STI 101 (Sex Ed. Basics): Online

Sexually Transmitted Infections and Diseases

STI’s and STD’s are terms that are often talked about in health class through school and home. It’s important to know about these so that you know how to avoid them as well. This lesson will look at the differences between viruses and bacteria; as well as some simple terms regarding sex.

The differences between an infection and disease are very subtle. An infection is when a bacteria or virus enter one’s body and begin to multiple within that body – generally taking over cells and tissue. “Infection” is the first stage. After that virus or bacteria continue to grow and spread THEN it can become a disease when the cell or tissue is damaged and/or changed. This may become clearer when discussing certain STI’s that can become STD’s. Simply, somebody can be infected but not have the disease, and often a disease must come from an infection.

STI’s can be transmitted in multiple ways: some from skin-to-skin contact, some through blood-to-blood contact, and some from sexual intercourse or the contact between genitals. There are many different symptoms from the many different infections we know about and occasionally symptoms are not present at all – meaning that it requires a test to be sure.

Some infections come from bacteria and some come from viruses.

Bacteria are single-celled microorganism that can thrive in many different environments. Many forms of bacteria do not harm humans at all (think of the bacteria and live cultures within yogurt or other fermented foods that aid in our own digestions).  Often, anti-biotics are used to treat bacterial infections. Some common virus infections are strep throat, salmonella poisoning, or tuberculosis.

Viruses are microscopic agents too that use another cell or tissue as a host to replicate and grow – in that way they act like parasite and can sometimes be talked about like such. It is made up of genetic material (DNA/RNA) and spreads by mixing its genetic material with that of the host cell it infects. Viruses are very tricky and have been known to spread rapidly and dangerously. Viruses have wreaked havoc on humans for many centuries. The common cold is a virus, as is influenza and SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19 disease).

Bacterial STI’s:

Syphilis – a curable infection that if left untreated can lead to paralysis (inability to move body parts) and even dementia (loss of memory and brain ability). There are four stages of a syphilis infection: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary. Syphilis can have visible sores around one’s penis, vagina, lips, inside the mouth, or rectum. It can spread when a sore directly contacts another person through vaginal, oral or anal sex. Sores are often painless and appear in the primary stage. In the secondary stage, a rash, and fever can appear, including swelling in the lymph nodes. These can all go away during the latent stage – generally meaning there are no symptoms present at all. And after that syphilis can cause serious damage in the tertiary stage by damaging the heart, and brain or other organs.

See Syphilis video here: https://youtu.be/IE9hAzVAGeY

Chlamydia – a curable infection that can also cause serious harm if not treated immediately. Most people may not feel symptoms of this at all but it could feel like a painful sore throat or inflammation and pain where the infection leads. Chlamydia it is transmitted through sexual contact (anal, vaginal, and oral sex). It can lead to PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease) and the inability to conceive or become pregnant in females. Infection can be found present (and tested for) in three (3) locations of the body: the urethra, rectum (anus), and pharynx (back of throat).

See Chlamydia video here: https://youtu.be/SLsKrzAzH40

Gonorrhea – a curable infection that may feel like burning during urination, swelling in the testes, or an unusual and colorful discharge from the penis. Those with a vagina often may not feel or see symptoms though there can also be burning during urination and unusual discharge. Gonorrhea can infect the pharynx (back of the throat), the urethra, and/or the rectum (anus). If the rectum is where the infection resides there can be itching, soreness, discharge, or bleeding from the anus.

See Gonorrhea video here: https://youtu.be/yD73XWAnqEI

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) – only affects a person with a vagina. BV can be treated by a doctor and can also go away on its own. BV can occur when there is too much of a bacterium within the biome of the vagina. Again, many bacteria do not harm or damage the body (and humans can be aided by bacteria); but, when there is too much or too much of a specific kind of bacteria then there can be issues. When there is this imbalance of bacteria then there can be an infection. Unfortunately, the CDC has very little research on the topic or the specific routes of infection. It is suggested to reduce one’s risk by limiting sexual partners and encounters, as well as using condoms properly.

See BV video here: https://youtu.be/RGLGy6r423s

Trichomoniasis – a curable infection and often called “trich” for short. Technically this is caused by a protozoan parasite, not a bacterium. While symptoms are often not present, symptoms can look like: itching, pain during urination, and/or discharge from the genitals and urethra. Trich can be passed to any sexual partner and it is possible to be re-infected after treatment.

See Trich video here: https://youtu.be/yk0P7IpSiIg

Viral STI’s:

HIV – first identified in the early 1980’s; HIV is the virus that can lead to AIDS (the disease) after many years. HIV is a human-only virus and can be spread through six body fluids (blood, semen, pre-ejaculate, vaginal fluid, anal fluid, and breast milk). There is no cure for HIV; but, taking regular medication can help to manage its effects on the blood stream and help to stop the spreading of infection. Please see our HIV 101 Online page for more information.

See HIV video here: https://youtu.be/7P7CxcWxIbU

HPV – The Human Papillomavirus is surprisingly common among sexually active adults in the United States. There is no known cure for HPV at this time (2020). There are roughly one hundred different strains or variants of this virus. Many of them cause little damage to humans. Some strains can lead to genital warts, some can lead to cancer. The vaccine that is widely recommended and available may not vaccinate for all strains of the virus, but can protect against some of the versions that cause more harm than others. It is suggested to be vaccinated early in life (from teens to about twenty-six years old). Youth as young as nine (9) years old can be ready for this vaccination.

See HPV video here: https://youtu.be/-nWV-YBdJhA and here: https://youtu.be/yY_mZZ7nAug

Viral Hepatitis – There are five different hepatitis viruses, labelled as letters: A, B, C, D, & E. Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver, this can occur from non-viral hepatitis as well from toxic damage or other. Hep A and E can be spread from fecal particles to another person through ingestion – due to poor hygiene. Hep B and D can be spread through sexual fluids (semen, vaginal fluid) and blood. Hep D is considered incomplete and requires one to be infected by Hep B before Hep D would affect them. Finally, Hep C can only be transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. Oregon is ranked #1 for Hep C related deaths – and this issue has grown worse due to the rise in substance and opioid abuse. There is a vaccine for hepatitis A and B only. Please read more on Hepatitis C 101 Online here.

See Hepatitis video here: https://youtu.be/rF2EKwlLZm0

Herpes (HSV 1/HSV 2) – Herpes can look like painful sores or blisters around the mouth or genitals. HSV 1 is often seen around the mouth; and, HSV 2 is more commonly found on or around the genitals (vagina and penis). They are noticeable during an outbreak and can go away on their own with time – though there is topical ointment a person can take to speed up the recession of an outbreak. The Herpes simplex virus is spread from direct contact with a sore during an outbreak. There is no cure for Herpes. It is also known to be very common amongst adults. Stigma brings shame to many people with noticeable and frequent outbreaks, though many people have herpes as simple cold sores around the lips. Herpes can lead to shingles later in life.

See Herpes video here: https://youtu.be/zYLSzEZLvws

Please the CDC website for more information on Sexually Transmitted Infections.