What are the different types of STD/STI ?
There are three types of infection you can get from sexual activity.
- Parasitic
- Bacterial
- Viral
In this article, we are going to talk about the Viral STIs. A viral STI is a sexually transmitted infection that is caused by a virus. You may know that bacteria are microscopic single-cell organisms. They are really small, viruses are even smaller about a hundred times smaller than bacteria. They cause many common human infections such as the common cold and chicken pox etc. Unlike bacteria, viruses cannot reproduce on their own. Instead, they hijack host cells, that is, they take control and use your body cells to do their dirty work.Unlike parasites, viruses cannot crawl about and hang out on objects outside the body. This is because they have to remain on a host cell to stay alive.
But, as long as they have a host cell to travel with viruses can move from place to place and person to person. So if body fluid like
- blood
- semen
- vaginal fluid
It is passed from one person to another such as in sexual contact, the virus can make its move viruses also spread through skin-to-skin contact. If someone has an infected sore pimple and that sore touches your skin, like when getting close during sex, again the virus can make its move.
Viruses are especially fond of mucous membranes. Thus they affect the area in and around the mouth, nose, genitals, and anus. These have larger pores and allow the virus to enter the body more easily.
A viral sexually transmitted infections are infections caused by viruses that are transmitted through sexual contact. Viruses can also catch a ride on body fluid inside medical needles which means that if people are sharing injectable drugs, they can pass an infection around needles for tattoos and piercings can do this too if the needles and injectables are not sterile.
The most common viral STI’s are the three H’s. So viral STD list includes the following names
- Herpes simplex virus or HSV aka herpes
- Human immunodeficiency virus aka HIV
- Human papillomavirus aka HPV
These are three very bad H’s so much trouble from one little letter. Let’s run these guys down one at a time. It’s time for American viral!
Why are these Viral STI’s so dangerous?
The answer in one line. Because they all are uncurable. Once they enter your body they remain in there throughout the life of the person. Having said that it is not the end of the world.They can be treated but they cannot be cured. Read the article on the following to know how you can live longer and healthier life even after being contracted or infected by viral STI.
So, which is the worst virus among all of the three H’s. Let’s find out.
HPV virus
Let’s meet our contestants our first contestant is HPV, also known as the wart maker HPV. HPV frequently gives you warts or bumps on your genitals including the cervix and anus. They can get really big, but warts tend to be small often unnoticeable. Sometimes when you get HPV it won’t give you warts. You won’t even know you have it, but you can still pass it to others. Worse than warts, some types of HPV can cause cancer. HPV is incurable.
Human papillomavirus or HPV definitely not cool. Listen up ladies, there is a new cervical cancer vaccine just for girls. It can help prevent the most common types of HPV infection that caused cancer. You might want to ask a healthcare provider about it.
Herpes virus
Our second contestant comes straight to you from your genitals, your mouth, and even your eyes. That’s right, its herpes. Herpes usually comes with a bonus gift a small very painful blister that when popped loses a bit of pus. With or without the blister and regardless of whether the blister has been popped or not, herpes is extremely contagious.
As many as one in five people have contracted herpes. Just like HPV though you can’t tell by looking. This is because the blisters go away for a while, but they back and some people never have symptoms. At all that doesn’t stop Mr. Painful blister from coming to some genitals near you. You know that cold sore, you see friends sometimes get on their mouths. That may be a type of herpes. Oral sex, it will spread that cold sore places where you really don’t want it. It can work the other way – from genitals to your mouth.
HIV virus
Our final contestant is HIV. The human immunodeficiency virus HIV is transmitted through
- Oral
- Anal
- Penile-vaginal sex
The other activities that share body fluids can also cause HIV infection (unsterile injectibles etc). This bad guy doesn’t bother with blisters or warts. Rather, it causes AIDS the acquired immune deficiency syndrome early symptoms of HIV. It is a state in which a flu-like causing a person to feel tired or nauseous. It’s hard for someone to even know he or she had HIV at first.
You absolutely can’t tell by looking. Over time, however, HIV weakens your immune system. So you can’t fight to other infections. Eventually, you get full-blown AIDS and your body can no longer fight infections. People who haven’t been infected with HIV can fight off easily. There is no cure, even with medication your body will eventually be overwhelmed and you will die. HIV’s one weakness it can’t live long outside the body. So, it’s a bit more difficult to transmit HIV than HPV and herpes.
Let’s recap
Viral STI’s don’t necessarily cause symptoms. So you may not know you are infected and you certainly can’t tell if someone else is infected just by looking at him or her. So if you are sexually active you need to go to the doctor regularly to be tested for STI once.
You have a viral STI, you will have it for the rest of your life. Unlike parasitic and bacterial STI’s, there is no cure for viral STI’s. There are medicines that can help keep you healthier and reduce the symptoms of viral STI’s.Especially, if the infection is diagnosed early.
Our verdict :HIV being the worst of all viruses as it can potentially reduce your life span. It is asymptotic and if enters the final stages, it becomes difficuilt to save life of the person, who is being infected. Again, having said that, its not the end of the world or even your sexual life. There are 6 ways to reduce or nearly eliminate risk of STD/HIV from unprotected sex
Get tested for STD with $10 discount coupon inside. Just click the link.
Although, they cannot make the infection leave your body. All viral STI’s can be avoided by the doing the following things.
- Not engaging in any sexual activity that is by being abstinent from all types of sexual contact.No unprotected sexual or skin-to-skin contact with an infected person.
- No needles equals no viral STI for you.
- if you do have sexual contact you can reduce your risk of infection by using latex condoms correctly during every sexual encounter.
- if you accidentally start applying a condom the wrong way throw it out otherwise what was outside will be inside and what’s inside will be on you.
Also read: What is Bacterial STDs/STIs? (coming soon)
References
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs110/en/
https://www.cdc.gov/std/hiv/stdfact-std-hiv.htm
