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What Will Happen if I Get an STD?

Many STDs can be cured and all STDs can be treated to control the symptoms. But no matter what STD it is you are diagnosed with, you may experience a whole bunch of different emotions.

Many people report feeling ashamed, they don't want to tell anyone because of how embarrassing it feels. Partners often feel betrayed, or like victims. Some people may even try to deny that they have been diagnosed with an STD.

The truth of the matter is, people who are diagnosed with STDs are not bad people. They are not dirty, and they are not alone. Sexually transmitted diseases are very common. In fact, every year over 15 million people are diagnosed with STDs and a quarter of all these cases happen in teenagers. That's over 3 million teenagers a year!.

HIV and AIDS - Overview

viral disease (treatable, but not curable)

The most STD is caused by HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). It causes the part of the body that defends against disease (the immune system) to not work right. There are usually no visible symptoms during the early years of infection so it is not possible to tell if your partner has HIV unless he or she has had an HIV blood test. Also, many people with HIV look healthy and can transmit HIV.

HIV can lead to death about 10 years after being infected but there are now good treatments available.

HIV is a preventable infection. The virus is spread by sex and by sharing drugs by needles and syringes.

You can't get HIV/AIDS from casual contact. What that means is that you won't get AIDS from hugging someone, from an insect, from a restaurant worker, from swimming or from sharing a sandwich.

People you love get HIV/AIDS.

Chancroid

Bacterial Disease
(curable with medication)

Chancroid (pronounced SHANG-chroid), also called soft chancre, is a bacterial disease that causes genital ulcers.
Sexual transmission of chancroid occurs through skin-to-skin contact with open sore(s).
Symptoms of chancroid are one or more genital ulcers and painful lymph glands in the groin. The ulcer begins as a tender bump that becomes a pus-filled, open sore. It is soft (unlike a syphilis chancre that is hard or rubbery to touch).
For women, the sore is usually not painful, and may not be noticed; but in men, the ulcer can be very painful.
Chancroid can be treated with antibiotics. Successful treatment cures the infection, symptoms go away and it's no longer contagious (able to be spread to another person). It is important to take all the antibiotics from start to finish.
If you do get chancroid, avoid touching the infected area to prevent the chance of autoinoculation (re-infecting yourself somewhere else on your body).

Chlamydia

Bacterial Diseases
(curable with medication)

Chlamydia (pronounced kluh-MID-ee-uh) is a very common STD caused by bacteria.
It is estimated that there are 3 million new chlamydia infections in the United States each year.
Bacteria transmitted during sex cause chlamydia.
Many women have no symptoms or very mild symptoms. If symptoms do appear, they can include vaginal discharge, pain during urination (peeing), pain during sex, pain in the lower abdomen and bleeding between menstrual periods.
Men often have a discharge from the urethra, the opening in the penis. It may also burn or hurt to urinate (pee). Symptoms can vary from person to person -- from being mild to severe. Men also may not have symptoms.
If a mother is infected, she can pass chlamydia on to her baby during delivery.
Antibiotics can easily cure chlamydia if is treated early. If it is left untreated, in a woman, chlamydia (like gonorrhea) can grow into a more serious illness called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and can keep her from being able to have children in the future.
The infection can spread up to the fallopian tubes and cause lasting pain.
It can scar the tubes so a woman can never get pregnant. It can also lead to a pregnancy in the tubes, where a baby cannot grow.
Tell any sex partners right away if you find out you have chlamydia. They should also be treated -- even if they have no symptoms. If they are not treated, they may give chlamydia back to you or to someone else.

Crabs (Pubic Lice)

(curable with medication)

