HIV

WHAT IS IT?

• Spread through unprotected sex and sharing needles.
• Lives in blood and sexual fluids.
• Weakens your immune system.
• The body then struggles to fight off other germs and viruses, and as a result, this can lead to serious infections such as TB and AIDS.

SYMPTOMS

• Flu-like symptoms.
• Swollen glands, rash, Joint aches, sore throat.
• Unexpected weight loss.
• Skin problems.
• Nagging cough, night sweats, mouth problems.

COMPLICATIONS

• Untreated, you can pass HIV to an unborn child Immune system is damaged
• Leads to AIDS
• Spread through unprotected sex and sharing needles.
• 1 – 4 weeks incubation period
• 30 – 90 days window period

HERPES

WHAT IS IT?

• Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
• HSV-1: Oral herpes, cold sores, fever blisters. Something that most people have.
• HSV-2: Genital herpes typically appears on different parts of the body, such as the genitals and mouth, and in addition, it can spread through direct skin-to-skin contact.
• Spread through sexual activity.
• Contact with a herpes sore.

SYMPTOMS

• Itchy genitals.
• Small painful blisters; once popped, sores will occur and can ooze or bleed.
• Fever, headache and flu-like symptoms.
• Pain when urinating.
• Tender/ swollen lymph nodes.

COMPLICATIONS

• Infection can spread to other areas, such as the eyes.
• Untreated, it can spread to your baby.
• 2-14 days incubation period
• 3 – 6 weeks window period or 16 weeks post-exposure.

SYPHILIS

WHAT IS IT?

• Spread through sexual activity.
• Sores which go unrecognised.
• 4 stages of Syphilis;
• Primary >Secondary>Latent>Tertiary –
• Sores heal in their own time in 3-6 weeks, but the disease will still be in your system and could progress.

SYMPTOMS

• Sores are small, painless ulcers in the genital and or mouth area.
• 10-90 days to appear after initial exposure.

COMPLICATIONS

• Untreated, you can pass the STD to your unborn child.
• Syphilis, in extreme cases, can lead to Arthritis, Brain damage and Blindness.
• 10 – 90 days incubation period
• 3 – 6 weeks window period, the general recommendation is 90 days.

TRICHOMONIASIS

WHAT IS IT?

• Known as ‘Trich’, caused by a parasite.
• Treatable with antibiotics.
• Symptoms appear 5 – 28 days after exposure. Spread through unsafe sexual contact.
• Shared baths, public pools, clothing and towels.

SYMPTOMS

WOMEN –

• Affects the vagina, vulva and cervix.
• Itchy and burning around the vaginal area.
• Painful urination.
• Pain during sex.

MEN –

• Affects the urethra.
• Burning after ejaculation.
• White discharge.
• Pain during urination.
• Swelling and redness around penis head.
• Pain during sex.

COMPLICATIONS

• Could increase the chances of contracting other STIs.
• Makes it easier to become infected with HIV prematurely. The baby runs the risk of having low birth weight and getting infected during birth.
• Increased risk of cervical and prostate cancer.
• Untreated, it can last for months to years.
• 5 – 28 days incubation period
• 3 – 7 days window period

CHLAMYDIA

WHAT IS IT?

• Spread through sexual activity.
• Spread easily because of limited symptoms.
• Needs to be tested regularly.

SYMPTOMS

• Noticeable after 3 weeks of initial exposure.
• Discharge.
• Bleeding between periods.
• Abdominal pain.
• Pain with sex or urinating.

COMPLICATIONS

• Pelvic inflammatory disease.
• Infertility.
• Premature birth.
• It can be passed on to a child during childbirth.
• Infection of the urethra.
• Inflammation of the rectum.
• 14 – 21 days incubation period
• 1 – 5 days window period

GONORRHEA

WHAT IS IT?

• Spread through sexual activity.
• Referred to as The Clap.
• Occurs when you touch a person with an infected area.
• Can’t live outside the body. Which means you can’t get it from dirty surfaces.

SYMPTOMS

• Pain and other symptoms occur in your genital tract.
• Affects the rectum, throat, eyes and joints.
• Painful urination.
• Discharge or swelling.
• Painful intercourse.
• Abdominal pain.

