Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is an STI that causes painful sores on and around the genitals. The same family of viruses also causes "cold sores" around the mouth.

Genital herpes is most commonly spread by direct contact with open sores, usually during sex. If you touch herpes sores, wash your hands with soap and water to avoid spreading the infection.

Pregnant women can pass this infection to their baby during or after child birth. Herpes infection in infants can be life-threatening.

Herpes is not spread by toilet seats, bathtubs, swimming pools or hot tubs.

It is possible to pass the virus to your sex partners even when you have no sores, so safer sex using a condom is always important. However, remember that the areas of skin not covered by the condom are not protected.

You can get genital herpes through oral sex even from cold sores. To prevent spread during oral sex use a condom on the penis or a condom cut length-wise or a dental dam over the female genital area. After the sores from the first attack heal, the herpes sores may appear again from time to time.

There is no cure for genital herpes, but medication may shorten the attacks and make the sores less painful. Once you have herpes, you are infected for life.

The symptoms and signs:
Tingling or itching in the genital area may appear within a week of having sex with an infected person. A cluster of tiny blisters will likely appear. These blisters will burst and leave painful sores, which last from two to three weeks. A fever and headache may occur in the first attack.

What to look for

Females:

sores inside or near the vagina, on the genitals, near the anus, or on the thighs and buttocks
tender lumps in the groin

Males:

sores on the penis, around the testicles, near the anus, and on thighs and buttocks
tender lumps in the groin.

Both males and females can get sores in the mouth or in the genital area after oral sex with an infected person.

How genital herpes is treated:

If you think you may have genital herpes, see a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor can give you medication to help ease the pain of the attack and control further attacks.

-Keep the infected area clean and dry. Wash your towel before re-using.

-After bathing, use a hair dryer instead of a towel around the sores, or pat dry gently.

-Try to wear loose fitting clothing made of natural materials such as cotton.

-If urinating is painful, pouring warm water over the area may help, or urinate in the bathtub just before getting out.

My sister-in-law contracted herpes by kissing her step son, who was infected by his mother, on the check. She now has to deal with painful outbreaks on her face, neck, mouth and throat for the rest of her life. If you contract herpes you have no hope of having sex without a condom unless your partner is willing to deal with the consequences.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia (pronounced kla-mid-ee-ah) is a very common bacterial sexually transmitted infection - and one of the more serious.
It can spread silently in females and cause a painful, long-term condition called PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) and infertility (the inability to have children). Pregnant women can pass this infection on to their babies at birth, who can then get infections of their eyes or lungs.

You can get chlamydia from oral, vaginal or anal sex.

The symptoms and signs:
A woman may never know she is infected with chlamydia until she has a test for it or decides to have a baby and has problems trying to become pregnant.
For those who develop symptoms, they usually appear two to six weeks after sex with an infected person. Sometimes, the symptoms are so mild that a person may not notice them. Men often have no symptoms and can spread the infection without knowing they have it. It is very important that chlamydia be treated right away.

What to look forFemales:

-a new or different discharge from the vagina
-a burning feeling when urinating
-pain in the lower abdomen, sometimes
-with fever and chills
-pain during sex
-vaginal bleeding between periods
-vaginal bleeding after intercourse

Males:

-a watery or milky drip from the penis
-an itchy feeling inside the penis
-a burning feeling when urinating
-pain or swelling in the testicles

A quick and reliable urine test is available for chlamydia in most centres for both men and women.
If you are having sex and have taken chances, see a health professional or go to a clinic and ask to be tested.

How chlamydia is treated:
Chlamydia can often be treated with just one dose of antibiotics taken by mouth. But you can get it again right away from your partner if he/she isn't treated as well.
You must get a prescription for the right antibiotic from your doctor. Don't borrow medicine from your friends, and you cannot buy the medicine on the street.

Treatment is important:
Your doctor or nurse may ask you for the name of your partner or ask you to tell your partner so that this STI will not be spread further. Make sure you take your medication until it is finished. Ask your doctor or nurse how soon after treatment you can have sexual intercourse.

If you are a female with chlamydia and you don't get treated, this could happen to you:
you might develop a pain in your abdomen or belly that never seems to go away
the infection could spread to all your reproductive organs and cause PID
you may have problems later in life getting pregnant or during your pregnancy.

The long-term effects of chlamydia on males are not well known.

Pubic lice and Scabies: "Crabs"

You may have heard of someone getting "crabs" from sex. This happens when tiny insects spread from an infected person to you. This can happen as a result of sex, but not always. You can also get scabies and lice from using bed sheets or towels or wearing the clothes of an infected person.

The symptoms and signs:
Symptoms of scabies and lice occur when the insects either bite you or burrow into your skin to lay their eggs. With lice, you may actually see the pearly white eggs on the hair in your pubic area, close to the skin.

What to look for:

Scabies-
-itching, mainly at night
-a rash may appear between your fingers, on your wrists, abdomen, ankles, on the bend of your elbows, or around your genitals.

Pubic lice-
-perhaps an itch in the pubic area
-light brown insects the size of a pinhead may be seen
-oval, whitish eggs may be seen on the hair.

How scabies and lice are treated:
Scabies and lice may be treated easily with special creams, lotions or shampoos, which are available at a drugstore. Ask the pharmacist for help, and then follow the directions carefully.
If you don't treat scabies or lice, you may get a skin infection that will require a visit to a doctor.
Avoid close body contact with others if you have scabies or lice. Get treatment to avoid passing them to others.
Wash clothes and bed linen in hot water, or dry-clean and press with a very hot iron. Freezing clothes, fabrics or blankets or storing them in an air-tight plastic bag for two weeks will also destroy the insects and their eggs.
If you have scabies or pubic lice, be sure to tell your sex partners. Anyone with whom you have had close contact or who has shared your bed sheets, clothes or towels should be treated, even if they don't have an itch or rash.

Trichomonas

Trichomonas is a germ that can be spread during sex.
It can cause vaginitis in women - an inflamed, sore and itchy vagina, sometimes with an unusual discharge. Very rarely trichomonas can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) - a serious infection in women.
If a woman who is pregnant has "trich", her baby may be born early or weigh less than normal.
Even if you don't have any symptoms you can still pass on "trich" to your partner if you are infected.
What to look for:

Females:
-frothy, off-white or yellowish-green vaginal discharge
-itching and irritation of the genital area
-vaginal odour
-pain during sex
-painful or frequent urination

Males:
Often males don't have any symptoms but they may experience:
-slight discharge from the penis
-burning sensation on urination
-irritation and redness of the head of the penis

Trichomonas can be diagnosed by a swab of the discharge or infected area.
Trichomonas can be treated with pills, but both you and your partner (or partners) need to be treated to prevent you from getting the infection again.
You can protect yourself against "trich" by using a condom every time you have sex.