You Might Have an STD and Not Know It

Many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) don't show up for a long time, or do not present symptoms to the naked eye. If you have gonorrhea and are a male, it will show up as dripping, oozing. But in women the symptoms are often confused with signs of a bladder infection. Chlamydia, may not have any symptoms at all. They are often not apparent in the mail organ. They may only show up later in the female when the disease has already messed with her internal organs to the point where she may not be able to bear children.

Here, according to webmd.com is a look at the six most common STDs, including a brief summary of specific symptoms and how the diseases are treated.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is the most frequently reported and fastest growing sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Still, most cases go undiagnosed.

Symptoms: Often, people with chlamydia experience no symptoms; those who do may notice abnormal vaginal discharge, discharge from the tip of the penis or burning when urinating, and spotting between periods.

Time until symptoms show up: If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1-3 weeks of exposure.

How you get it: Chlamydia can be transmitted through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It can also be passed from mother to baby during vaginal birth.

Consequences if left untreated: The disease can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is not easily cured. PID can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes and uterus, resulting in chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and the potential of fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus). It can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth. Up to 40 percent of women with untreated Chlamydia infections develop PID, and up to 20 percent of those may become infertile.

Untreated infections in men can lead to epididymitis, an inflammation of the coiled tubes in the back of the testicles. This can result in testicular swelling, pain, and even infertility.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States, but like chlamydia, it is under-diagnosed.

Symptoms: Symptoms are usually mild and can be mistaken for a bladder infection. They can include pain or burning during urination, yellowish or bloody vaginal/penile discharge, abdominal pain or tenderness, heavier menstrual flow, and spotting between periods.

Time until symptoms show up: On the rare occasions when symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 10 days of infection.

How you get it: Gonorrhea is transmitted through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It can also be passed from mother to baby during vaginal birth.

Consequences: Gonorrhea can lead to PID, chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and infections that can damage joints and heart tissue. Gonorrhea can also increase your risk of acquiring HIV if you are exposed to the virus.

Genital herpes

Herpes symptoms can come and go, but the virus remains in the nerve cells of your body even when you are not exhibiting signs.

Symptoms: Many people will have no sores or minimal symptoms. But during an outbreak, women with genital herpes may experience small red bumps, blisters, or open sores on areas near or on the vagina along with vaginal discharge, fever, headaches, muscle aches, pain during urination, and itching, burning, or swollen glands in the genital area. Sores heal after 2-4 weeks, and most symptoms are relieved. Symptoms can recur, however, sometimes in just weeks or months after the last outbreak, particularly when you are under stress.

Male herpes symptoms usually begin with an itching or tingling sensation in the genital location. Following this first warning sign, the infected area may become swollen, eventually producing red bumps on the penis, anus or buttocks. These red bumps will gradually turn to blisters, and then into more painful, open sores. The healing process begins once these open sores begin to scab over.

Time until symptoms show up: Symptoms usually start within 2 weeks of transmission.

How you get it: Herpes is frequently passed through sexual contact, and it is particularly contagious during an outbreak of open sores. But if your sex partner has the condition, be aware that you can also contract herpes in the days and hours before your partner experiences a breakout if you are intimate during this time.

Consequences: There is no cure for genital herpes, since the virus will always be in your body, hiding out in your nerve cells. But there are drugs that can shorten outbreaks, make them less severe, or even prevent them from occurring.Pregnant women can pass the virus on to their children during delivery. Herpes infections present during birth are one of the leading causes of blindness in newborns.

Genital warts

According to Webmd.com, "At least half of sexually active Americans will contract genital Human Papilloma Virus (warts) at some point in their lives. Out of the 100 or so strains of the virus, there are about 40 strains of genital HPV, and fewer still are linked to an increased risk of cervical cancer. Other HPV-related cancers include vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, penile cancer, and anal cancer."

Symptoms: Some women have no symptoms. Those who do may have warts in the genital area or on the inner thighs and lesions on the cervix or in the vagina. Some strains that cause no symptoms can also increase the risk of cervical cancer.

Time until symptoms show up: When warts appear, they can form anywhere from weeks to months to even years after contact with an infected person.

How you get them: Sexually transmitted strains of HPV are passed through vaginal, anal, and possibly oral sex. They can also be spread by direct skin-to-skin contact in the genital area.

Consequences: There is no treatment or cure for HPV, although a new vaccine to prevent HPV infection is now available. The vaccine is approved for girls and women age 9 to 26 years. The vaccine prevents transmission of four strains of the virus. These strains are responsible for 70 percent of all cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts.

Trichomoniasis

Also called "trich," trichomoniasis is caused by a parasite that can be passed during sexual contact.

Symptoms: Symptoms include strong-smelling yellow, green, or gray vaginal discharge, discomfort while urinating, pain during intercourse, and an itchy, irritated genital area. Men usually exhibit no symptoms of trichomoniasis. The parasites that cause the infection stays well inside the urinary tract, making symptoms rare and diagnosis difficult. About 40% of men will experience mild symptoms. If you are male and have trich you may feel a tingling sensation inside your penis accompanied with painful urination and ejaculation. Your penis may also produce a thin, white discharge. Your symptoms will probably go away on their own within a couple of weeks. This does not mean that you are no longer infectious. You will still be able to spread trichomoniasis to your sexual partners.

Time until symptoms show up: Symptoms usually appear 5 to 28 days after exposure.

How you get it: The parasite that causes trichomoniasis is usually passed sexually, either from penis to vagina or from vulva to vulva. Trichomoniasis can also be contracted by genital contact with damp or moist objects like towels, wet clothing, or toilet seats. The trichomoniasis parasite can live outside the body for up to 45 minutes.

Consequences: Trichomoniasis increases your chance of getting HIV. Babies born to mothers with trichomoniasis may be born early or weigh less than 5.5 pounds at birth.

HIV/AIDS

Between 1999 and 2003, the estimated number of AIDS cases increased 15 percent among women and only 1 percent among men, according to a report from the CDC. In 2006, a quarter of persons infected with HIV were women. About 21% of people infected with HIV in the US have not been diagnosed.

Symptoms: Many people will not have symptoms for many years. Symptoms may include extreme tiredness; rapid weight loss; fevers and night sweats; long-lasting infections; diarrhea; swollen glands; coughing; oral and vaginal yeast infections; pelvic inflammatory disease (PID); menstrual cycle changes; red, brown, or purplish blotches on the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids.

Time until symptoms show up: Symptoms may stay dormant for 10 years or more.

How you get it: HIV/AIDS is transmitted through sexual intercourse (oral, anal, or vaginal), receiving a blood transfusion with infected blood, or sharing needles with an HIV-infected person. Women can also pass on HIV to their children during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.

Consequences: There is no known cure for HIV/AIDS, but there are medicines that can slow the disease's progress. HIV can weaken the immune system, making one more vulnerable to infections. HIV disease can progress to AIDS, which can kill you.

Know each other, know yourself
As much as sex is sold and obsessed about in the world, the dark underbelly is exposed in the number of people who die each year. That blissful one night stand when you were too entranced by the mood and the chemicals swimming in your brain to get down and look at your partner's genitals, could result in permanent disease or death. This is a terrible price to pay for some moments of orgasmic pleasure.

But even if you do play Inspector Clousea and decide to give your partner's genitals a thorough examination, some of the above diseases don't show up anyway. How are you going to know if a male is carrying chlamydia? How will you know if a woman has genital warts if they are up inside her and you can't see that far up?

This is why it is important to know your sex partner well and to be in a relationship of trust with them. It's a dangerous jungle out there. A few moments of sexual satisfaction are not worth dying for.