Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise: Should you worry? - Harvard Health Blog - Harvard Health
Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise: Should you worry? - Harvard Health Blog - Harvard Health |
| Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:00 AM PST  In 2018, the number of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reported in the United States reached an all-time high. This is worrisome for many reasons. Having an STI can raise risks for HIV, infertility, pregnancy complications, and infant death. Fortunately, all of these outcomes can be avoided if people receive appropriate treatment. What are STIs?STIs are illnesses caused by microorganisms passed between people during sex. An STI can affect anyone who is exposed to it. Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia are the most common bacterial infections. Trichomoniasis, a protozoan infection, is also diagnosed frequently in women (men who are affected almost never have symptoms). A number of viruses can be sexually transmitted, including herpes simplex virus (HSV), human papilloma virus (HPV), HIV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. What are the symptoms of an STI?New rashes on or near the genitals or elsewhere on the body, swollen lymph nodes, fevers, or discharge from the penis, vagina, or anus could all be signs of an STI. While many people who have STIs notice such symptoms, some STIs are asymptomatic and can only be identified by screening tests. For example, estimates suggest chlamydia affects close to three million Americans each year, yet symptoms may only occur in 5% to 30% of people. Other STIs, like Mycoplasma genitalium, may not cause symptoms and can be hard to diagnose. Why are sexually transmitted infections increasing?There are many reasons, including:
Who should be tested for STIs?If you think you might have symptoms of an STI or are concerned about recent sexual contacts, it's best to be tested. Additionally, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends routine screening in sexually active young women, men who have sex with men, and others at high risk for STIs, including anyone who has unsafe sex or shares needles or equipment used to inject drugs, including cottons and cookers. If you would like to be tested for STIs, this locator tool may help you find a testing site in your area. Some testing sites are free and confidential. What else should I know about STIs and testing?STIs can infect any mucosal tissue exposed to the infection, such as the throat, anus, rectum, and genitals. The CDC recommends checking men who have sex with men at all three sites because studies show this helps identify more infections. A recent study reviewed screening results from 2,627 women who came to a sexually transmitted diseases clinic in Rhode Island. Among women who chose to have a multisite screening test, researchers found that 19% of chlamydia and gonorrhea infections would have been missed with genital screening only. If you have unprotected sexual contact, STI testing should include
Keep in mind that STIs can also be spread by fingers and sex toys. A detailed sexual history is important to determine what sites need to be tested. What can I do to prevent infections?The best ways to prevent sexually transmitted infections are:
If you do have an STI, make sure you get appropriate treatment. Additionally, consider using expedited partner therapy, an approach where a person diagnosed with gonorrhea or chlamydia receives a prescription for antibiotics for their partner. This is allowed in most states and has been shown to prevent recurrent infections by decreasing the number of people who continue to have sex with an untreated partner. Where does all of this leave you?Sexually transmitted infections are preventable and treatable. Good sexual health requires talking to your partners and health care providers openly about your sexual practices, being tested at all relevant sites on the body and, if necessary, being treated promptly. For more information, see the CDC fact sheets on STIs or learn more from TheBody.com.  |
| Signs of STDs in men: Symptoms and when they appear - Medical News Today Posted: 20 Sep 2018 12:00 AM PDT  Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), or sexually transmitted infections (STIs), can affect anyone, but the signs and symptoms can be different for men and women. It is important that men are aware of the signs and symptoms of common STIs as they are less likely than women to get tests for these infections. With early treatment, people with STIs have an excellent outlook. In this article, we look at some of the most common STIs in men and discuss the signs and symptoms, prevention methods, and available treatment options. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people around the globe contract more than 1 million STIs every day. In some cases, an STI does not cause any visible symptoms, so it is possible to have one without knowing it. People can also mistake any symptoms that do develop for those of other conditions. Below, we discuss the most common STIs and the signs and symptoms that may occur in men. Chlamydia is a bacterial STI that a person with the infection can pass on by having anal, oral, or vaginal sex without a condom. Men can get chlamydia in the urethra, rectum, or throat. People refer to chlamydia as a "silent" infection because people are often unaware that they have it. The majority of chlamydia infections in men do not cause any symptoms, but some men can develop symptoms several weeks after infection. Common signs and symptoms of chlamydia in the urethra in men include:
Chlamydia infections in the rectum are less common, but they do occur. Although these infections usually have no symptoms, they can cause:
On rare occasions, chlamydia can infect the epididymis, which is the tube that carries sperm from the testicles to the vas deferens. This can cause:
Diagnosis Healthcare providers usually collect urine samples to test for chlamydia in men, but they may use a cotton swab to get a sample from the urethra instead. Treatment Curing chlamydia with oral antibiotics is relatively straightforward. Treatment consists of either a single dose or a 7-day course of an antibiotic. Repeat infections are common, so it is wise to get another test for chlamydia after completing treatment. Herpes is an infection with the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of herpes simplex virus that affect different parts of the body:
Many people who have herpes will not have any symptoms, and those who do may have a difficult time identifying them. Symptoms typically appear 2–12 days after infection. Sometimes herpes blisters are so mild that they can resemble insect bites, ingrown hairs, or razor burn. Common signs and symptoms of herpes in men include:
Diagnosis Healthcare providers can use the following tests to help diagnose herpes:
Treatment There is no cure for herpes, and people may experience recurrent outbreaks over time. Treatments focus on managing the symptoms and extending the time between outbreaks. Gonorrhea is an infection with the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Gonorrhea can affect the urethra, rectum, or throat. People can transmit these bacteria through vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom. Most men who have gonorrhea show no symptoms. When gonorrhea in the urethra does cause symptoms, these usually appear 1–14 days after infection. Common signs and symptoms of gonorrhea in men include:
