Essay/Term paper: Sexually transmitted diseases

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Sex

Sexually Transmitted Diseases


Also called venereal diseases, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are
in a topic of their own and are higly contagious infections almost always
acuired during sexual contact. Bacteria, protozoans, or fungi that cause STDs
generally attack only certain portions of the body, including the genital tract.
They do not survive for long periods of time outside of the human body, and
transmission through things like clothing or toilet seats are extremely rare.
The transmision is rare because of the little survival time that the diseases
have outside of the body. The effects of STDs range from mild, annoying
symptoms to life-threatening illnesses that spread from the reproductive tract
to the entire body. The most serious diseases are AIDS, Syphilis, and Gonorrhea.
Chlamydia, the most common STD in the United State today, is not life
threatening but can have serious efects as it is a leading cause of sterility.
Less serious infections include herpes, chancroid, genital warts, cold sores,
and vaginitis. None of these diseases is caught entirely through sexual contact.
The sexual partners of a person with an STD are likely to be infected as well
and should be examined and tested for the disease.