Crabs are tiny little blood-sucking bugs (lice) that live in pubic hair and cause a lot of itching.
Crabs are usually transmitted through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. These little bugs can literally jump from the pubic hair of one person to that of another during sex. They can also be transmitted through sleeping in infested bedding, wearing infested clothing, and possibly from contact with an infested toilet seat.
Usually, crabs will be found in the pubic area, but lice can also infest armpits, eyelashes, beards, mustaches and even head hair. The main symptom is intense itching. The itching usually comes from an allergic reaction to lice bites.
Crabs can be treated by putting a liquid medicine directly on your pubic hair. You can get a prescription from your doctor. You can buy over-the-counter treatments as well. After treatment, a fine-toothed comb can be used to remove the crabs and their eggs.
Make sure you wash and dry your clothes, bedding, towels, etc. with hot water to kill crabs and their eggs.
Notify any sex partners immediately so they can be treated.
Crabs can still be transmitted even if you use a latex condom to help prevent other STDs.
Crabs have three stages of life: egg, nit and louse (singular of lice). The nits hatch within five to 10 days after they are laid.
Bacterial Diseases
(curable with medication)
- Gonorrhea (pronounced gon-uh-REE-uh) is nicknamed "the clap" or "the drip."
- Bacteria transmitted during sex cause gonorrhea.
- Women often have no symptoms at all or very mild ones. If symptoms appear, they may include burning during urination (peeing) and/or a vaginal discharge.
- Men may have a yellow discharge from the urethra, opening in the penis. It may also burn or hurt to urinate (pee). Symptoms vary from person to person -- from being mild to severe. Men also may not have any symptoms.
- A gonorrhea infection during pregnancy can cause problems such as stillbirth or blindness for the baby. If a mother is infected, she can pass gonorrhea on to her baby during delivery.
- Antibiotics or penicillin can easily cure gonorrhea if treated early. If it is left untreated in women, gonorrhea (like chlamydia) can progress into a more serious illness called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and can keep women from being able to have children in the future. If it is left untreated in men, it can make them sterile (unable to have children).
- Tell any sex partners right away if you find out you have gonorrhea. They should also be treated -- even if they have no symptoms.

Hepatitis - Overview

viral disease (treatable, but not curable)

Hepatitis is a serious virus that affects your liver.
The most common forms of the virus are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Hepatitis B is the most common form of the virus, and it is often spread through sexual contact.
It's 100 times easier to get hepatitis B than HIV.
Hepatitis C is spread primarily through drug use but also may be spread sexually.
Four million Americans are infected with hepatitis C; in comparison, it is estimated that 1 million Americans are infected with HIV.
Symptoms of hepatitis include yellowing of the eyes and skin, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, fever, fatigue, and darkening of the urine.
Sometimes there are no visible symptoms, but there are tests that your health care provider can do to find the virus.
While there is no cure for hepatitis, pills or shots can treat the symptoms.

There are vaccines available to prevent being infected with hepatitis A and hepatitis B. The vaccines are safe, and you can get them from a doctor.

Herpes Simplex Virus(HSV) - Overview

viral disease (treatable, but not curable)

Herpes is caused by a virus that can be treated but not cured. The majority of genital herpes infections are caused by Herpes Simplex type II. The majority of oral herpes infections are caused by Herpes Simplex type I. Both type I and type II can occur in the oral or anal areas, on the genitals or on all of the above.

Symptoms very are different from person to person. The most common symptoms are pain or burning while urinating (peeing) and bumps or blisters around the genital area, then they scab over. Symptoms show up on the genitals, upper thighs or buttocks betw een three to 10 days after getting the virus.

Herpes is transmitted when an infected area comes in contact with a mucous membrane, primarily the moist skin of the mouth, genitals and anus (butt hole). Herpes CAN be transmitted when no symptoms are present. Herpes (HSV): In-depth Herpes is caused by a virus that can be treated but not cured. The majority of genital and anal herpes infections are caused by Herpes Simplex type II. The majority of oral herpes infections are caused by Herpes Simplex type I. However, it is important to understand that both type I and type II can occur in the oral or anal areas, on the genitals or all of the above. What Are the Signs that You Have Herpes? Symptoms of herpes are not always the same for everyone. In fact, most people who have herpes don't even know it because they never had signs or symptoms that they noticed. If symptoms do appear, they may show up anywhere from three to 10 days after getti ng the virus.

Some people experience pain or burning when they urinate (pee).
Herpes sometimes starts out as bumps or blisters in and around the genital area, and then they scab over.
Herpes also can look like an irritated red area or bumps that many people mistake for something else like an ingrown hair, pimple or rash. Many men mistake herpes for jock itch. Many women mistake it for a yeast infection.
Herpes symptoms can appear on the genitals, upper thighs or buttocks.
How Do You Get Herpes?
Herpes is transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact. This happens when an infected area comes into contact with a mucous membrane, primarily the moist skin of the mouth, genitals or anus (butt hole). For instance, fever blisters and cold sores are s ymptoms of oral herpes. If a person with cold sores performs oral sex, it is possible for his or her partner to get herpes on or around the genitals or anus (butt hole).

Herpes can also be transmitted when there are no symptoms present. There are several days throughout the year that the virus reactivates (wakes up) yet causes no symptoms. Although this time of being contagious (able to be spread to another person) wit hout symptoms is small, consistent use of latex condoms can greatly reduce the risk of getting herpes.

