1. What You Should
Know About STIs
Partnership for Environmental Education
and Rural Health (PEER)
http://peer.tamu.edu)
Texas A&M University
2. What is an STI?
STI stands for sexually transmitted
infection.
Sometimes an STI is referred to as an STD,
a sexually transmitted disease.
An STI is a disease that is passed from one
person to another through sexual activity.
Some STIs can be transmitted through
nonsexual means as well.
3. What causes an STI?
STIs, like other diseases, are caused
by microscopic organisms that are not
normally in your body.
They can be caused by bacteria,
viruses, or parasites.
4. Why Is This Important?
STIs can cause a variety of symptoms,
from discomfort, to permanent bodily
damage, to death.
AIDS, an STI, is the leading cause of
death worldwide among those age 15-
59.
STIs can be passed from a pregnant
mother to her child.
5. How can I avoid getting
an STI?
Be safe and be smart!
Avoid unsafe situations
Educate yourself about STIs
6. Ready to learn more?
The following slides will tell you more
about specific STIs.
See if you can spot any general
trends.
8. Chlamydia
Caused by the bacterium Chlamydia
trachomatis. (note: bacterium is the
singular form of bacteria)
Symptoms (primarily in males, appear
1-3 weeks after infection):
– genital discharge
– painful urination.
Can be cured with antibiotics.
9. Chlamydia
Can lead to pelvic inflammatory
disease, which can cause infertility in
women.
3 million new cases a year (the most
common bacterial STI).
10. Chlamydia
This is a picture of the bacteria that cause chlamydia, taken using
a light microscope.
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
11. Gonorrhea
Caused by the bacterium Neisseria
gonorrhoeae.
Symptoms (primarily in males, appear
1 to 14 days after infection):
– genital discharge
– painful urination.
Can be cured with antibiotics.
12. Gonorrhea
Can cause pelvic inflammatory
disease, which can cause infertility in
women.
700,000 new cases in the U.S. each
year.
13. Gonorrhea
This is a picture of the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, taken using
an electron microscope.
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
14. Syphilis
Caused by the bacterium Treponema
pallidum.
Can be cured with antibiotics, but any
damage done to the body cannot be
reversed.
15. Syphilis
Develops in three stages over several
years:
1. (3-4 weeks after infection) a sore forms near
genitalia or near the mouth.
2. (2-6 months after infection) a red rash forms
on the face hands, or feet.
3. (later) serious brain and heart complications.
About 32,000 cases in America every year.
16. Syphilis
This is a picture of the bacterium that causes syphilis, taken using
a light microscope.
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
17. Syphilis
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
These images show symptoms associated with the various stages of syphilis.
The picture on the left shows a sore associated with primary syphilis. The
picture in the middle shows a rash associated with secondary syphilis. The
picture on the right shows damage to the leg resulting from tertiary (late
stage) syphilis.
18. Viral STIs
An electron micrograph of the human immunodeficiency virus.
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
19. AIDS
Caused by human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV).
Symptoms (do not emerge for several
years):
– Fatigue
– rapid weight loss
– night sweats
– whitish coating on the tongue
– purplish growths on the skin.
20. AIDS
HIV attacks the immune system,
making you susceptible to other
infections and diseases.
Antiviral drugs can slow the progress
of the disease, but they cannot cure
an infected person.
900,000 people are currently infected
in the U.S.
21. AIDS
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
On the left is a photo of HIV virus particles, taken using an
electron microscope. The patient on the right has oral hairy
leukoplakia, which is caused by a different virus. People with
AIDS becoem more succeptible to this and other infections,
because AIDS attacks their immune systems.
22. Genital Herpes
Caused by herpes simplex virus type
2.
Symptoms include blisters and sores in
the genital region that last for 1 or 2
weeks.
Symptoms can disappear for long
periods, but the virus never leaves the
body.
23. Genital Herpes
Antiviral drugs can help control
outbreaks of symptoms, but cannot
cure an infected person.
Affects at least 45 million Americans,
with 1 million new cases a year.
24. Genital Herpes
This is a picture of herpes simplex virus particles, taken using an
electron microscope.
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
25. Hepatitis B
Caused by the hepatitis B virus.
Symptoms:
– yellow skin
– Fever
– loss of appetite
– Tiredness
– joint pain.
Can cause severe liver damage.
Can be prevented with a vaccine.
26. Hepatitis B
About 90% of adults who are infected with
hepatitis will have no symptoms and will be
cured automatically.
The other 10% develop a chronic infection
that cannot be cured.
About 78,000 Americans are infected with
hepatitis B each year, and there are 1.25
million Americans currently infected.
27. Hepatitis B
On the left is a photograph of hepatitis B virus particles, taken using an
electron microscope. The patient on the right has a distended abdomen
from a chronic hepatitis B infection.
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
28. Human papillomavirus
Caused by human papillomavirus
(HPV).
Some strains can lead to genital warts
(symptoms usually do not emerge for
1-3 months).
Some strains can lead to certain
cancers.
29. Human papillomavirus
Warts are treated by applying a drug
to the skin or by freezing the warts.
About 20 million Americans are
currently infected, and about 6.2
million Americans get a new infection
every year.
30. Parasitic STIs
A photo of the pubic louse.
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
31. Pubic Lice
Caused by the insect Phthirus pubis.
Symptoms:
– itching in the genital region
– visible lice or eggs.
Can be cured with insecticides
32. Pubic Lice
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
On the left is a photo of a pubic louse (louse is the singular form of lice). On
the right is a patient infected with public lice.
33. Scabies
Caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei
(related to the spider)
Symptoms:
– Itching
– rash.
Cured with insecticides
34. Scabies
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
On the left is the mite that causes scabies. On the right is a person infected
with scabies.
35. Trichomoniasis
Caused by the parasitic protozoan
Trichomonas vaginalis.
Symptoms (usually occur only in
females):
– genital discharge
– itching.
37. Trichomoniasis
This is a picture of the parasite that causes trichomoniasis, taken
using a light microscope.
Courtesy of: the CDC Public Health Image Library
38. Did you see any trends?
See if you can answer the following
questions before you look at the
answers
39. Can all STIs be cured?
No. If an STI is caused by a
bacterium or a parasite, it can usually
be cured. If it is caused by a virus,
though, it cannot usually be cured.
40. Do all STIs show
symptoms?
No. Some STIs, like human papillomavirus
and hepatitis B, only show symptoms in a
small percentage of the people who become
infected. Others, like chlamydia and
gonorrhea show symptoms primarily in one
sex and not the other. Even if an STI does
not show symptoms, though, it can still be
transmitted to other people.
41. How do you know if you
have an STI?
The only way to be certain is to see a
doctor. If you show any of these
symptoms or if you have been
exposed to any of these diseases, you
should get yourself tested, since many
STIs are treatable and even curable.
42. Want to learn even more?
Click on these links for more
information:
Fact sheet from the National Institutes
of Health
Fact sheet from the Australian Medical
Association
Informative website from
iwannaknow.org
