This document contains information about various sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including symptoms, transmission methods, treatments, and effects. It discusses gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, genital warts, hepatitis B, pubic lice, HIV/AIDS, and provides general information about abstinence and safe sex practices.

1. Chapter 9

2.  Other Names – Syph, Bad
Blood, The Pox
 Transmission: Vaginal sex,
anal sex, oral sex, skin-to-skin
contact w/ infected areas of
open sores or rashes.
 Treatment: Cured w/
antibiotics
 Effects: Heart disease,
blindness, crippling, insanity,
brain damage, & severe illness
or death of newborns

3.  Symptoms:
 Primary Stage: Painless sore at site of entry of germ (sex
organ or mouth); swollen glands
 Secondary Stage: (1 wk. – 6 mos. after chancre) Rash on
palms of hands & soles of feet or over entire body;
patchy hair loss; sore throat; swollen, painful joints
 Primary & Secondary symptoms will go away even w/o
treatment; but the germs continue to spread throughout
body.
 Latent Stage: (5-20 yrs.) no outward signs, but bacteria
may be invading inner organs including the heart and
brain.

5.  Other Names: GC, The Clap, Drip
 Transmission: vaginal sex, anal sex,
oral sex, via hand moistened w/
infected secretions & placed in
contact w/ eyes
 Treatment: Cured w/ antibiotics
(penicillin)
 Effects: Sterility; blindness; PID –
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; eye
damage in newborns (acquired from
mother’s vagina during childbirth)

6.  Genitals, anus, throat & eyes can be infected.
 Males: burning urination & pus discharge from penis;
testicle pain
 Female: thick vaginal discharge; anal irritation;
inflamed, reddened cervix
 Both: mucous discharge from anus; blood & pus in feces;
sore throat; vomiting; fever; rash

8.  Transmission: vaginal sex, anal sex, via hand
moistened w/ infected secretions & placed in contact
w/ mucous membranes
 Treatment: Curable w/ antibiotics (tetracycline)
 Effects: sterility; premature & still births; infant
pneumonia & eye infections which can lead to
blindness; infertility

9.  Symptoms: Tend to develop
slowly & are often mild.
 Females: slight vaginal
discharge; itching & burning
of vagina; painful intercourse;
abdominal pain; fever in later
stages
 Males: discharge from penis;
burning & itching at urethral
opening; burning sensation
during urination

11.  Other Names: herpes simplex virus type 2
 Transmission: vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex, skin-to-
skin contact with infected areas
 Treatment: No cure; drugs available which lessen the
effects
 Effects: Can be fatal to infants; women w/ HSV may
have a greater risk of developing cervical cancer

12.  Symptoms: Type I is found above the waist & type II is
below.
 Type I – cold sores or fever blisters on lips, face, & mouth
 Type II – painful blisters or sores on the genitals &
rectum that break, crust over, & heal in 2-4 weeks

14.  Symptoms: warty growths around
genital & anal area
 Transmission: vaginal sex, anal sex, oral
sex, skin-to-skin contact w/ infected
areas
 Treatment: medication applied to
warts, freezing or laser therapy, or
surgical removal
 Effects: discomfort; can grow to large
size & obstruct vagina, urethra, or anus;
can be transmitted to infant during
birth

16.  Symptoms: nausea, fever, loss of appetite, dark “cola-
colored” urine, abdominal pain, jaundice (yellow eyes
& skin)
 Transmission: anal sex, vaginal sex, oral sex, shared
drug needles, biting, scratching
 Treatment: No cure; most persons recover within 6-8
weeks. Bed rest & good nutrition; vaccine available for
high risk people.
 Effects: severe illness, liver damage; death; premature
birth or spontaneous abortion

18.  Other Names: Crabs, cooties
 Symptoms: intense itching; freckle-like marks or nits
(eggs) in pubic hair
 Transmission: body-to-body contact, unclean
toilets, infested bedding or clothing
 Treatment: cured w/ special creams, lotions, or
shampoos that can be bought at a drugstore
 Effects: None.

20.  Breaks down body’s immune system & lowers its
resistance to infection.
 Can you get AIDS from having your ears pierced?
 Can you get AIDS from mosquito's?
 Can you get AIDS from hold hands, sharing a
drinking glass, or somebody’s sweat?

21.  # of teens w/ HIV has more than doubled since 1989
 AIDS is the 6th leading cause of death for people ages
15-24
 65% of all people with AIDS are in their 20’s, w/ the
disease probably contracted during their teens
 37% of all teens diagnosed w/ AIDS are female
 ½ of all hemophiliacs have AIDS
 8.2-10 years average incubation period
 1,204 w/ AIDS in Indiana; 769 have died (1995)

22.  Unprotected sexual intercourse w/ infected person
 Blood transfusions w/ contaminated blood or blood
products
 Sharing contaminated drug needles
 Prenatal transmission --- infected mother to her child
 If baby is infected, life expectancy is 24 months.

23.  Swollen glands in neck, armpit, & groin
 Weight loss of 10 lbs. or more w/o dieting
 High fevers or night sweats
 Dry cough (not from smoking)
 Persistent diarrhea
 Unexplained fatigue
 White spots (thrush) in mouth or throat
 Unexplained blotches on skin
 All these symptoms tend to last a long time &
gradually get worse.

24.  HIV – human immunodeficiency virus; causes AIDS.
 Treatment
 No cure at the present time for AIDS
 No vaccines for prevention of AIDS
 Medications AZT & DDI help many infected people live
longer.
 AIDS test is $45 at most Hospitals

25.  Not spread by dry kissing. (AIDS virus can be in saliva;
but no documented cases of people who got AIDS by
mouth-to-mouth kissing.)
 Not spread through casual contact.
 Not spread by sneezes, clothing, or bedding.
 Animals are not AIDS carriers.
 Condoms are not foolproof, but help.

28.  The number of adults living alone is increasing in our
society.
 Pregnancy can occur the first time sexual intercourse
takes place.
 Compared to older women, teenage mothers are twice
as likely to have low birth-weight babies or premature
babies.
 In an adoption, the birthparents get to meet or know
the adoptive parents.
 Once you have been cured of an STD, you can get it
again.

29.  Abstinence is the only guaranteed effective means of
preventing pregnancy and the most effective means of
avoiding STD’s.
 Today, most teenage girls who become pregnant do not
marry the person who fathered the child.
 Using a condom does not guarantee that sex will be
safe.
 If an unmarried couple was living together and one
died, social security benefits would not be paid to the
surviving partner.

30.  Lifestyles – A set of behaviors adopted by person
choice.
 Married couples who choose not to have children often
view parenthood as a difficult and demanding task.
 In an agency adoption, a counselor works with the
pregnant mother to help her with her problems and
concerns.
 An adoption in which the birthparents go through the
legal process of placing their baby directly with a
family they have selected is called an open or
independent adoption.