Essay Example on Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Gonorrhea

Symptoms of gonorrhea in women include discharge from the vagina which may be watery, slightly green or yellow, or milky. A person can experience lower abdominal pain and burning sensation when passing urine. A woman can also have heavier periods than normal and experience pain during sexual intercourse.

In men, gonorrhea symptoms are manifested by increased frequency of urination, yellow, white, or green pus discharge from the penis, redness, and swelling of the penis, and swelling and burning sensation in the testicles. Treatment of gonorrhea can be treated using antibiotics, for instance, ceftriaxone and cefixime which are administered as an injection. The causative agent of gonorrhea is bacteria known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae which tends to infected moist and warm parts of the body such as the uterus, urethra, cervix, rectum and the throat.

Transmission of gonorrhea from one individual to another can be through unprotected sex.

Chlamydia

Signs and symptoms of Chlamydia in women

Women suffering from chlamydia can experience burning sensation when urinating, abnormal vaginal discharge which may have an odor, bleeding between periods, pain and bleeding during sex.

Signs and symptoms of Chlamydia in men

Men experience a burning sensation when passing urine, cloudy pus discharge from the head of the penis and, testicle pain and swelling.

Chlamydia can be treated using antibiotics such as azithromycin and doxycycline

Chlamydia trachomatis is the causative agent of chlamydia. Chlamydia can be passed from one individual to another through sexual contact.

Syphilis

Appearance of painless sores known as where syphilis bacteria entered the body. These sores can occur anywhere in the body. In women, they occur in the vulva, anus, and urethra while in men they appear on the penis, around the urethra, and the anus.

Painless red rash often is seen in the palm and the soles of the feet.

White patches can occur on the tongue or the roof of the mouth.

Other symptoms of syphilis are fatigue, headache, swollen nymph nodes, fevers, and hair loss patches.

If untreated syphilis can cause blindness, memory loss, deafness, mental illness, and neurological disorder.

Syphilis is easily treated with penicillin injection. Individuals who are allergic to penicillin can be treated with other antibiotics such as doxycycline, azithromycin, and ceftriaxone The causative agent of syphilis is a type of bacteria called Treponema pallidum.

Herpes

Appearance of sores around the genitalia which are often painless.

Burning sensation when urinating.

Vaginal pus discharge. Other symptoms of herpes are itching and swollen lymph node. There is no cure for herpes, but there are some drugs available for treatment of herpes for instance acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir:

Herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV).

TrichomoniasisSymptoms of trichomoniasis among women are vaginal discharge which has an unpleasant smell, swelling, and redness of the genital, burning sensation in the genitals, pain during sex and urination.

Symptoms of trichomoniasis in men are discharge from the urethra, a desire to urinate frequently, and burning sensation when urinating and after ejaculation. Trichomoniasis can be treated using antibiotics such as metronidazole and tinidazole. Trichomoniasis is caused by a protozoan known as Trichomonas vaginalis which can be spread through sexual contact.

Bacterial trichomoniasis

Thin and greyish abnormal vaginal discharge which has an unpleasant smell.

Pain during sex and urinating. Use of antibiotics to stop the growth or kill the bacteria. Bacterial trichomoniasis is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the vagina.

Reference

Mohanty, J., Das, K. B., & Mishra, C. (1995). Clinical profile of sexually transmitted diseases in Cuttack. Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology, 61(3), 143.