How to You Find Out You Have Herpes?
Symptoms of genital herpes can vary widely from person to person. It is recommended that an individual have a skin culture taken within the first 48 hours after signs appear. After 48 hours, there is a risk of receiving a false negative test result becaus e symptoms may have started to heal.

Blood tests are often used when no symptoms are present. There are many blood tests available, but it is important to understand why these tests are not always right. Many blood tests cannot tell the difference between type 1 and type 2 herpes and can sometimes mistake other herpes viruses (such as chicken pox) for the herpes simplex virus. Basically, a blood test can't tell you where a herpes infection is. The test could come back positive because of an oral herpes infection (fever blisters and cold s ores).

What Happens If You Have Herpes?
There are three medications available for the treatment of genital herpes:

Nongonococcal Urethritis (NGU)

(curable with medication)

NGU stands for nongonococcal urethritis, which means that after testing, gonorrhea has been ruled out as the cause of someone's urethral infection. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder.
NGU refers to symptoms guys often have when they've gotten an STD. Painful urination (peeing) and/or a discharge from the penis are usual NGU symptoms for guys.
The most common and most serious cause of NGU is chlamydia. Chlamydia is a very common STD caused by bacteria that can be easily cured by antibiotics if treated early.
For women, chlamydia often causes no symptoms. But symptoms may include painful urination (peeing) and/or unusual vaginal discharge. It's important to remember that these symptoms can also be signs of something other than chlamydia or NGU.
Remember: While men primarily are infected with NGU, women can easily be infected with the main cause of NGU, chlamydia.
A guy who is diagnosed with NGU should tell his partner so she or he can be tested. Telling female partners right away can help prevent lasting damage to her body. Also, all partners need to be treated so they do not re-infect each other.
The good news is that NGU can be cured with antibiotics.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

(curable with medication)

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix or uterus, which are all parts of the female reproductive system.
PID is usually caused when an STD--such as chlamydia or gonorrhea--is left untreated.
Women often have no symptoms or very mild ones. The most common symptom is cramping, pain or tenderness in the pelvic or lower abdominal area. Other possible symptoms are bleeding between menstrual periods, increased or changed vaginal discharge, pain during sex, nausea and/or vomiting, and fever.
PID can be dangerous because it can cause scarring of the fallopian tubes, which can lead to other problems such as infertility or an ectopic pregnancy (when a fetus grows anywhere outside the uterus, such as in the fallopian tubes).
PID can cause long-lasting pain in the pelvic area.
PID can develop anywhere from several days to several months after infection with a sexually transmitted disease, usually gonorrhea or chlamydia.
If caught early, PID can be treated with antibiotics. More severe cases may require a hospital stay.

Scabies

(curable with medication)

Scabies is similar to pubic lice, but the bugs are too small to be seen.
The bugs dig under the skin.
Scabies causes very itchy small sores all over the body.
Scabies rarely is found on the neck or face.
A liquid medicine applied on the entire body treats scabies and is available by prescription only.
Because scabies is highly contagious (able to be spread to another person), family members often must be treated, too.
Clothes, bed sheets and towels must be washed after treatment since the bugs can live in them.

ABSTINENCE: Choosing not to have any kind of sexual intercourse. For abstinence to be effective, people must not have any kind of sex, whether vaginal, oral, or anal. Some people wait until they are past their teens. Some people wait until they get married. Others choose not to have sex at all. Choosing when or if to have sex is a hard decision for everyone.People must take responsibility and accept whatever might happen because of a choice they make. ABSTINENCE from sex is the surest way not to get STDs or pregnant.

ACQUIRED: In disease terms, something that you get from someone else. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV, are ACQUIRED.

ACUTE: Not lasting a very long time. A cold that lasts only two or three days could be referred to as ACUTE.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome): AIDS is a measure of how much damage HIV has done to a person's immune system. It is not a disease. AIDS can develop after someone gets HIV. After HIV has been inside someone's body for a long time it can weaken or destroy their immune system. The immune system can't fight germs any more. They get different diseases or illnesses, also called opportunistic infections. Sometimes a doctor can still find that a healthy person with HIV has AIDS.

AIRBORNE VIRUS: Germs people get through sneezing, coughing or touching their mouth, eyes or nose. We get germs for colds and flu this way, but not STDs.

