Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are among the most common infections in the United States today, and the number of cases of STDs continues to increase dramatically worldwide. These are critical global and national health priorities because of the devastating impact on men, women, and infants, not to mention the interrelationships with HIV/AIDS. It is estimated that more than 19 million US citizens are affected by STDs each year (NIAID and CDC).

STDs are diseases that can be spread through intimate sexual contact (including have vaginal, oral, or anal sex) with someone who already has the disease. Researchers have identified over twenty different kinds of STDs, which can fall into two main groups:

Bacterial STDs- these diseases can be treated (and often cured) with antibiotics. Some common bacterial STDs include chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and syphilis (NICHD).

Viral STDs- These diseases, caused by viruses, can be controlled, but not cured. Someone who contracts a viral STD will always have it. Some common viral STDs include HIV/AIDS, genital herpes, genital warts, human papilloma virus (HPV), hepatitis B virus, and cytomegalovirus (NICHD).

Prevention

Understanding the basic facts about STDs—the ways in which they are spread, their common symptoms, and how they can be treated—is the first step toward preventing them. (NIAID) The surest way to avoid transmission, however, is to abstain from sexual intercourse all together, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested negative for STDs. For those whose sexual behaviors put them at risk for STDs, correct and consistent use of the male latex condom can reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of STD transmission. Incorrect use of condoms can lead to condom slippage or breakage and thus diminish their protective effect. Likewise, inconsistent use (failure to use condoms with every act of intercourse) can lead to STD transmission since transmission can occur with just a single act of intercourse with an infected partner (CDC).

In June 2000, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), convened a workshop to evaluate the published evidence establishing the effectiveness of latex male condoms in preventing STDs, including HIV. A summary report from that workshop was completed in July 2001, which stated, “Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In addition, correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including discharge and genital ulcer diseases. While the effect of condoms in preventing human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is unknown, condom use has been associated with a lower rate of cervical cancer, an HPV-associated disease” (CDC).

Transmission

There are two primary ways that STDs can be transmitted. HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis (sometimes referred to as the “discharge diseases”) are transmitted when infected semen or vaginal fluids contact mucosal surfaces such as the male urethra, vagina, or cervix. In contrast, “genital ulcer diseases” such as herpes, syphilis, and HPV are primarily transmitted through contact with infected skin or mucosal surfaces (CDC).

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that male latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of STD pathogens. However, it must be noted that condoms provide different levels of protection for different STDs. Because condoms block the discharge of semen or protect the male urethra against exposure to vaginal secretions, a greater level of protection is provided for the discharge diseases. Less protection is provided for the genital ulcer diseases because these infections can be transmitted by exposure to areas that are not covered by the condom (CDC).

Continuing Research

In addition, epidemiologic studies have also been conducted to measure the protective effect of condoms by comparing the rates of STDs between condom-using populations and non-using populations in real-life settings. Such studies have demonstrated that as condom use increases within a population, the rates of STDs decline within that group (CDC). While these studies are helpful to our understanding of condom use and STDs, researchers are continuously looking for methods to diagnose, treat, and prevent STDs (NIAID).

You can find out more about STDs, their symptoms, and their treatments by contacting the National STD Hotline, supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You can also call the Hotline at 1-800-227-8922. The CDC also supports the National Center for HIV, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention, which offers information on STDs (NICHD).

References:

Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Infections (STDs and STIs) and HIV/AIDS Research. Retrieved September 4, 2008, from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Web Site: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/womenshealth/research/disorders/stdhiv.cfm.

Sexually Transmitted Infections. Retrieved September 4, 2008, from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases (NIAID) Web Site: http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/sti/

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. Retrieved August 28, 2008, from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web Site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/.