COMPLICATIONS

• Infertility.
• Joint infection.
• Complications in babies.
• 2-30 days incubation period
• 2-6 days window period

HEPATITIS B

WHAT IS IT?

• Infection of your liver.
• Spreads through contact of blood, open sores, and other body fluids.
• Your body can fight it off > immunity thereafter.

SYMPTOMS

• Jaundice
• Light coloured poop.
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting and cramps.

COMPLICATIONS

• Causes scarring on the liver (Cirrhosis).
• Liver failure.
• Liver cancer.
• 1-6 months or 56 – 77 days incubation period
• 6 weeks for the window period.

HEPATITIS C

WHAT IS IT?

• Liver infection.
• Few symptoms.
• Spread through blood or body fluid.
• 14-80 days incubation
• Short-term illness: 6 months, then cleared. The virus stays in your bloodstream.

SYMPTOMS

• Dark urine
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Jaundice
• Joint pain
• Loss of appetite, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting.

COMPLICATIONS

• Chronic Hepatitis C is, long-term infection.
• Liver cancer.
• Causes scarring on the liver (Cirrhosis).
• Untreated, you can pass it on to your baby.
• 28 – 42 days incubation period
• 8-9 weeks window period
• Requires medication to clear the infection.

HPV

There are over 100 types of HPV; however, only about 12 of them are linked to cervical cancer. Among these, HPV 16 and HPV 18 are the leading causes of cervical cancer. Fortunately, there are vaccines available to protect against these high-risk strains. As a result, getting vaccinated significantly reduces your risk of developing HPV-related cervical cancer.

Genital warts are a low-risk type of HPV.

It takes about 10 – 15 years for cervical cancer to develop.

In the case of a non-cancer-causing HPV, it can clear up in a woman’s system within two years

PID

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) causes a serious infection of the reproductive system, including the fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix, and uterus. In most cases, this condition develops when bacteria from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhea enter the vagina and trigger an infection. Over time, if the infection goes untreated, it can spread to surrounding organs and eventually lead to PID, increasing the risk of long-term reproductive complications.

As a result, common PID symptoms include pain in the lower or upper abdomen, fever, pain during sex or urination, irregular bleeding, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, and persistent tiredness. In more severe situations, symptoms may also include vomiting, fainting, or a high fever, all of which require urgent medical attention.

To accurately confirm a PID diagnosis, healthcare providers may use a pelvic scan, cervical culture, or urine test. Together, these tests help determine the type and severity of the infection, ultimately improving your chances of receiving correct and timely treatment.

Once your diagnosis is confirmed, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. However, if the exact bacteria causing PID are unknown, you may need a combination of antibiotics to ensure effective treatment. In the most severe cases, you may even require surgical removal of abscesses, especially if they are at risk of rupturing and causing further complications.

Men should be tested for PID too, as they could be silent carriers.

Long-term PID can cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain.

MUS

• It is when the urethra (tube that carries urine from the bladder) becomes inflamed and irritated.
• It is not the same as a UTI. It’s caused by an STI.
• There are different methods of treatment; You have to treat the root STI that has caused the condition.
• It’s a result of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea or Trichomoniasis, E. coli (Bacterial) infection.
• Herpes and Cytomegalovirus (Viral) infection.
• Injury
• Other STI testing is recommended, especially Syphilis and HIV.
• Other STIs could be HPV | HSV, or CMV
• Treatment: Antibiotics
• Complication: Untreated can spread to prostate/testicles | Infertility | Passed onto female partner = PID.
• Both men and women can experience an inflamed/ irritated urethra, urine tube.
• Women are more susceptible to developing an inflamed urethra.
• This is due to women having a shorter tube, whereas men have a longer tube. A shorter tube makes it easier for bacteria to enter.
• Women: Constant peeing | Discomfort peeing | Burning or Irritation | Abnormal discharge.
• Men: Discharge Pus or blood | Painful urination or ejaculation, or intercourse | Swelling | Testicular pain | Blood in Semen or Urine | Itchiness at the tip ofthe  urethra | Enlarged lymph nodes in the groin area | pelvic pain.