ANAL SEX: When a man puts his penis inside someone's anus. This is also called anal intercourse. People can get STDs this way if they do it to someone or if someone does it to them without one person wearing a latex condom. This could happen if infected blood from an anus got into the hole at the end of a penis. Also infected semen or pre-seminal fluid could get in or around an anus. Slang term: Greek sex.

ANTIBODY: A germ fighter. The immune system makes these when it sees a germ get inside the body. After they are made, they go into the blood. Then they find the germs and help kill them. For each different germ there is one special ANTIBODY that the immune system makes.

ANTIBODY DEVELOPMENT PERIOD: This is sometimes called a "window period." This is the time that it takes from when someone gets tested for HIV until the results get in. It may take as long as six months.

ANONYMOUS HIV TEST: A person doesn't give his or her name or address to the people who help them take an HIV test. Instead, the person is given a number and uses that as their name. When they go back to get their test results they give that number. This way, no one else can know the results unless the person who got tested has told him or her.

ANTIGEN: A germ (like a virus or bacteria) that gets inside the body. It doesn't belong inside the body and can make someone sick if it is not killed. To the body it is an enemy or invader. The germs that cause STDs, including HIV, are ANTIGENS.

ANTIBIOTIC: A medicine that kills bacteria and some other germs, but not viruses.

ANUS: The "butt hole, " or small opening in a persons rear-end. This is where feces--solid waste (sometimes called "poop," "crap," or "shit")--leaves the body.

ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTION: A state in which the person is infected by a germ or virus but does not have any signs or symptoms. This could also refer to a CARRIER. A good example of someone with an ASYMPOTMATIC INFECTION would be a person who has herpes who is between outbreaks.

BACTERIA: Bacteria are one kind of microscopic (too small to see) germ. Many types of bacteria can make people sick or cause infections. Bacteria live in water, dirt, plants, animals or humans. Humans naturally have some in their body already. Humans can also get some from other people when they have unprotected sex. These kinds of BACTERIA can make people sick. There are medicines called ANTIBIOTICS that kill BACTERIA. Bacteria cause some sexually transmitted diseases, for example, chlamyida, gonorrhea, syphilis and "trich."

BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS (BV): BV is a vaginal infection, but it is not an STD. BV is actually an overgrowth of certain bacteria in the vagina. Douching can actually increase a woman's chances of getting BV. There are antibiotics and creams that will cure BV.

BARRIER: Something that stops or blocks things from going past it. A wall or a gate is a BARRIER. Condoms act as a barrier of protection between one person's body fluids and another person's body skin. Sheets of latex or plastic wrap can also be used as BARRIERS for ORAL SEX.

BIOPSY: Removal of tissue from the body for a diagnosis.

BIRTH: When the muscles of the uterus push the fetus out through the vagina. Delivering a baby is another way to say BIRTH.

BIRTH CONTROL: Another word for contraception.

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS: Pills that a woman can take every day to keep from getting pregnant. The pills are hormones. Once inside the body the hormones tell the ovaries not to make eggs. Then during sex (when sperm gets inside the woman) the sperm can't find an egg. A woman doesn't get pregnant. BIRTH CONTROL PILLS do not stop a woman or a man from getting STDs. They do not stop fluid with germs from getting inside the woman's vagina or the man's penis. People also call BIRTH CONTROL PILLS "the pill".

BISEXUAL: A person who likes or is attracted to both males and females. Someone who is BISEXUAL might fall in love or choose to have sexual contact with a male or with a female. Slang terms: AC/DC, and going or playing both ways.

BLOOD: A red liquid that flows through tubes or tunnels called veins and arteries inside a person. Most people have about 1 gallon (8 pints) of blood in their body. BLOOD is made of three parts: plasma, red blood cells and white blood cells. Many kinds of STDs can be TRANSMITTED from one person to another through an infected person's BLOOD.

BLOOD BORNE VIRUS: A kind of germ that lives in blood and can't live outside of the blood stream for very long. Air, heat and chemicals can easily kill this type of germ. There are many blood-borne viruses. HIV is a BLOOD BORNE VIRUS. Hepatitis B is another one.

BREAST MILK: Women make this for their newborn babies to drink. It is a fluid that can give HIV and some other STDs to babies if the mother has HIV or another STD inside her.

BREASTS: Both males and females have these on their chests. However, a female's BREASTS grow larger than a male's during puberty. They can make milk after a baby is born. During sex, touching the BREASTS feels good to most females and to some males.

