How is vd transmitted

There are dozens of STDs. Some STDs, such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, are spread mainly by sexual contact. Other diseases, including Zika and Ebola , can be spread sexually but are more often spread through ways other than sex. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. What's New. Anyone who is sexually active has a risk of developing this type of infection.

Learn more about common STIs with this symptom guide. There are three categories of STIs:. Various bodily fluids, such as vaginal secretions, semen, saliva, and blood, contain the bacteria or viruses involved.

In some cases, a person can contract an STI by coming into direct contact with fluid that contains the bacteria or virus. Other STIs, such as herpes, can pass on via direct skin-to-skin contact, such as through oral, anal, or vaginal sex.

It may transmit from the mouth to the genitals, for example, during oral sex. STIs such as HIV and hepatitis can transmit through contact with infected blood, when sexual partners have open sores, for example, or when people share needles. Parasitic STIs, such as pubic lice, can transmit through close personal contact, passing from the pubic hair of one person to that of another. Learn more about STIs and oral sex here. It is also worth noting that STI risk increases with the number of sexual partners.

A person who only has sex with a likewise exclusive sexual partner has a lower risk of contracting these infections. Taking the precautions listed above can reduce the risk of transmitting or contracting STIs, but they are no guarantee. It is important to speak with a person about their sexual history before having any kind of sex with them. It may be a good idea for new partners to undergo testing before they begin having sex.

It is worth noting, however, that no STI test is completely accurate. Also, there are no tests available for certain STIs, and some people with these infections do not develop symptoms or do so only after an extended period. Anyone who thinks that they may have an STI should have a test.

If the results are negative, it is a good idea to retest soon. When they do, common STD symptoms in women include:.

The specific symptoms can vary from one STD to another. Many different types of infections can be transmitted sexually. The most common STDs are described below. A certain type of bacteria causes chlamydia. Many people with chlamydia have no noticeable symptoms. When symptoms do develop, they often include:.

If a pregnant woman has untreated chlamydia, she can pass it to her baby during birth. The baby may develop:. Antibiotics can easily treat chlamydia. Read more about chlamydia, including how to prevent, recognize, and treat it. Human papillomavirus HPV is a virus that can be passed from one person to another through intimate skin-to-skin or sexual contact.

There are many different strains of the virus. Some are more dangerous than others. These two strains of HPV account for 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases. However, HPV infections often clear up on their own. If a person contracts HPV, proper testing and screenings can help their doctor assess and manage your risk of complications.

Discover the steps you can take to protect yourself against HPV and its potential complications. The first symptom to appear is a small round sore, known as a chancre. It can develop on your genitals, anus, or mouth. Fortunately, if caught early enough, syphilis is easily treated with antibiotics. However, syphilis infection in a newborn can be fatal. The earlier syphilis is diagnosed and treated, the less damage it does. Find the information you need to recognize syphilis and stop it in its tracks.

HIV can damage the immune system and raise the risk of contracting other viruses or bacteria and developing certain cancers. For example, the early symptoms can include:. These initial symptoms typically clear within a month or so.

From that point onward, a person can carry HIV without developing serious or persistent symptoms for many years.

Other people may develop nonspecific symptoms, such as:. To promote early diagnosis and treatment, the CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested at least once.

Free and confidential testing can be found in all major cities and many public health clinics. A government tool for finding local testing services is available here.

Get the facts you need to protect yourself or your partner from HIV. When that happens, gonorrhea can cause serious health problems in the baby. Gonorrhea can usually be treated with antibiotics. Learn more about the symptoms, treatment options, and long-term outlook for people with gonorrhea. Like head lice and body lice, they feed on human blood.

A person might also be able to see the lice or their tiny white eggs around the roots of pubic hair. A magnifying glass can help you spot them. If left untreated, pubic lice can be transmitted to other people through skin-to-skin contact or shared clothing, bedding, or towels.

Scratched bites can also become infected. If a person has pubic lice, they can use over-the-counter topical treatments and tweezers to remove them from your body. According to the CDC , less than one-third of people with trich develop symptoms. When symptoms do develop, they may include:. Trich can be treated with antibiotics.

Learn how to recognize trich early to get treatment sooner. Herpes is the shortened name for the herpes simplex virus HSV. Both can be transmitted sexually.

HSV-1 primarily causes oral herpes, which is responsible for cold sores.