STIs can infect women without knowing because the symptoms of STI in women usually don’t appear in all cases and some patients appear in the last stage.
What are STIs?
STIs (sexually transmitted infections) are infections transmitted from one person to another by sexual contact, blood, semen, and body fluids, these are caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Sometimes these infections can be transmitted nonsexually, such as from mothers to their infants during pregnancy or childbirth, through blood transfusions, shared needles, or oral sex.
The pathological causes of symptoms of STI in women
Bacteria
Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are types of STIs that are caused by bacteria.
Parasites
Trichomoniasis
Viruses
HPV, hepatitis B, and C, genital herpes(HSV), and HIV are STIs caused by viruses.
The Symptoms of STI in women
The Common symptoms of STI in women
Signs and symptoms of STI in women can sometimes be hard to notice with no symptoms but the common specific symptoms include:
- Discharge of heavy fluid from the vagina with a strong odor that causes pain.
- Pain during urination and bleeding in some cases.
- Sore throat caused by oral sex.
- Pain in the pelvic floor, lower belly, or rectum.
- Skin rashes and itching of the vagina and anus.
- Pain during sexual contact and bleeding after the process.
The Symptoms of common STI diseases
- Hepatitis B and hepatitis C
Symptoms of both are the same including yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, extreme fatigue, vomiting, and abdominal pain
- AIDs (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)
This condition is caused by HIV(human immunodeficiency virus) and contains three stages:
The first stage
This stage contains acute symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks like weakness in muscles, fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes.
The second stage
This is asymptomatic (no symptoms at all).
The third stage
It is the final stage that leads to AIDs illness with symptoms like shortness of breath, severe diarrhea, weight loss without causes, fever lasting a long time, and infection by yeast in the mouth or the vagina.
- Warts and cervical cancer:
This can be caused by HPV (human papillomavirus).
Types of warts
- Common warts that appear on the hands and the fingers.
- Genital warts that appear mostly on the vulva, but can also occur near the anus, or in the vagina.
- Warts-like plants that appear on the heels or balls of the feet.
- Flat warts that appear on the women's legs.
Cervical cancer
HPV infection can cause cervical cancer so you should take the vaccine for HPV.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
Is a bacterial infection caused by chlamydia.
Chlamydia infection can spread to the fallopian tubes in some women, which may cause inflammation in the pelvis and also inflammation in the cervix leading to bleeding.
Some of the most common symptoms of STI in women in case of chlamydia include:
Vaginal discharge: discoloration and getting yellow pus.
- Gonorrhea
It is also a bacterial infection caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium.
The first main symptom of this infection is burning during urination.
Other possible symptoms of gonorrhea include:
- A pus-like discharge from your penis and rectal.
- Itching and soreness in your anus.
- Syphilis
It is also a bacterial infection caused by Treponema pallidum, there are four stages of syphilis:
Primary stage
The sore shows up around 3 weeks after infection, but it can take between 10 to 90 days to appear, sometimes the only symptom will be swollen lymph nodes.
Secondary stage
The symptoms in this stage are skin rash, sore throat, hair loss, weight loss, and aching joints.
Third stage
In this stage, the primary and the secondary symptoms disappear, this stage could last for years before reaching the last syphilis.
The last stage
This stage includes;
- Blindness
- Loss of hearing
- Mental health conditions that lead to memory loss
- Destruction of soft tissue and bone
- Neurosyphilis which is an infection of the brain such as meningitis
- Genital herpes
These are caused by HSV (herpes simplex viruses)
The first symptoms happen around 2 to 12 days after infection, there are two stages:
First stage
In this stage, there are no symptoms of the infection.
Second stage
The symptoms in this stage of herpes simplex viruses are typically mild until the outbreak begins, and the symptoms will be more severe.
Diagnosis and treatment of STIs
Mostly the diagnosis is based on the symptoms of STI in women so this is including:
- Blood test and urine test.
- Samples of the body fluids.
- Physical examination of the symptoms.
There are many treatment options, depending on the condition, including:
- Antibiotics: they are used in case of bacterial infections like gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis.
- Anti-virals: these are used in case of viral infection like Hepatitis B and c, HIV, HPV, and HSV.
- Surgery or laser.
Risk factors of having symptoms of STI in women
- Vaginal or anal penetration by an infected partner who isn't protected with a latex condom can also increase the risk of infection.
- Having unprotected sexual contact with multiple partners or oral sex also and alcohol abuse.
- Injecting drugs by Needle sharing spreads many serious infections, including HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, and also Being a young woman which is Half the new discovering symptoms of STI in women between the ages of 15 and 24.
Prevention of STI in women
The only way to prevent STIs is by avoiding sexual contact. But there are ways to make sex safer and reduce the risk of infection of STI:
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Take tests regularly for STIs, especially if you have a new partner or multiple partners.
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Use a latex condom properly during vaginal, anal, and oral sex to help prevent STIs that spread through fluids.
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You should take special vaccines for HPV and hepatitis B.
Conclusion
In the end, we can say that you should take care of the tips of risk factors that cause the infection of STD and take selective vaccines, and the precautions to keep it away.
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