CANKER SORE: Open sores that appear around the mouth/lips, sometimes confused with herpes sores. These are also called cold sores and are not caused by herpes.

CARRIER: A person who has a germ or virus that can cause an STD, including HIV, even though they may have not signs or symptoms. A CARRIER can transmit the germ or virus to someone else through unprotected sex.

CASUAL CONTACT: Everyday things that we might do with other people. Hugging, holding hands, kissing with a closed mouth, wiping tears, playing games, drinking from the same glasses, eating from the same plate, or borrowing soap or clothes are examples. These are NOT ways someone can get sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, from another person.

CELIBATE: Choosing not to have any kind of sex or else abstaining from sex.

CERVICAL SECRETIONS: These fluids come from a woman's cervix and out of the body through the vagina. They are usually a whitish color. If a woman has HIV or another STD, her cervical secretions can transmit (give) the STD to another person.

CERVIX: The lower part of the uterus. It has an opening into the vagina. This hole lets blood come out of the uterus during a period. It also lets sperm come into the uterus and fallopian tubes. It can be stretched open very big during childbirth to let the baby pass through. Imagine a ketchup bottle turned upside down. The neck of the bottle is the vagina and the part full of ketchup would be the uterus. If there were a gate between these two parts, that would be the CERVIX.

CHANCRE: A sore that appears at the place where infection with syphilis takes place. The sore is generally not painful for women, however it can be very painful for men.

CHILDBIRTH: Another word for birth.

CHRONIC: Happening for a long period of time.

CIRCUMCISION: A simple operation that removes the foreskin of a male's penis. This is usually done soon after a boy is born.

CLITORIS: Is an organ above the opening of a female's vagina and above the opening of the urethra. It is located where the folds of flesh come to a point in the upper/top/front/ part of a female's pubic area, between the labia. It is a very small, sensitive bump, about the size of a pea. It feels good when it is rubbed or touched. Slang terms: Man in the boat, clit.

COITUS INTERUPTUS: Oral, vaginal or anal intercourse that stops before ejaculation inside the receptive partner. It is not effective as a means of preventing pregnancy or the transmission of STDs.

COLPOSCOPE: An instrument that uses a special magnifying lens to examine the tissues of the vagina and cervix. An examination using a COLPOSCOPE may be used to see if a woman has human papillomavirus (genital warts). The examination is called a colposcopy.

COMMUNICABLE: Something, like a germ or virus, that is spread from one carrier or infected person to another.

CONCEPTION: CONCEPTION is the moment that a man's sperm successfully fertilizes a woman's egg. The sperm and egg fuse to form a ZYGOTE, which will eventually grow into an EMBRYO and then a FETUS.

CONDOM: A cover for a male's penis during intercourse. It could be made out of thin latex (rubber), polyurethane (soft plastic) or natural membranes (animal parts/skins). They can be bought one at a time or in packages without a doctor's prescription. They are unrolled over an erect penis before it goes into or near a vagina, anus or mouth. When a man ejaculates, the CONDOM acts like a bag and catches the semen. If the penis is inside with a vagina with a CONDOM on, a woman cannot get pregnant. All three types of CONDOMS will prevent pregnancy. To catch germs that cause HIV and other STDs or to stop germs from getting into the hole at the tip of a penis during intercourse, a person needs to use a latex CONDOM. CONDOMS are either lubricated with something water-based, or else non-lubricated. They can also have spermicide in them. Slang terms: Sheath, rubber, cap, jimmy cap, jimmy, raincoat, cover, glove, rubber.

CONFIDENTIAL TESTING: If you get a CONFIDENTIAL test for HIV or another STD, then only you and the doctor who performed the test can see the results. If someone wanted to see the results they would have to get your permission.

CONGENITAL: A condition that occurs at or around the time of birth; a CONGENITAL condition may be acquired (as an infection), or may be hereditary. STDs may be acquired at or before birth, but no STD is genetically transmitted.

CONTRACEPTION: Things people do or ways people stop pregnancy from happening. Some things prevent ovulation (releasing of an egg), fertilization (meeting of egg and sperm), or the implantation of a pre-embryo in the uterus. Some ways are permanent and others let a woman get pregnant when she stops using them. Birth control pills, spermicide, diaphragms, sterilization and latex condoms are some examples. Withdrawing and douching do not work. Not all CONTRACEPTION stops people from getting HIV and other STDs. Only latex condoms stop pregnancy and HIV from happening. Abstinence is the only 100 percent method for preventing both HIV infection and pregnancy.

