STD Can Be Prevented

During National Condom Week, February 12 - 16, the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) is encouraging sexually active males to use latex condoms to prevent or reduce the risk of getting a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD.) Condom use demonstrates that a person cares enough about their partner to use protection against STDs and pregnancy.

"The good news is that STDs can be prevented. While not having sex is the only fully effective method for preventing sexually transmitted diseases, other prevention methods are available. They include limiting the number of sex partners; a monogamous relationship greatly reduces the risk of acquiring an STD; and the use of latex condoms," said Stuart Brown, M.D., director of the division of public health.

DHR wants the public to know that any sexually active person can be infected with an STD. STDs are transmitted from an infected person to another person by oral, anal, or vaginal sex. STDs can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth.

"Anyone who is sexually active can be infected with an STD, and STDs do not go away without treatment. Many times a person may not know that he/she is infected with an STD, because they may not have any signs or symptoms. If untreated, STDs can cause complications such as infertility, loss of pregnancies, blindness, and paralysis, and can even be serious enough to cause death," said Linda Smart-Smith director of DHRs STD Section.

It is important to get checked by a healthcare provider if you are sexually active because certain types of STDs are easily treated and cured with antibiotics when detected early.

Some common signs and symptoms include unusual discharge from the penis or vagina; pain in the pelvic area (below the stomach); burning or itching in or around the penis or vagina; pain during urination; pain during sexual intercourse; frequent urination, and sores, bumps or blisters around the genitals, rectum or mouth. Anyone with these signs or symptoms should seek immediate testing and treatment from their healthcare provider or from the local health department.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. The bacterium, Chlamydia Trachomatis, causes Chlamydia, and it can damage a woman's reproductive organs and cause pain, fever, and sterility in men. An estimated 2.8 million Americans are infected with Chlamydia each year. Women are frequently re-infected if their sex partners are not treated. Under reporting is substantial because most people with Chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing.

Additionally, the CDC estimates that nearly 400,000 persons in the U.S. get new gonorrheal infections each year. In Georgia, only about half of these infections are reported. In 2002, about half of all primary and secondary syphilis cases were reported. The cases occurred in 16 counties and one city, the age group most affected included 20 to 39 year-olds. STDs do not go away without treatment, and some infections may allow for human immumnovirus (HIV) to be transmitted more easily.

Nationally, Georgia ranks first in the number of primary and secondary syphilis cases, sixth in gonorrhea cases, and 14th in Chlamydia cases. The incidence of syphilis infection was highest among women 20 to 24 years of age and among men 35 to 39 years of age.