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STDs are the short form of sexually transmitted diseases. STDs are also referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the beginning.
Specifically, STDs refer to those diseases or infections that get transferred from one individual to another through sexual contact.
These diseases are spread through oral, vaginal, or anal sex. Though, occasionally they can be transmitted by close physical contact.
Usually, the common types of STDs for men include:
The common types of STDs for women include:
Often, men and women don’t experience the symptoms of STDs for a long time.
When they do experience STDs symptoms, they manifest in different ways for both of them. So, let’s discuss their symptoms separately.
An STI lies at the root of all STDs causes. These infections are typically caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites and spread when bodily fluids are exchanged during sexual intercourse.
Sometimes, these infections can also spread through skin-to-skin contact. For instance, genital warts and herpes are STIs spread through skin-to-skin contact.
Besides this, certain infections (hepatitis B) can also spread due to sharing personal items such as razors, toothbrushes, etc.
Many times, an STI usually goes away on its own. However, when it doesn’t, the pathogens which caused it in the first place can end up harming your body cells and impairing their activities.
At this stage, symptoms start appearing for most people, and the infection becomes a disease.
Other than these causes, some risk factors, such as the ones mentioned below, can also cause you to have STDs:
To check for the diagnosis of STDs, you should go to a general practitioner or, even better, to an experienced gynaecologists.
For the diagnosis, a gynaecologist will ask you about your sexual history in detail and check your health history.
During this time, you may feel a bit hesitant to share details. That’s completely fine. Take your time and remember to be as honest as possible while giving the details about your sexual history.
The gynaecologist will also recommend that you undergo the following tests:
STDs caused by bacteria can be treated easily, while STDs caused by viruses can be managed but not completely cured.
Usually, the treatment for STDs involves:
Sexually transmitted diseases caused by bacteria and parasites, such as Gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis, trichomoniasis, etc., can often be cured with a single dose of antibiotics.
Gonorrhoea and chlamydia are typically treated together because these two STDs frequently co-occur.
For antibiotic treatment to be effective, you must complete the course of the treatment. Moreover, you must refrain from having sex for a week after the treatment is over to avoid getting reinfected.
Antiviral drugs are prescribed to manage STDs like HIV or herpes.
However, antivirals cannot completely treat HIV or herpes. They can only lower their risk to your health and reduce your chances of spreading it to others.
Having said that, the effectiveness of HIV treatment increases with time. It is possible to lower the viral load in the blood to the point where it is hardly detectable if you take your drugs exactly as prescribed.
Additionally, if you take suppressive therapy daily along with prescribed antiviral medication, you will see fewer herpes recurrences.
The above STD treatments are very effective. But just in case they fail to treat STDs, the last resort for treatment remains surgery or abstinence from sex.
If you are sexually active, it can be tricky for you to avoid contracting STDs. Fortunately, some methods of preventing STDs still exist.
For STD prevention, you can keep the following in mind:
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) usually spread through bodily fluids during sexual intercourse. Sometimes, they can spread through other kinds of skin contact and even through sharing personal things.
If you experience symptoms like unusual penile or vaginal discharge, vaginal itching, swelling up of testicles, etc., you should immediately reach out to a gynaecologist and not hesitate to talk about it.
The experienced gynaecologists at the CK Birla Hospital understand what you are going through and emphatically try to discuss and diagnose STDs through state-of-the-art tests. We also prescribe personalized treatments for you.
For comprehensive STDs diagnosis and treatment, visit the CK Birla Hospital or book an appointment with Dr. Deepika Aggarwal.
FAQs
Q. Who gets STDs more: men or women?
Ans. Women get STDs more than men because a women’s vagina lining is more delicate and vulnerable and thus easily penetrable by bacteria and viruses.
Another reason is that more women are getting intrauterine devices implanted to avoid pregnancy. However, these devices don’t shield or prevent them from getting STDs.
Q. Are STDs worse for men or women?
Ans. Since women are more susceptible to STDs than men, STDs for women are far worse than for men. With STDs, women need to deal with their long-term effects and the serious health consequences they impose even after treatment.
Q. What STDs can a guy get from a girl?
Ans. The STDs that a guy can get from a girl are chlamydia, herpes, Gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV, etc.
Q. Do STDs go away on their own?
Ans. Some STDs do go away on their own with time. However, some don’t go away by themselves and require treatment.
Q. Which STD causes death?
Ans. STDs like syphilis, HIV, human papillomavirus, and hepatitis B can cause death if you don’t seek treatment in time.