COME: Another word for ORGASM.

CULTURE: A special substance that is used to grow germs. It may also mean the process of taking a specimen from a person and putting it into the special substance. CULTURES may be used to diagnose certain STDs, for example, chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea.

CUM: Another word for semen.

CUNNILINGUS: When a person kisses, licks or sucks on a female's genitals. This is one way to have oral sex. People can get STDs this way. If they are doing it to someone who has an STD they can get the germ if infected blood or sexual fluid gets inside their mouth. If someone is doing it to them, they can get infected if blood from the infected person's mouth gets inside their vagina. A moisture barrier such as a dental dam or plastic wrap stops this from happening either way. Slang terms: going down on, muff diving, eating out.

CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV): CMV is a VIRUS related to HERPES, but it is usually not very harmful to people with health immune systems. Persons with HIV or other illnesses or conditions that weaken the immune system can have serious health complications from CMV.

DARKFIELD EXAM: A special laboratory technique that is used to identify the germ that causes SYPHILIS. The technique uses light that is reflected at an angle so that the germ shows up as a light-colored object against a dark background.

DEFICIENCY: Not having something or missing something. A person's body that cannot fight germs doesn't have a strong immune system. In other words, they have a deficiency, not enough germ fighters.

DENTAL DAM: One type of moisture barrier. People can use one during oral sex to stop STDs, including HIV. It is a square piece of latex that can be put over someone's anus or vagina. (This way germs cannot get into someone's mouth from blood or sexual fluids found in the anus or vagina or else into the vagina or anus from blood found in the mouth.) Dentists use it when they work on someone's mouth so that blood won't splash everywhere.

DESIRE: To want or crave something. Someone can desire to have sex with somebody else, to make friends, or to have ice cream.

DIAGNOSE: To tell when a person is infected or sick with a specific disease or illness.

DIAPHRAGM: A soft, rubber cup that fits over a woman's cervix. A woman can put it in her vagina and keep it there during and after vaginal sex, with cream or jelly spermicide. Diaphragms are about the size and shape of a tennis ball cut in half. A doctor fits the right sized diaphragm for each woman's cervix. This stops a woman from getting pregnant. It does not stop the male or female from getting HIV from each other or germs that cause other STDs.

DILDO: A sex toy that is either in the shape of a penis or an other rounded shape. It can be made of plastic or another material and put inside an anus or a vagina.

DISCHARGE: When used in talking about STDs, it means a fluid that is sometimes runny, thick, or lumpy. The fluid can come out of the vagina, penis, or anus. A DISCHARGE can be a sign of a STD or some other infection.

DOUCHING: Using water, coke, or another solution to clean the vagina and cervix. DOUCHING won't prevent the transmission of STDs and it can't keep a woman from getting pregnant either. DOUCHING can even encourage certain infections of the vagina. For most women, DOUCHING is unnecessary because the vagina is a self-cleaning organ with its own secretions.

DYSPLASIA: A change in the size, shape, and organization of cells. One potential cause of dysplasia of the cervix may be caused by human papillomavirus (genital or warts).

ECTOPIC PREGNANCY: Pregnancy that happens outside the uterus and usually refers to pregnancy occurring in the fallopian tube. An ECTOPIC PREGNANCY may be the result of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

EGG: A very small piece that is stored in a female's ovary. It is also called a woman's sex cell. This works like a little envelope with all of the pieces and directions inside of it to make a person. A girl is born with all the EGGS she will ever have. This is about 1-2 million. The ovary pushes out one every month, about two weeks after a woman has her period. An EGG can live only two days after this happens. If a sperm enters the vagina and finds the EGG a woman can become pregnant.

EJACULATION: When semen squirts from a male's penis during an orgasm. Usually only a teaspoon or tablespoon comes out at a time. About 500 million sperm come out with the semen. This can happen when he has sex, when he masturbates or even when he is asleep (wet dream). If a male doesn't EJACULATE during sexual contact, he will not be harmed. A male can EJACULATE with or without having an orgasm. It is not the same as urinating. Urinating and EJACULATION cannot happen at the same time.

ELISA TEST: One test that can look for presence of HIV. This test looks at people's blood to see if it has HIV antibodies. An ELISA test needs up to six months to be effective.

EMBRYO: When a pre-embryo (zygote) grows and gets to be a certain size and sticks itself to the inside of the uterus it becomes an EMBRYO. It takes eight weeks after fertilization for the EMBRYO to grow into a fetus.

