The Most Common STDs

A sexually transmitted disease, or STD, is any disease that can be transferred between persons through sexual contact. Over the last twenty years, there has been a push to educate the public both about STDs and how to prevent them; however, more than 20 million North Americans continue to become infected with STDs each year. There are more than twenty known organisms and syndromes that are considered STDs. Currently, all but two, AIDS and herpes, can be cured. However, the problem with many STDs is that the symptoms do not appear immediately after contraction, and, by the time symptoms are detected, a lot of bodily damage could have been done.

The most common STDs are Chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea, human papillomavirus, syphilis, hepatitis B, and crabs. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, human papillomavirus, and hepatitis B are considered asymptomatic STDs, meaning that symptoms of the disease are not always immediately apparent after contraction. For example, human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most commonly contracted STD in North America. However, the symptoms of HPV can stay dormant for years. The effects of the infection, on the other hand, are not as dormant its symptoms. In fact, HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer in women.

Herpes, syphilis, and crabs are considered symptomatic STDs. Symptoms of these STDs frequently appear within a short period of time after contraction. Herpes is one of the two STDs that can be treated but not cured. Additionally, it can be contracted by any contact with an area in which sores appear. This means that herpes can be spread not only through intercourse, but also through oral sex, kissing, or even drinking after a person with open herpes sores on or in their mouth. Crabs can also be contracted in ways other than just intercourse. Crabs live in pubic hair, chest hair, armpit hair, and even eyelashes and eyebrows, and can live for a substantial period of time with nothing to feed on. This means that crabs can be picked up by sleeping in an infested bed, using an infested towel, or wearing an infested piece of clothing.