Posted on May 30th, 2023

The diseases transmitted from one person to another person through sexual contact are called sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Sexual contact can happen through vaginal, anal, or oral contact. However, another intimate type of physical contact can also cause the spread of these diseases.

Some confuse the terms STDs with STIs. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections started by the attack of any bacteria or virus. However, they may or may not lead to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They can show no symptoms until they lead to disease.

Symptoms of STDs

The important symptoms of STDs include the following:

• A sensation of pain during the sexual activity
• Development of sores or rashes around sexual parts like the vagina, testicles, buttocks, or penis.
• Bleeding or discharge in an unusual way from sexual organs
• Unusual periods or discharge of blood after sexual intimacy.

Causes of STDs

All sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are started with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The major cause of STDs is sexual contact. It can occur through contact with body fluids or through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. However, they can be controlled at the infection stage to prevent them from developing into a disease. If the bacteria or virus gets enough time to collapse the body cells and lose their function, it is converted to an STD.

Different types of STDs

There are many diseases that are transmitted through sexual contact. However, most of them are controlled at the stage of the infection. They can be in the form of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and even cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

Pelvic Inflammatory disease (PID)

The pelvic inflammatory disease mostly begins in the form of gonorrhea, chlamydia, or trichomoniasis if they are not treated at an early stage. However, it can also occur due to bacterial attacks. It has been reported that more than 2.5 million women in the United States have had PID in their life history. However, some can have no symptoms but develop this disease throughout their life.

However, the symptoms of PID shown are as follows:

• Severe pain in the lower abdomen
• Painful vaginal sex or urination
• Unusual vaginal bleeding
• Nausea

As PID is transmitted through a bacterium, it can be cured by the use of antibiotics in the early stage. However, if it moves to the fallopian tubes, it will not be treated. It can cause ectopic pregnancy and infertility in some cases.

Tertiary Syphilis

Tertiary Syphilis is an uncommon sexually transmitted disease. It starts with the formation of sores around the genitals, mouth, or anus. However, if it is not treated, it moves to latent form where symptoms are not visible. In most cases, tertiary syphilis occurs from the infection in a period of 10-30 years after the attack.

This disease severely attacks the organ systems of the body. It can lead to vision loss, lack of hearing, memory loss, worse conditions, mental health, and heart diseases. However, less damage is expected from initial syphilis, as it can be controlled easily.

The treatment of syphilis occurs through the use of penicillin injections. They have the ability to remove the responsible bacterium from the body. However, the damage to body organs cannot be reversed.