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Archived from Sept 27-Oct 3, 2007 MALAYSIAN TODAY

When sex gets ugly

HOW much do you know about Sexually Transmitted Diseases? In today’s world where sex is becoming the new chocolate, it’s startling to discover that most youths don’t even comprehend the bad effects of candy, much less unprotected sex. For the very narrow-minded, no, we are not promoting or encouraging free sex in anyway. But just so everyone is aware, here is a breakdown of some of the very real nfections that can attack even the most frugal of sexually active youths. #1. CHANCROID Pronounced: Shang-kroid Street-name: Warts Type: BacterialWhat it is: Chancroid gives you nasty sores around the mouth, lips, tongue, vagina, anus, and/or penis. Not a pretty sight. Symptoms: Open sores that are very, very

painful on the genitals. Females are less likely to actually get the sores, but they experience painful

urination, painful intercourse, and vaginal discharge among other things. How you get it: Chancroid can be caught by touching an open sore (though why you would want to do that is beyond us), or from sharing sex toys that have touched open sores. How the doctor fi gures it out: Chancroid looks like syphilis and herpes, so to make the difference, your doctor would have to analyse the icky discharge from the open sores. Treatment: Antibiotics If untreated: The sores might put you at risk of more infection#2. HEPATITIS Pronounced: Hep-ah-ty-tes Street-name: Hepatitis, Heps Type: Viral What it is: Hepatitis has fi ve types, known as A, B, C, D, and E. All of them cause infl ammation of the liver, which is your body’s poison fi lter. Symptoms: Jaundice (yellowing of the skin), fatigue, fever, dark urine, and cold-like symptoms. How you get it: Type A is contracted by anal-oral contact, or by swallowing Type A contaminated food or liquid. Type B is spread via blood and body fl uids such as vaginal secretions or seminal liquids. It can also be spread by sharing drug needles, or from a mother to her newborn baby.

Type C is spread more or less the same way as Type B, but you are less likely to catch it from during sex. Type D is contracted by contact with infected blood and needles, or by unprotected sex. Type E is more commonly spread through contaminated water. How the doctor fi gures it out: All the types of Hepatitis are diagnosed the same way; a goodol’ blood test. Treatment: It depends on the type. Types A and

E can heal after a while, and you can even get a vaccine for them. There is no vaccine for Hepatitis

B, C, and D, but there are anti-viral medicines and other drugs that can help some patients, but not all.

If untreated: Types B, C, and D can result in liver scarring, and very unfriendly liver cancer. #3. BALANITIS Pronounced: Bal-ah-ny-tes Street-name: Yeast, yeasty balls Type: Fungal What it is: An itchy infection that infl icts itself upon the male species’ genitals, especially the tip of the penis. Symptoms: Irritating itchiness and burning at the tip of the penis and the foreskin. How you get it:  nywhere. Not just from sexual activity. You are more likely to get it if you have diabetes, or if you happen to be uncircumcised. How the doctor fi gures it out: You’ll need to whip open your fl y to let your doctor examine your penisTreatment: Application of anti-fungal cream, and frequently washing your uncircumcised manhood. If untreated: Unbelievable irritation. #4. CHLAMYDIA Pronounced: Kla-my-dee-ah Street-name: Clam Type: Bacterial What it is: One of the most common STDs, it is an infection that affects the genitals of both men and women, as well as the throat and eyes. The reason it is so common is that half the number of people who have Chlamydia don’t have any symptoms, and it goes untreated. Symptoms: Women usually experience bleeding between periods, painful urine, pain during sex, abdominal pain, nausea, and strange vaginal discharge. On the other hand, only a third of infected

women experience any symptoms at all. Men experience testicular swelling (no, it’s not a good thing), pain when urinating, and watery discharge from the penis. But only half of infected males show symptoms. How you get it: Chlamydia is spread through basically any sexual activity that involves direct

contact with the genitals of an infected person. Relax, Chlamydia can’t be spread through kissing, sharing towels, or from toilet seats. How the doctor fi gures it out: One of those ultra-embarrassingAlso, the doctor will probably want to swab your genitals, which might burn a little. Treatment: Antibiotics usually do the trick. If untreated: Chlamydia can spread to other body parts and cause serious health problems that trust us, you don’t want. For women it can cause pelvic infl ammatory disease, which may stop you from being able to get pregnant, or cause miscarriages, or ectopic pregnancies (where the foetus grows outside the womb). For men, Chlamydia might result in infertility because of infl ammation

of the testicles. #5. HERPES SIMPLEX Pronounced: Her-peez Sim-plehx Street-name: Herpes

Type: Viral What it is: A viral infection with two types that cause very painful outbreaks of sores

around the mouth and genital areas. Symptoms: Virus-1 gives you cold sores or blisters. Virus-2 sometimes has no symptoms, but some people experience lower back pain, burning around the penis or vagina, pain while passing urine, and cold-like symptoms. Later, virus-2 will erupt into small red bumps

around the mouth or genitals which turn into blisters that slowly heal themselves. How you get it: You can get both of the types from unprotected sex, kissing, or direct contact with the infected body parts. It’s a good idea to practise condom usage, as it will help, but oral contact will still result in you catching

the infection. How the doctor fi gures it out: Your doctor will need to check out the sores and collect fl uid from the blisters. Yuck. Treatment: Anti-viral medication and medicine to treat the symptoms.

