic STDs are
curable with proper medication. Viral STDs have no cure at this time, but can be managed with
proper medication.
Women, it is important to recognize, are more vulnerable to STDs from a biological and socioeconomic perspective. While the majority of STDs show little or no symptoms, the consequences of late diagnosis can be severe for women - cervical cancer, ectopic pregnancy and infertility, to name a few.
Sexually active young adults and teenagers are the largest cohort diagnosed with STDs. An estimated 200 to 400 million people worldwide are affected - 70 million in the U.S.
Click on the links below for more information on sexually transmitted
diseases:
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
National Institutes of Health
31 Center Drive, MSC 2520
Bethesda, MD 20892-2520
http://www.niaid.nih.gov
- National Library of Medicine
MEDLINEplus
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
1-800-338-7657
http://medlineplus.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30333
1-888-232-3228
http://www.cdc.gov
- National STD and AIDS Hotline
1-800-227-8922 or 1-800-342-2437
(24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
- American Social Health Association
P.O. Box 13827
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-9940
http://www.ashastd.org
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