Bacterial STIs

• The "clap" or the "drip"

• Gonorrhea is a bacterial STI that can be spread through vaginal, oral, and anal sex.

• It is one of the most common STIs among teens

• External and internal condoms are great prevention and it is curable with antibiotics. It should be treated as soon as possible.

• Abstinence

• STI testing and treatment

• Communicate with partner(s) about protection and possible risk

• Barrier methods (condoms, dental dams, etc.)

• Washing hands

• Pee before and after sex

• Avoid shaving, waxing, or removing pubic hair

• If contracted, abstain from sex until you are fully treated

• A burning sensation when urinating;

• A white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis;

• Painful or swollen testicles (although this is less common).

• Painful or burning sensation when urinating;

• Increased vaginal discharge;

• Vaginal bleeding between periods.

MOST COMMON SYMPTOM IS NO SYMPTOMS AT ALL!

• Gonorrhea can be cured with the right treatment. It is important that you take all of the medication your doctor prescribes to cure your infection. Medication for gonorrhea should not be shared with anyone.

• Although medication will stop the infection, it will not undo any permanent damage caused by the disease.

• It is becoming harder to treat some gonorrhea, as drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea are increasing.

• If your symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, you should return to a health care provider to be checked again.

• Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by a bacteria called chlamydia trachomatis.

• External and internal condoms are great prevention and it is curable with antibiotics. It should be treated as soon as possible.

• Abstinence

• STI testing and treatment

• Communicate with partner(s) about protection and possible risk

• Barrier methods (condoms, dental dams, etc.)

• Washing hands

• Pee before and after sex

• Avoid shaving, waxing, or removing pubic hair

• Don't share sex toys

• Painful urination.

• Vaginal discharge in people with uteruses.

• Discharge from the penis.

• Painful sexual intercourse in people with uteruses.

• Bleeding between periods and after sex in people with uteruses.

• Testicular pain in people with penises.

• Chlamydia can be easily treated with a short course of antibiotics. You may be able to take all the antibiotics in one day, or over a week, depending on the type of treatment you are prescribed.

• It’s important to not have sex until you and your current sexual partner/s have finished treatment. If you’ve had the one-day course of treatment, you should avoid having sex for seven days afterwards. Ask your healthcare professional when it’s safe to have sex again.

• Remember that if you’ve been treated for chlamydia you are not immune and you can get infected again.

• Syphilis is curable bacterial STI.

• It can be spread through any sexual contact and mostly spreads when an uninfected person comes into contact with the sores of an infected person.

• External and internal condoms are great prevention and it is curable with antibiotics. It should be treated as soon as possible.

• Abstinence

• STI testing and treatment

• Communicate with partner(s) about protection and possible risk

• Barrier methods (condoms, dental dams, etc.)

• Washing hands

• Pee before and after sex

• Avoid shaving, waxing, or removing pubic hair

• Avoid recreational drugs and misuse of alcohol (can inhibit decision making skills)

• Primary Stage

  • During the first (primary) stage of syphilis, you may notice a single sore or multiple sores. The sore is the location where syphilis entered your body. Sores are usually (but not always) firm, round, and painless. Because the sore is painless, it can easily go unnoticed. The sore usually lasts 3 to 6 weeks and heals regardless of whether or not you receive treatment. Even after the sore goes away, you must still receive treatment. This will stop your infection from moving to the secondary stage.

• Secondary Stage

  • During the secondary stage, you may have skin rashes and/or mucous membrane lesions. Mucous membrane lesions are sores in your mouth, vagina, or anus. This stage usually starts with a rash on one or more areas of your body. The rash can show up when your primary sore is healing or several weeks after the sore has healed. The rash can look like rough, red, or reddish brown spots on the palms of your hands and/or the bottoms of your feet. The rash usually won’t itch and it is sometimes so faint that you won’t notice it. Other symptoms you may have can include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue (feeling very tired). The symptoms from this stage will go away whether or not you receive treatment. Without the right treatment, your infection will move to the latent and possibly tertiary stages of syphilis.

• Latent Stage

  • The latent stage of syphilis is a period of time when there are no visible signs or symptoms of syphilis. If you do not receive treatment, you can continue to have syphilis in your body for years without any signs or symptoms.

• Tertiary Stage

  • Most people with untreated syphilis do not develop tertiary syphilis. However, when it does happen it can affect many different organ systems. These include the heart and blood vessels, and the brain and nervous system. Tertiary syphilis is very serious and would occur 10–30 years after your infection began. In tertiary syphilis, the disease damages your internal organs and can result in death.

• Neurosyphilis

  • severe headache;

  • difficulty coordinating muscle movements;

  • paralysis (not able to move certain parts of your body);

  • numbness; and

  • dementia (mental disorder)

• Yes, syphilis can be cured with the right antibiotics from your health care provider. However, treatment might not undo any damage that the infection has already done.

• You can get syphilis again, even after you've already had and been treated.