ENCEPHALITIS: Swelling of the brain that may be caused by germs or viruses that cause herpes, syphilis, or gonorrhea.

ERECTION: When a penis gets stiff and hard. This happens because blood flows into it. This might happen because someone is sexually excited, but it can also happen at other times. A hard penis will get soft again after ejaculation or orgasm. It could also get soft before these things happen. Slang terms: woody, hard, hard-on, stiffy.

EXPOSURE: Being EXPOSED to a STD means that you were in a situation in which you had a chance to "catch" it. You can be EXPOSED to a STD by having sex with an infected person. You can lower your chance of being EXPOSED to a STD by not having sex or by using an effective moisture BARRIER.

FALLOPIAN TUBES: The tubes that eggs move through to go from the ovaries to the uterus. There are two FALLOPIAN TUBES, each of them are three inches long and about the thickness of a drinking straw. One end almost touches an ovary and the other connects to the uterus. They work like a road or passageway. An egg leaves the ovary and rides along the tube until it gets to the uterus.

FANTASY: A dream or story that someone makes up. Some FANTASIES are sexual and can involve one person wishing or thinking about having sex with another person or other people.

FECES: The solid waste that comes out of the anus. It comes from material/food that the body cannot use.

FELLATIO: When a person kisses, licks or sucks on a man's penis. This is another way to have oral sex. It is also called a blow job. People can get HIV from FELLATIO. People doing this could get infected semen or pre-seminal fluid into their mouths. People having it done to their penis could get blood with HIV inside them through the hole at the tip of the penis. A non-lubricated latex condom will stop both of these things from happening. Slang terms: blow job, giving head, going down on.

FEMALE CONDOM: This is a condom designed to fit inside the vagina. The FEMALE CONDOM is made out of polyurethane. It is a soft pouch that is inserted into the vagina before sexual intercourse.

FERTILE: The time during a month that a woman can become pregnant. It is usually a period of eight days during her menstrual cycle. Up to five days before ovulation (because sperm can live this long inside the body), the day ovulation happens, and two days after (the life-span of an egg).

FERTILIZATION: The joining of a man's sperm cell and a woman's egg cell. If the fertilized egg gets to the uterus and sticks inside, then PREGNANCY begins.

FETUS: Eight weeks after fertilization an embryo grows into a FETUS. It is an unborn baby. It doesn't eat or breathe inside the mother. At birth a FETUS becomes a baby. A FETUS makes its own blood. It does not use its mother's. This is one reason why all mothers with HIV do not automatically give HIV to their baby.

FLUID: Any kind of liquid, usually used to describe one on the outside or inside of a person's body. Examples of body fluids are: semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, and blood.

FORESKIN: Loose skin that covers the tip of the PENIS on uncircumcised men.

FRENCH KISSING: A kiss in which both people open their mouths. One person puts their tongue into the other person's mouth. This makes saliva/spit go from one person's mouth to the other person's. Most STDs are not passed this way.

FROTTAGE: When two people rub their bodies together so that they feel good for some type of sexual pleasure. Another phrase for it is dry-humping.

GAY: A word that means homosexual. Males that like or are attracted to other males or females that like other females are called GAY. They might fall in love or choose to have sexual contact. Women who like other women are also called lesbians.

GENDER: A way to describe people. Some of these ways are male/female, man/woman, or boy/girl. A person's gender is decided during fertilization. A man's SPERM determine what the GENDER of a FETUS will be.

GENITALS: The sex organs on the outside of the body, sometimes called "private parts." A woman's GENITALS are her vulva and clitoris. A man's GENITALS are his penis and testicles.

GENITOURINARY: Having to do with the urinary and reproductive systems, which are sometimes called the GU tract.

GLANS: Another word that means the end/tip/head of a male's penis.

GRAM STAIN: A laboratory procedure that uses stains and colors to tell the difference between different cells.

GROIN: Another word for the pelvic area on a person.

HELPER T-CELL: An important part of the IMMUNE SYSTEM. HELPER T-CELLS are what your body uses to identify germs. When HIV finds a HELPER T-CELL it sneaks inside the cell and forces the cell to make more HIV. After a while many copies of HIV burst out of the cell, killing it. The new copies of HIV go find more HELPER T-CELLS. Eventually, HIV starts killing HELPER T-CELLS faster than your body can make them. This is how someone gets AIDS. Without HELPER T-CELLS, all kinds of germs that your body could normally fight off can grow and multiply, and make you very sick or even dead.

