Sexually Transmitted Infections And Diseases In Women

Introduction

Life is often considered not to be fair, and this is especially true when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially for women.

We may wonder why they occur at all, but it’s nothing more of the hordes of micro-organisms that hijack our bodies’ resources so they can live and reproduce themselves.

Except that, unlike other bacterial, viral and fungal infections, they have evolved to use our sexual activity as the primary vector.

And that’s an incredibly effective strategy, of course, because that mode is not likely to disappear any time soon!

The unfairness can be especially so for women – some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are more easily acquired by women, and some have more impacts if they develop into an STD.

If you are unsure what the difference between a Sexually Transmitted Infection and a Sexually Transmitted Disease is, this guide will help you understand the difference, and why it is necessary to differentiate between the two.

There is detailed information on specific STIs and STDs, as well as answers to many questions about them, both specifically and generally.

Knowledge is power, and this is profoundly true when it comes to your sexual health, and learning how to protect yourself from the dangers that can be faced.

What Are STDs And What Are STIs?

Let’s actually talk about STDs and STIs, and put an end to the recent confusion between the two.

Here’s what you need to know – while both terms have been used interchangeably, the biggest idea behind the newer term, STIs, is to break the stigma of having a sex-related “disease”.

Think back to the first time you heard the term STD. Probably in elementary or even middle school, right? Maybe it was right around the time of the Sex-Ed class many of us had to endure.

Regardless, the word “disease” probably threw you for a loop. It’s the equivalent of grade school cooties.

And it’s because of this type of stigma that the terms have taken on separate meanings.

What’s The Difference?

You can have an STI and an STD at the same time, or you can have an STI and STD independent of one another – but in most cases, the STI was contracted first.

And just because you have an STI doe snot mean you’ll end up with an STD.

Clear as mud?

The difference is actually very simple, and basically a spin on terminology. Those with an STI may or may not have symptoms while they are “infected”, and the infection may or may not develop into an actual disease.

In short, the medical community wants the general public to understand that not all infections turn into diseases, thus the terminology should denote the same.

What Are Sexually Transmitted Infections?

Think bacterial and viral infections when you’re trying to discern between STIs versus STDs.

There might be symptoms, but it could also be present without you knowing a thing; which is why testing is so incredibly important!

Chlamydia, genital warts, gonorrhoea, HPV (human papillomavirus), and pubic lice are all examples of STIs.

It might take a round of antibiotics or medicated shampoo to get rid of the infection, but the effects aren’t long-lasting – other than a hit to your ego, of course, which might last a bit longer.

The main thing to remember about STIs is they can easily spread to sexual partners!

Testing and treatment is therefore crucial not only for your own sake, but for the sake of others as well.

What Are Sexually Transmitted Diseases?

Because of the terminology transition from infection to disease, the word “disease” actually carries even more weight now, as it should.

STDs are often a direct result of an undiagnosed or untreated STI.

For instance, chlamydia is an STI which can be present even without symptoms. Left untreated, chlamydia can lead to PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) and even infertility.

The same is true for gonorrhoea.

Also, HPV is clearly a virus, so if cervical cancer is developed from HPV, the sexually transmitted infection of HPV has morphed into a much more serious disease.

The big takeaway here is that STDs are serious and could often be prevented had an STI been taken care of properly.

Knowledge Is Power!

Sexual contact can be vaginal, anal, or oral – but there’s no discrimination, because if you touch it, you can get an infection from it.

If you engage in any sexual contact, don’t think for a second you are exempt from contracting an infection or disease.

Women specifically, it’s way past time to take control of your sexual health.

Men aren’t off the hook, of course, but according to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), the reported cases of HPV in women far outweigh those in men.

What’s more, because there are more than 40 types of HPV, almost everybody will have it at one time or another in their lifetime and not even know it.

Sometimes it goes away on its own, and sometimes it needs treatment.

Other common STIs in women are chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and genital herpes.

Ladies, if you notice something a little wonky in your girly-bits, go get checked out. This might be anything from changes in urination to pain during sex – they all warrant an examination.

Of course, the annual exam isn’t something anybody looks forward to, but don’t delay it. Don’t make excuses – your health and wellness could very well depend on the results.

Chlamydia – Causes, Symptoms And Treatments

The cold, hard truth is that unprotected sexual activities put you at risk of STIs.

