HIV/STI Outreach
STI
STIs (sexually transmitted infection) are a group of infections spread from person to person, most often by sexual contact. Many kinds of sexual contact can spread STIs. Any intimate contact that involves the penis, vagina, mouth or anus can transmit disease. You can be infected with an STI any number of times and can be infected with more than one STI at the same time. We do not become immune to any of these diseases, so you can get them again. With the exception of hepatitis A and B, there are no vaccines to prevent STIs. Some STIs, such as HIV, syphilis and gonorrhea, are serious diseases that can be fatal. Others, such as vaginitis and crabs, are annoying, but generally not dangerous. If you have had sex with a person who you think may be infected with an STI or if you have symptoms, such as discharge, sores or a rash, call the HIV/STD clinic at the Salt Lake Valley Health Department or see your physician. Treating yourself won’t work and can be dangerous! Anyone who has sexual contact with a person who has an STI should see a doctor or go to a clinic for testing and treatment, even if there are no symptoms. Many infected people do not feel or show symptoms or don't notice them.
How to protect yourself:
Limit the number of sex partners you have. The more people you have sex with, the more likely you are to get infected. Of course, if you don’t have sex, you can’t get infected.
Use condoms correctly and consistently when engaging in sexual intercourse (anal, oral and vaginal). Use only latex condoms and a water-based lubricant, such as KY. Oil-based lubricants, such as baby oil or Vaseline, can break down the latex and cause it to tear or break.
Know how to use a condom correctly and talk to your partner(s) about condoms BEFORE sexual intimacy takes place. Avoid using alcohol or other drugs. They can impair your judgment and lead to unsafe sex.
If you have an STI, you should tell your sexual partner(s). If they aren’t treated, they can get sick. They can spread the STI and they might give it to you again.
Common STIs Facts
Chlamydia or NGU
- Affects both men and women. In men, Chlamydia can cause NGU.
- Symptoms show up 7-28 days after having sex.
- Most women and some men have no symptoms.
- Symptoms for women may include discharge from the vagina, bleeding from the vagina between periods, burning or pain when you urinate (pee), need to urinate more often and pain in abdomen, sometime with fever and nausea.
- Symptoms for men may include water, white drip from the penis, burning or pain when you urinate (pee), need to urinate more often, and swollen or tender testicles.
- Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has Chlamydia.
- You can give Chlamydia to your sex partner(s).
- Can lead to more serious infection. Reproductive organs can be damaged.
- Women and possibly men may no longer be able to have children.
- A woman with Chlamydia can give it to her baby during childbirth.
Genital Warts:
- Affects both men and women.
- Symptoms show up 1-8 months after contact with HPV, the virus that causes genital warts. (Another type of HPV is linked to cervical cancer in women.)
- Small, bump warts on the sex organs and anus.
- Itching or burning around the sex organs.
- After warts go away, the virus sometimes stays in the body. The warts can come back.
- Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex, and sometime by genital touching, with someone who has genital warts.
- You can give genital warts to your sex partner(s).
- Warts may go away on their own, remain unchanged, or grow and spread.
- A woman with warts can give them to her baby during childbirth.
Gonorrhea:
- Most women and some men have no symptoms.
- Symptoms show up to 2-21 days after having sex.
- Symptoms in women include thick yellow or gray discharge from the vagina, burning or pain when you urinate (pee) or have a bowel movement, abnormal periods or bleeding between periods and cramps and pain the lower abdomen (belly).
- Symptoms in men include thick yellow or greenish drip form the penis, burning or pain when you urinate (pee) or have a bowel movement, need to urinate (pee) more often and swollen or tender testicles.
- Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has gonorrhea.
- You can give gonorrhea to your sex partner(s).
- Can lead to more serious infection. Reproductive organs can be damaged.
- Both men and women may no longer be able to have children.
- Can cause heart trouble, skin disease, arthritis and blindness.
- A woman with gonorrhea can give it to her baby in the womb or during childbirth.
Hepatitis B:
- Many people have no symptoms or mild symptoms.
- Symptoms show up 1-9 months after contact with the hepatitis B virus.
- Symptoms can include flu-like feelings that don’t go away, tiredness, jaundice (yellow skin), dark urine and light-colored bowel movements.
- Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has hepatitis B.
- Spread by sharing needles to inject drugs, tattoos, vitamins or steroids.
- Spread by contact with infected blood, semen and vaginal fluids.
- You can give hepatitis B to your sex partner(s) or someone you share a needle with.
- Some people never recover completely.
- Some people cannot be cured. Symptoms go away, but they can still give hepatitis B to others.
- Can cause permanent liver damage or liver cancer.
- A woman with hepatitis B can give it to her baby during childbirth.
Herpes:
- Some people have no symptoms.
- Symptoms show up 1-30 days or longer after having sex.
- Symptoms may include flu-like feelings, small, painful blisters on the sex organs or mouth, itching or burning before the blisters appear.
- Blisters last 1-3 weeks. Blisters go away, but you still have the herpes virus and the blisters can come back.
Syphilis:
- 1st Stage
- Symptoms show up 1-12 weeks after having sex.
- A painless, sore or sores on the mouth or sex organs.
- Sores last 1-5 weeks and will go away, but you still have syphilis
- 2nd Stage
- Symptoms show up 1 week-6months after sore heals.
- Symptoms include a rash anywhere on the body and flu-like symptoms. Symptoms go away, but you still have syphilis.
- Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has syphilis.
- You can give syphilis to your sex partner(s).
- A woman with syphilis can give it to her baby during pregnancy or have a miscarriage.
- Can cause heart disease, brain damage, blindness and death.
HIV/AIDS:
- Symptoms show up several months to several years after contact with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
- Can be present for many years with no symptoms.
- Symptoms may include unexplained weight loss or tiredness, flu-like feelings that don’t go away, diarrhea, white spots in the mouth, and in women, yeast infections that don’t go away.
- Spread during vaginal, anal and oral sex with someone who has HIV.
- Spread by sharing needles to inject drugs, steroids, tattoos etc.
- Spread by contact with infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk.
- You can give HIV to your sex partner(s) or someone you share a needle with.
- HIV cannot be cured. Can cause illness and death.
- A woman with HIV can give it to her baby during pregnancy, birth or while breastfeeding.
Trichomoniasis (“Trich” or NGU):
- Affects both women and men. In men, trich can cause NGU.
- Symptoms show up 3-14 days after having sex.
- Many people have no symptoms.
- Symptoms for women may include itching, burning or irritation in the vagina, yellow, greenish or gray discharge from the vagina.
- Symptoms for men may include watery, white drip from the penis, burning or pain when you urinate (pee) or the need to urinate (pee) more often.
- Spread during vaginal sex.
- You can give trich to your sex partner(s).
- Men can get infections in the prostrate gland.