HEMOPHILIA: HEMOPHILIA is a blood-related condition that people are born with. People with HEMOPHILIA lack something called a "clotting factor" in their blood. Once a person with HEMOPHILIA gets cut, he or she will bleed for a very long time. Before hospitals screened donated BLOOD for HIV, HEMOPHILIACS (people with HEMOPHILIA) were at a higher risk for HIV because they tend to get BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS more than people without HEMOPHILIA.

HEPATITIS B: A sexually transmitted disease caused by a blood-borne VIRUS. It usually makes a person's liver swollen and sometimes their skin gets a yellow color. If it is untreated HEPATITIS B can cause cancer or severely damage a person's liver. There is no cure for HEPATITIS B, but there is a VACCINE that can prevent a person from getting it.

HEREDITARY: A trait or characteristic that is genetically passed from either the mother or the father to a child. No STD is passed genetically from a parent to their children.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus): This is the virus that usually leads to AIDS. It is a virus that only humans can pass to other humans. Once it is inside a person's body, it begins to break down or weaken the person's immune system. A person who has HIV may not get sick for a long time. You cannot tell if a person has HIV just by looking at them. The only way to know if a person has HIV is to do an official test. Hospitals and clinics can test a person for HIV by using their blood, urine (pee)or saliva (spit). It is also possible to purchase a Home Access Test (HAT) to test yourself for HIV without having to go to a hospital or clinic.

HETEROSEXUAL: A person who likes or is attracted to someone of the opposite sex. Someone who finds the gender opposite of theirs more attractive. They might fall in love or choose to have sexual contact with a person of the opposite sex. Males that like females and females that like males are called HETEROSEXUAL. Slang terms: straight, het, breeder, hetero.

HOMOSEXUAL: Someone who finds his or her own gender attractive. They might fall in love or choose to have sexual contact with this person. Males that like males and females that like females are HOMOSEXUAL. Slang terms: Men: faggot, queer, gay, homo, queen, etc; Women: lesbian, dyke, femme, bull-dyke, lezzie, lesbo.

HORMONES: Chemicals/substances/things that a body makes to help other organs do their job.

HORNY: A slang term that means someone feels like they want to have sex, either with one specific person, or with any person.

HYMEN: A thin piece of skin that stretches over the opening of the vagina. There is a small opening in it to let blood flow out of the vagina during a period. People used to think that a HYMEN that wasn't broken meant a girl was a virgin. Now we know that it has a small hole in it that can get stretched more just from running, playing or using tampons. Some girls are even born without a HYMEN.

IMMUNE: To be protected or safe from something. Most people who get chicken pox as children are IMMUNE to chicken pox for the rest of their lives. There are VACCINES that can make you IMMUNE to certain diseases, like Hepatitis B.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: A group of cells inside the body that all work together to keep a person healthy by killing germs. These cells can tell the difference between the cells that are part of the body and those things that don't belong inside someone. They defend or protect the body from enemies or invaders like viruses, bacteria and other germs. Lymph nodes and white blood cells are two parts of the IMMUNE SYSTEM.

INCUBATION PERIOD: The time period that goes from the first day a person gets an STD until they start to get sick. Depending on the disease, this can be as short as a few days or more than 10 years. Even though an infected person may feel perfectly healthy and show no symptoms during a disease's INCUBATION PERIOD, they still can still give the disease to another person.

INFECTED: Another way to say that someone has "caught" a germ is to say they are INFECTED. If you are infected with a disease-causing germ there is a certain amount of time (called an INCUBATION PERIOD) between the time you get INFECTED and the time that you show SYPMTOMS (signs) of the disease.

INJECTING DRUG USERS: People who use needles to put drugs into their bodies. Drugs like heroin, cocaine or speed can be injected into a person's veins. Steroids are usually injected into someone's muscles. People who share needles can get HIV or other blood borne infections like HEPATITIS B. The blood that gets into the needle/syringe/case (where the drugs are put) from one person's body can then get into another person's body when they use the same needle. The risk of catching an STD through needles can be eliminated by either not sharing needles or STERILIZING them between uses.

INTRAVENOUS (I.V.): Going directly into someone's veins. Doctors and nurses can deliver certain medicines and fluids INTRAVENOUSLY by attaching a long tube with a needle on the end of it to a bag of the medicine or fluid. A doctor or nurse will then put the needle into a person's vein and allow the fluid to flow into it.