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Sexually Transmitted Diseases Information: Basics, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Basics

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are among the most common infectious diseases in the United States today. More than 20 different STDs have been identified, and 19 million new infections occur in men and women each year in the United States. Depending on the disease, the infection can be spread through any type of sexual activity involving the sex organs or the mouth; the infection can also be spread through contact with blood during sexual activity.

STDs affect men and women of all ages and backgrounds.
STDs have become more common, partly because young people are becoming sexually active at a younger age and are having multiple partners.
People can pass STDs to sexual partners even if they themselves do not have any symptoms.
Frequently, STDs cause no symptoms, especially in women.
- Health problems from STDs tend to be more severe for women than for men. Some STDs can cause pelvic infections that may lead to scarring of the reproductive organs, which can result in an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy outside the uterus) and infertility for women.
- STDs in women may be related to cancer of the cervix.
- STDs can be passed from a mother to her baby before, during, or immediately after birth.
Because the method of becoming infected is similar with all STDs, a person can easily pick up more than one infection at a time.
Experts believe that having an STD that is not HIV increases one's risk for becoming infected with HIV.