Treatment Healthcare providers can treat gonorrhea with antibiotics. The CDC recommend dual therapy with ceftriaxone and azithromycin. Medication will stop the infection, but it will not repair any damage that the disease causes. Healthcare providers are becoming increasingly concerned about the rise of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, which will make successful treatment much more difficult, if not impossible. Bacteria are also responsible for syphilis, which people transmit through vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom. Men who have sex with men (MSM) have a higher risk of contracting syphilis. Almost 70 percent of primary and secondary syphilis diagnoses in 2017 were in MSM. Syphilis is also known as "The Great Pretender" because its symptoms can resemble those of other diseases. Symptoms usually appear 10–90 days after infection, with 21 days being the average. The symptoms of syphilis progress in stages known as primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary. Each stage has its own unique set of symptoms that can last for weeks, months, or even years. The symptoms of primary syphilis include:
Secondary syphilis can cause the following signs and symptoms:
The latent, or "hidden," stage of syphilis, during which there are no visible symptoms, can last for several years. Tertiary syphilis is very rare. It can cause severe health complications that affect multiple organ systems. The symptoms of tertiary syphilis include: Diagnosis Healthcare providers are likely to run blood tests or examine some of the fluid from a sore to check for syphilis. Treatment A healthcare provider may recommend an antibiotic called benzathine benzylpenicillin to treat primary, secondary, and early latent syphilis. People who are allergic to penicillin will need to use a different antibiotic, such as doxycycline or azithromycin. Although antibiotics will prevent the infection from progressing, they cannot repair any permanent damage resulting from the infection. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of related viruses, comprising more than 150 strains. HPV is one of the most common STIs. According to the CDC, HPV mainly affects people in their late teens and early 20s. Most men who contract HPV never develop symptoms, but some may notice symptoms several months or even years after the initial infection. The most common symptoms of HPV in men are warts in the mouth or throat and genital warts, which are small bumps around the penis or anus. Prevention HPV is unusual among STIs as there is a vaccine that can prevent it. In fact, there are two FDA-approved HPV vaccines, which are called Gardasil and Cervarix. These vaccines are effective against HPV types 16 and 18, which are high-risk strains because they are responsible for causing certain types of cancer. The CDC recommends that children aged 11 to 12 years old receive the HPV vaccine to protect them against complications of the infection. The CDC also recommends that older boys and men up to the age of 45 years get the HPV vaccine if they did not receive a vaccination when they were younger. Diagnosis At present, no routine screening is available to check men for HPV, and there are no reliable HPV tests. However, a healthcare provider may be able to make a diagnosis based on any genital warts that are present. Treatment Most cases of HPV resolve without treatment and do not cause any health complications. However, if HPV does not go away and a person does not receive treatment, it can cause health problems, including certain types of cancer. No treatment has received approval for HPV, but a person can treat the symptoms and complications. For example, men can use topical and oral medications to treat genital warts. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body's immune cells. HIV spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids, such as semen, vaginal fluids, and blood. Having sexual intercourse without a condom is the most common method of transmission. Many people who have HIV will experience flu-like symptoms within 2–6 weeks of infection. Common signs and symptoms of HIV in men are:
Other symptoms may include:
Treatment There is no cure for HIV, but healthcare providers can prescribe effective treatment to prevent symptoms, transmission, and progression to stage 3 HIV, which is also called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Healthcare providers use antiretroviral therapy (ART) to treat HIV. ART reduces the amount of HIV in the blood and other bodily fluids. When people take these medications according to the directions, they eliminate the risk of transmitting the disease to other people. When HIV is undetectable, it is not transmittable, meaning that it cannot pass from one person to another. With the treatments that are currently available, it is rare for HIV to develop into AIDS. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which often occurs due to a viral infection. One of the most common hepatitis viruses is the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV can spread between people in blood, semen, and other bodily fluids. Healthcare providers will classify an HBV infection as either acute, meaning that it is temporary and will last for a few weeks, or chronic, in which case it will be a severe and lifelong condition. Most people with hepatitis B do not show any symptoms, and those who do may mistake them for cold or flu symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they develop an average of 90 days after exposure to HBV. Hepatitis B signs and symptoms include:
Prevention Hepatitis B is preventable. As with HPV, there is a vaccination available that protects against hepatitis B. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommend at least three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine for all infants. Diagnosis Healthcare providers will look for signs of liver damage, such as jaundice. Some tests that can help diagnose hepatitis B include: Treatment There is currently no treatment available for acute hepatitis B. However, people can use medications for chronic hepatitis B, and scientists are developing new medications. People who have chronic hepatitis B will need regular medical checkups for signs of liver disease. Many men who contract an STI do not have any symptoms, which means that the actual number of STI cases is likely to be much higher than the number of cases that healthcare providers see. With treatment, men with STIs have a good outlook. However, infections can become chronic, lifelong conditions if they do not receive treatment. Men can prevent STIs by using condoms during sex. It is also possible to prevent some STIs with vaccinations. Men who are sexually active should ensure that they have tests for STIs. The early detection of these infections will allow quicker treatment and stop men from spreading infections to others.  |
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