Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major public health threat globally. HIV/AIDS is arguably the most serious, but many other STDs can have devastating effects on the reproductive health and quality of life of sufferers. Some are responsible for causing ectopic pregnancy, cervical cancer, miscarriage, pelvic inflammatory disease, and even infertility. Often, they have no visible symptoms and are only revealed by testing.
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Chlamydia is a common bacterial infection spread through sexual intercourse, that can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women and urinary tract infection in men. In both sexes it can lead to infertility. Fortunately, there is an easy cure through antibiotics.
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Genital Warts are mainly spread through unprotected sexual contact and are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), appearing on the genitals or rectal area as cauliflower-like growths, or as flat growths with stalks.
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Also known as “The Clap,” Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacteria that thrives in warm, moist areas of the body. It is mainly spread through genital contact, although it can also be passed to the throat during oral sex.
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Syphilis is the most deadly of the bacterial venereal diseases, with around 12 million new cases reported each year. It is passed from person to person through direct contact with infected sores. If the disease is treated in time, a course of antibiotics will cure it completely. If it is not treated in time, however, symptoms will return in their advanced form many years later.
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Trichomoniasis is the most common curable sexually transmitted disease (STD) among sexually active women. An estimated 7.4 million new cases occur each year in both women and men, although symptoms are more common in women.
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Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was discovered in 1981 and has since become a major worldwide pandemic. AIDS is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which destroys the immune system, and causes the body to lose its ability to fight infections and certain cancers. An HIV-infected person is diagnosed with AIDS when the symptoms of their HIV infection become severe.
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Pubic lice are parasitic insects which infest human pubic hair and suck the blood of the surrounding skin for nourishment. Infection is common and found worldwide, with almost all cases occurring as a result of close physical contact, including sexual activity.
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Genital herpes (the herpes simplex virus) is one of the world’s most common sexually transmitted diseases, spreading from person to person through skin and saliva contact during vaginal and anal intercourse and oral sex. It can be spread by both men and women engaging in heterosexual or homosexual contact.
There is no cure for herpes and once it infects an individual it remains in that person’s body for life, occasionally presenting symptoms during periods of fatigue or illness.
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