Chlamydia is one of the most prevalent STIs and, when left untreated, it can lead to serious consequences.

Ladies, don’t let ignorance keep you in the dark about chlamydia, or any other STD, for that matter.

And we aren’t only talking about the traditional, old-school male with female, penis-penetrating-vagina type of sex – we are talking ALL THINGS SEXUAL where an infected person’s sexual fluid comes in contact with a mucous membrane of another.

How Chlamydia Is Spread

Let’s break that down a little further.

Mucous membranes are areas of the body on the inside that lead to places covered with skin. As an example, your eyelids.

The outside of your eyelids is skin, but the inside is a mucous membrane. Similarly, the nose and throat are mucous membranes.

Now, add the vagina, the head of the penis, and the anus to the list.

The key is, a sex fluid must be involved and/or transmitted for there to be any risk – which means kissing alone isn’t a risk factor.

It should all be adding up now, but just in case the picture isn’t fully clear yet, we will dive even further into how the mucous membranes are culprits in the realm of sexually transmitted infections.

Here are some scenarios on how the transfer actually happens with chlamydia:

• Uninfected vagina meets infected penis, anus, or mouth.
• Uninfected penis meets infected vagina, anus, or mouth.
• Uninfected anus meets infected penis, and vice versa.
• Uninfected mouth meets infected penis, vagina, or anus.

It doesn’t matter what combination or how you spin it, chlamydia spreads like wildfire – and all it takes is a little of the bacteria to come in contact with a mucous membrane.

Here’s an additional tidbit that will probably blow your mind – fingers and sex toys are in the line-up as well.

Finger manipulation of an infected partner can spread chlamydia to any other mucous membrane touched, and the same applies to sex toys.

How Do You Know If You Have Chlamydia?

The frightening truth is, you may not know. According to the CDC, the majority of people who have chlamydia have zero symptomatology.

For this reason alone, testing is recommended whenever there is a new partner or if your partner may have had other partners.

Remember the old saying, “You didn’t just have sex with one person; you just had sex with every person that person has had sex with, and every person they have had sex with“?

Common Symptoms Of Chlamydia In Women

If there is symptomatology, it may be present in any of the following forms:

• Abdominal pain with fever
• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Bleeding between periods
• Changes in urination such as frequent urination, burning with urination, or hesitancy to start urinating
• Rectal bleeding, discharge, or pain
• Symptoms similar to strep throat; sore throat, white bumps on tongue and mouth, fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, etc.
• Unexplained sores/lesions in or around the mouth, vagina, or anus.
• Vaginal itching

Diagnosing And Treating Chlamydia

So far, this has all probably been devastatingly bad news for the majority of sexually active women, but this is a new age where women are no longer held to the “barefoot and pregnant” standards of long ago.

The good news is the incubation period is pretty quick with chlamydia – 24 hours to five days.

This means if you’ve done the sex-fluid swap with somebody who is infected, your best bet for accurate testing would be after 5 days to avoid the chances of a false negative test.

Testing is easy and painless – a simple urine test is usually the first step, but sometimes a swab of the area exhibiting symptoms is necessary just to be absolutely positive. And if you’re experiencing throat symptoms, a throat swab is in order.

Likewise, if your private parts are giving you a reason for concern, a swab of the vaginal area would be taken.

If the test is positive, in most cases, a round of antibiotics will wipe the slate clean, but you should follow that up with retesting in a few weeks for confirmation!

Please, Please, Please Be Responsible

Receiving news you have cleared the follow-up retest isn’t the last step, because if you’ve been infected, it’s imperative you contact your sex partner(s) and inform them of their need to be tested. It’s the responsible thing to do.

Sure, the conversation might be a little uncomfortable, but use this as a lesson:

• a lesson to always use protection if you or your partner aren’t monogamous.
• a lesson that sexual health isn’t just about having a healthy sex life.

And lastly, if your partner tells you they have chlamydia and you probably need to be tested, try your best to avoid shaming them or pointing blame. Both of you were involved in the horizontal shuffle and that means both of you are responsible.

Help break the stigma attached to sexual health!

Genital Herpes – Causes, Symptoms And Treatments

The bad news? It’s incurable.

The good news? The symptoms of genital herpes are treatable.

Having sexual contact can be terrifying these days.

It goes without saying, the only 100% tried and true way to avoid any and all STIs is with abstinence – but what fun is that?

There are two basic types of herpes:

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