STDs

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STDs

"In the United States, more than 65 million people are currently living with an incurable STD. An additional 19 million people become infected each year."
—Center for Disease Control

History of STDs
Pre 1960's:	Syphilis and Gonorrhea were the only major STDs
1976:	Chlamydia first recognized
1981:	AIDS identified
1982:	Herpes became very prevalent
1992:	PID or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease recognized
1996:	HPV or Human Papilloma Virus recognized as the cause of 90% of all cervical cancer, and is the reason for yearly PAP smears.
1980-present:	8 NEW diseases identified including HIV

* It is important to note that this is not just a case of medical science diagnosing what has existed all along. These are NEW diseases, caused by sexual activity with multiple partners. Viruses continue to mutate and multiply, all the while becoming more resistant to treatment.

The Most Common Sexually Transmitted Diseases

There are over 30 common STDs. Click here to see a chart of the most common including symptoms, damage and current number of people infected.

Exposure Chart

Click here to view.

How common are STDS in pregnant women in the united States?*

Some STDs, such as genital herpes and bacterial vaginosis, are quite common in pregnant women in the United States. Other STDs, notably HIV and syphilis, are much less common in pregnant women. The table below shows the estimated number of pregnant women in the United States who are infected with specific STDs each year.

STDs	Estimated Number of Pregnant Women
Bacterial vaginosis	1,080,000
Herpes simplex virus 2	880,000
Chlamydia	100,000
Trichomoniasis	124,000
Gonorrhea	13,200
Hepatitis B	16,000
HIV	6,400
Syphilis	<1 ,000

The harmful effects of STDs in babies may include stillbirth (a baby that is born dead), low birth weight (less than five pounds), conjunctivitis (eye infection), pneumonia, neonatal sepsis (infection in the baby’s blood stream), neurologic damage, blindness, deafness, acute hepatitis, meningitis, chronic liver disease, and cirrhosis. Most of these problems can be prevented if the mother receives routine prenatal care, which includes screening tests for STDs starting early in pregnancy and repeated close to delivery, if necessary. Other problems can be treated if the infection is found at birth.

*Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prevention

Abstaining from sex is the only way to be 100 percent confident of avoiding STD infection.

Prevention through avoiding exposure is the best strategy for controlling the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Proper use of condoms with each act of sexual intercourse can reduce, but not eliminate, risk of STDs.
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

Condoms provide the best (though not complete) protection against HIV and Gonorrhea. They are less effective protecting against Herpes type 2 and Chlamydia. Condoms provide little protection against bacterial vaginosis and HPV (the most common STD).
(Cates, W. Jr & Stone, K.M. (1992, March/April). Family Planning, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Contraceptive Choice: A Literature Update- Part I. Family Planning Perspectives, 24(2), 75-84)

Condoms must be used consistently and correctly each time to protect against infection.