If untreated: Herpes isn’t life-threatening, but it is very annoying, not to mention unattractive and extremely infectious. Treating the symptoms at the very least is a wise thing to do. urine tests, I’#6. PUBIC LICE Pronounced: It isn’t a fancy word. Peu-bik Lyse. Street-name: Crabs Type: Parasitic What it is: Literally tiny little insects that live off your blood. They can live on any part of your body that has hair, but they usually like your genital area. Symptoms: Extreme itchiness in the genital area. How you get it: Remember that movie where a guy got crabs from a toilet seat? Well be careful, because it can happen. Pubic lice can be caught from anything that harbors the insects. Clothing, bedsheets, towels. Not to mention sexual contactm afraidHow the doctor fi gures it out: The doctor will be able to spot the insects’ eggs in your pubic hair, or lice bites on your skin. Treatment: Lotions to get rid of the lice can be

bought from any pharmacy. You’ll need to wash all clothing, bedding, and toilet seats with hot water too.

If untreated: You’ll become a pubic lice hotspot, which nobody likes being. #7. SYPHILIS Pronounced: Siff-i-liss Street-name: Syph Type: BacterialWhat it is: An infection that causes sores and rashes, just like Chlamydia. Symptoms: The symptoms are similar to Chlamydia during the fi rst stage, except the sores

are generally painless. During the second stage cold-like symptoms, hair loss, and rashes on the hands and feet present themselves. How you get it: Vaginal, oral, or anal sex, as well as kissing or touching the sores. How the doctor fi gures it out: Blood test. Treatment: Antibiotics have been known to do the trick.

If untreated: Untreated syphilis is very scary. It can lead to damage to the brain and nervous system, loss of balance, leg pain, heart disease, loss of vision and sensation, and mental deterioration. Syphilis is not something you want to leave alone. #8. GONORRHEA Pronounced: Gon-oh-ree-ah Street-name: Clap

Type: Bacterial What it is: A highly contagious infection that causes thick discharge from the vagina or penis, among other things. Symptoms: Women experience discharge from the vagina that might be green or yellow in color. Also, abdominal pain, nausea, irritation and discharge from the anus, and abnormal vaginal bleeding. Men get the same discharge from the penis, as well as inflammation

of the testicles. How you get it: Unprotected sex. How the doctor figures it out: You’ll have to do a urine test, a swab test, and have your genitals examined. Treatment: Very powerful antibiotics. If untreated: Gonorrhea can lead to ectopic pregnancy for women (which is life-threatening), pelvic pain, and infertility in both men and women. #9. HPV Pronounced: H-P-V Street-name: Warts Type: Viral What it is: Human Papilloma Virus, which is a group of viruses that can cause cervical cancer, and genital warts. Symptoms: HPV sometimes shows no symptoms, but in some cases there are fl esh-colored warts on the vagina, penis, anus, or cervical area. How you get it: Unprotected sex. How the doctor fi gures it out: Pap smears and swabs, which women should be going for regularly once they turn 18. Treatment: There is no cure, but the warts can be treated with chemicals that need to be applied. If untreated: Cervical cancer is a very real possibility if HPV isn’t taken care of. #10. HIV/AIDS Pronounced: H-I-V Ayeds Street-name: AIDS Type: Viral What it is: Human Immunodefi ciency Virus, which attacks the immune system, and then progresses into Acquired Immunodefi ciency Syndrome. AIDS leaves the body susceptible to all

types of illnesses and cancer, and is fatal. Symptoms: There are no actual symptoms of AIDS, the symptoms experienced are often symptoms of the illnesses acquired because of the effect AIDS has on your immune system. How you get it: Through anal, vaginal, and oral sex, as well as sharing needles. HIV can also be passed from mother to baby by breastfeeding or in the womb. How the doctor fi gures it out: Sexually active people should be blood tested every year. Treatment: There is sadly, no cure for HIV/AIDS. There are drugs that can suppress the development of HIV into AIDS, but it is unknown how long these drugs can be effective for. If untreated: HIV will progress into AIDS, and AIDS is fatal.