Symptoms of STDs

Sexually transmitted diseases are rapidly on the rise. Unprotected sex is a major reason for this. STDs are bacterial, viral or fungal infections that affect men and women, and may or may not show any easily distinguishable signs or symptoms. But if you have a doubt, then it is better to get an expert's opinion before deciding for yourself. Given below are some STDs and their symptoms that you can read about.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Read about different sexually transmitted diseases and the STD signs and symptoms that they may have.

Gonorrhoeae
Gonorrhoeae is a bacterial infection. It is caused by the bacteria named Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It can be transmitted only through sexual contact because this bacteria can survive in the air only for a few seconds. It can affect both men and women during oral, vaginal or anal sex. The symptoms in men having gonorrhea are as follows.

Men	Women
Discharge from the penis - white/yellow	Discharge from the vagina - white/yellow/green
Experiencing a burning sensation during urination	Experiencing pain or burning during urination
Anal discharge/irritation	Anal discharge/irritation
Blood being discharged from the penis	Severe pain during intercourse

Chlamydia
Chlamydia is another sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is caused due to bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. Not all people experience the symptoms for the STD Chlamydia. Though it is a curable STD, it becomes difficult to gauge if the person actually has it or not because it has very vague symptoms of an STD. When they occur, they are as follows,

Men	Women
Discharge from the penis - white and waterish	Discharge from the vagina - mucus like
Experiencing a burning sensation during urination	Experiencing pain in the abdomen
Red/sore tip of penis	Bleeding even when not menstruating
Itching, burning of testicles	Pain/burning during urination

Syphilis
Syphilis is an infectious disease which is caused by a bacterium. This bacteria is called Treponema Pallidum. It progresses slowly and hence is slightly difficult to diagnose. It has stages in which it evolves and the initial stages are very infectious, and if diagnosed should be treated at once to avoid further infections to others. These are the symptoms in women and men for syphilis.

First stage

Men	Women
Painless ulcers on the penis	Painless ulcers on the vulva and cervix
Chancres near mouth and anus	Chancres near mouth and anus

Second Stage

Men	Women
Rash on skin in the palms and under feet	Rash on skin in the palms and under feet
Swelling up of the lymph node	Nose, mouth and vagina develop white patches
Mouth, nose and genitals develop sores	Patchy hair loss

Tertiary Stage

Men	Women
Pain in bones and unhealed ulcers	Large nodules (gumma) sprout up in the body
Liver disease and anemia	Heart problems and possible brain infection
Nervous disorders	Eyes and ears get affected, can lead to deafness.

*The tertiary stage is not the third stage in syphilis. A latent stage comes between the second and tertiary stages, which exhibits no STD symptoms.

HIV-AIDS
HIV-AIDS is the most serious of all the STDs, not just because it is incurable and fatal, but because its symptoms do not manifest themselves until a long time has passed, by which time the virus that causes it, spreads throughout the body of the person. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a deadly virus that will break down the immune system of the person it enters. It spreads rapidly, and a major method of entering one's body is through the fluids released during sexual intercourse. It has the following symptoms in both men and women.

• Weight loss
• Regular headaches
• Fever
• Tiredness
• Being out of breath
• Severe diarrhea
• Recurring night sweats
• Spots and marks on face, around the mouth
• Swelling up of lymph glands

These were STD symptoms of some common STIs. If you think you have any of these symptoms for STD, visit a doctor immediately. And if you're diagnosed with any, make it a point to inform your partner, so that he/she can get tested for the infection too. However cliché this may sound, prevention IS better than cure, so do not engage in unprotected sex. The number of people falling prey to STDs is increasing and you can do your bit for your own sexual health by taking simple precautionary measures.