Sexually Transmitted Diseased: gentle^spirit

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Author: gentle^spirit © 2004
Christians and BDSM Web Site

This article is copyrighted to the stated author(s) and can not be reproduced, copied, reprinted, or posted without the consent of the author. It is used here with permission of the author.

It's a jungle out there! All sorts of viruses, bacterias, yeastie beasties and insects! Why mention STD's on a site about BDSM? Several reasons! There are more recognized diseases out there to be caught. Spouses are not always faithful. People sometimes make mistakes. Using barrier methods such as condoms work for reducing the risk of some of these diseases, but have no effect on the others. Many of these diseases have no symptoms. Some are incurable. Some cause infertility, pelvic inflamatory disease (ouch!), stillbirth and other irreversable complications. Protect your health and that of your children!

STD	OTHER NAMES	CAUSE	INCUBATION PERIOD	SYMPTOMS	TREATMENT	EFFECTS
Hepatitis A	yellow jaundice	virus	15–50 days; 28 days avg	loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea, fever, abdominal pain, jaundice, enlarged liver, nausea, fever	vaccine to prevent, immune globulin shots if exposed	liver disease including cancer & cirrhosis, may cause premature labor, may be transmitted to baby during birth; highly contageous; can be passed by eating contaminated food
Hepatitis B		virus	45-160 days	abdominal pain, jaundice, enlarged liver	no cure, preventative vaccine available	liver disease including cancer & cirrhosis, may cause premature labor, may be transmitted to baby during birth
Hepatitis C		virus	14 days -6 months; 6-9 week avg	overwhelming fatigue but may lie silent for years	no cure, no vaccine treatment with anti-virals helps only 40% of patients	liver disease including liver cancer & cirrhosis
HIV		virus	test positive within 3 months	varies; may appear as flu like illness, swollen glands, night sweats, cough, certain cancers; and diseases not otherwise seen in healthy people	no vaccine, no cure; treatment to treat and/or postpone diseases and certain cancers; treatment for symptoms	severely compromises the body's immune system which allows many infections to develop including AIDS and some specific types of cancer
Pubic Lice	crabs	parasite	7-10 Days	itching and burning of pubic area	special insecticide shampoo	insect bites may become infected
Syphilis	syph, bad blood, the pox	bacteria	10-90 days; avg 21 days	varies depending on stage; initially a painless sore at the point of entry; may have swollen glands; later rash may develop, especially on hands; flu-like illness; may have hair loss	curable with antibiotic	varies with age. adults: nervous system damage, heart disease or death; infants: stillbirth, attacks multiple organ symptoms resulting in meningitis, brain damage and birth defects
Trichonoiasis	trich	protozoan	4-20 days; avg 7 days	may NOT have any symptoms; women have a white or yellow smelly vaginal discharge; men may have clear discharge from penis; BOTH may have itching and burning on urination	curable with medication	long term effect not yet determined
Chlamydia		bacteria	1-3 weeks	women usually do not have symptoms; may have vaginal or urethral discharge and pelvic pain	curable with antibiotics	sterility, pelvic inflammatory disease [PID], premature birth, pneumonia and eye infections; teenage and young women are at high risk because their cervix is not fully developed
Genital Herpes		virus	a few days-3 weeks	usually painful blisters or sores; may be mild or go unnoticed	NO cure; medications given to relieve pain and prevent bacterial infections	can be passed to infant during childbirth causing brain damage or death
Genital Warts	human papalomia virus	virus	6 weeks-8 months	warty-like growths in genital and/or anal area	NO cure; individual warts may be removed by medication, freezing or laser therapy; virus will STILL be present in tissue	can block penis, vagina or anus; may be passed to infant during birth;
Gonorrhea	the clap, drip	bacteria	2-10 days	discharge from vagina/penis and/or anus; pelvic pain; sore throat; men can have painful urination; may not have any symptoms	curable with antibiotics	infertility, arthritis, rash, kidney and heart disease; may cause blindness in infants
Vaginitis [bacterial vaginosis]	yeast infection bacterial vaginosis	varies	varies with type; doctor needed for diagnosis	may have NO symptoms; itching, burning, vaginal pain; increased, smelly or different discharge; can transmit organism to males; men may have painful urination	varies depending on type of infection; consult physician	symptoms will continue unless treated; men may carry the infection and be without symptoms. men may get infection of penis, urethra and or prostate gland; increases chance of getting HIV if exposed
Molluscum Contagiosum		virus	1 week to 6 months; 2-3 month avg	sores are usually present on the thighs, buttocks, groin and lower abdomen of adults; may occasionally appear on the external genital and anal region; may begin as small bumps which can develop over a period of several weeks into larger sores/bumps; sores can be flesh colored, gray-white, yellow or pink; can cause itching or tenderness in the area	removal since it is easy for person to transmit infection to other areas of their body by touching sore then other area of skin	unsightly, can spread in swimming pools, hot tubs; no long term effect BUT can last from 2 weeks to 4 years -- the average is 2 years.
Scabies		parasite	parasite burrows under the skin and begins laying eggs within a few hours of infection and continues to lay 2 to 3 eggs daily; eggs hatch in 10 days and cycle continues	symptoms appear 4-6 weeks after infection and are usually brown nodules, rashes, or pimple-like irritations.	medicated creames and medications	infected bedding, clothing, furniture and carpeting must be cleaned to get rid of mite

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