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All About STIs
It Can’t Happen to Me!
Each year, there are approximately 19 million
new STIs, and almost half of them are among
youth aged 15 to 24.
What are STIs?
 Infectious diseases that spread from person to
person through intimate contact.
 By the age of 21, almost 1 in 5 Americans requires
treatment for an STI.
 STIs can affect guys and girls of all ages and
backgrounds who are having sex — it doesn't
matter if they're rich or poor.
 If not treated, some STIs can cause
permanent damage, such as infertility
and even death
Types of STIs
Virus
Bacteria
Parasite/Fungus
 HIV/AIDS
 Chlamydia
 Pubic Lice
 Herpes
 Gonorrhea
 Scabies
 Hepatitis
 Syphilis
 Trichomoniasis
 HPV
 Bacterial
Vaginosis
Which of types of STIs can be cured?
Which can be treated, but can NOT be cured?
Which can be prevented with a vaccine?
And the answer is…
Curable
 Bacterial STIs, parasites
and fungi can all be cured
with oral or topical
antibiotics or creams in just a
few weeks.
NOT Curable
 Viral STIs can be treated to
control the symptoms or
outbreaks, but once you get
infected with the virus, it
stays with you for life!
 Hepatitis
Vaccines
 HPV: Gardasil is the vaccine
that can prevent HPV
How are STIs spread?
You can only be infected if you have sexual
intercourse.
WRONG!
You can get STIs if you have oral, anal or vaginal sex.
Viruses and bacteria can enter the body through tiny cuts or
tears in the mouth, anus, and genitals.
A person can get some STIs, like herpes or genital warts,
through skin-to-skin contact with an infected area or sore.
Risk Factors for Infection
Sex at young age
The younger a person starts having sex, the
greater his or her chances of becoming infected
with an STI.
Lots of partners
People who have sexual contact - not just
intercourse, but any form of intimate activity with many different partners are more at risk
than people who stay with the same partner.
Unprotected sex
Latex condoms are the only form of birth
control that lessen your risk of contracting
an STI.
How can you prevent STI infection?
Preventing Infection
 Practice abstinence. The only way to completely
prevent STIs is to avoid any type of sexual contact or
intimacy.
 Use latex condoms. If you are sexually
active then latex condoms can help prevent
transmission.
 Limit sex partners. The more people
you have sex with, the greater the risk of
getting an STI.
Get regular gynecological or male genital examinations. Doctors can
teach about STIs and check for STIs while they're still in their earliest, most
treatable, stage.
 Sometimes you can tell if you have an STI and
sometimes you cannot.
 In many people, the STI does
not cause any symptoms,
especially in women.
 The symptoms may be inside the vagina or anus,
where they cannot be seen.
 Sores or rashes on or around genitals, mouth or anus
 Irregular growths, bumps, or blisters
 Discharge that looks or smells different than usual
 Itching around genitals or anus
 Pain or swelling in groin area
 Pain during intercourse (women)
 Unusual vaginal bleeding or spotting (women)
 Pain during urination or bowel movements
NOTE: Having any of these symptoms does not mean that you definitely
have an STI, but you should be checked by a doctor just in case!
 You can transmit the
infection to your partner
Left untreated, serious
health problems can occur
including:
 Causes other infections that
 Pregnant mothers can pass
it on to their babies
 You have a greater risk of
getting HIV
HIV which can pass easily
through the sores and
breaks in the skin
damage the reproductive
organs
 Liver damage, heart disease,
skin disease, arthritis,
blindness, brain damage,
cancer
 Infertility (not able to have
children)
 Death
What Do You Know?
What is the best way to know
whether you or your partner has
been infected with an STI?
Get Tested!
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• The virus that causes AIDS
• Attacks the immune system
• HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell
(T cells or CD4 cells) that the immune system must have to fight disease.
Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome
• Final stage of HIV infection.
• Body has a difficult time fighting infection
• When someone has one or more specific infections,
certain cancers, or a very low number of T cells, he or
she is considered to have AIDS
About HIV
HIV is only carried in:
 blood
 semen
 vaginal secretions
 breast milk
Risk Behaviors:
 unprotected sex
 sharing IV drug
needles
 direct contact with
infected blood or blood
products
HIV is NOT carried in:
 saliva
 urine
 tears
Avoiding HIV:
 Abstain from sex or use
latex condoms
 Do not share drug
needles
 Use latex gloves
when touching
blood or blood
products