HIV/Aids
Symptoms The symptoms of HIV vary, depending on the individual and what stage of the disease you are in. Within 2-4 weeks after the HIV/Aids infection, the symptoms will start to show which include the following:
How it is transferred between people
HIV/Aids can be transferred through sexual contact, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, injection/drug use, occupational exposure and blood transfusion/organ transplant.
Treatment
In 1987, a drug called AZT became the first approved treatment for HIV disease. Since then, approximately 30 drugs have been approved to treat people living with HIV/Aids and more are under development.
Relevant Statistics
- Fever
- Swollen Glands
- Sore Throat
- Rash
- Fatigue
- Muscle and joint aches and pains
- Headache
How it is transferred between people
HIV/Aids can be transferred through sexual contact, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, injection/drug use, occupational exposure and blood transfusion/organ transplant.
Treatment
In 1987, a drug called AZT became the first approved treatment for HIV disease. Since then, approximately 30 drugs have been approved to treat people living with HIV/Aids and more are under development.
Relevant Statistics
- 33.4 million are currently living with HIV/AIDS.
- More than 25 million people have died of AIDS worldwide since the first cases were reported in 1981.
- In 2008, 2 million people died due to HIV/AIDS, and another 2.7 million were newly infected.
- While cases have been reported in all regions of the world, almost all those living with HIV (97%) reside in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Hepatitis
Symptoms Many people with hepatitis go undiagnosed because the disease is mistaken for the flu or because there are no symptoms at all. The most common symptoms of hepatitis are:
How it is transferred between people
The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through the feces (poop) of infected individuals. People usually get hepatitis A by eating food or drinking water that's been contaminated with feces. As disgusting as that sounds, though, hepatitis A is actually considered less destructive than some other hepatitis viruses.
Treatment
With hepatitis, there is no single medicine. Treatment is specific to its cause, which means that your physician will choose the best therapy for you based on your diagnosis. In the case of viral hepatitis, some viruses do respond to antiviral treatment. In certain acute cases, no drug is needed. Getting the proper treatment is important because the faster your hepatitis is under control, the better your liver will be. The only treatment is to rest because your body will do all the work by itself.
Relevant Statistics
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Mild Fever
- Muscle or joint aches
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Abdominal Pain
How it is transferred between people
The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through the feces (poop) of infected individuals. People usually get hepatitis A by eating food or drinking water that's been contaminated with feces. As disgusting as that sounds, though, hepatitis A is actually considered less destructive than some other hepatitis viruses.
Treatment
With hepatitis, there is no single medicine. Treatment is specific to its cause, which means that your physician will choose the best therapy for you based on your diagnosis. In the case of viral hepatitis, some viruses do respond to antiviral treatment. In certain acute cases, no drug is needed. Getting the proper treatment is important because the faster your hepatitis is under control, the better your liver will be. The only treatment is to rest because your body will do all the work by itself.
Relevant Statistics
- Asian Americans are 5.5 times more likely to develop chronic Hepatitis B.
- Hispanics are 80 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Hepatitis A.
- Blacks were 50 percent more likely to die from viral Hepatitis (2010).
- American Indian/Alaska Natives were twice as likely to develop Hepatitis C (2011).
Worldwide Rates of Hepatitis C
Syphilis
Symptoms
How it is transferred between people
The most common way to get syphilis is by having sexual contact with an infected person. If you are infected, you can pass the bacteria from infected skin or mucous membranes (linings), usually your genital area, lips, mouth, or anus, to the mucous membranes or skin of your sexual partner. The bacteria are fragile, so you cannot get syphilis from sharing food or utensils, or from using tubs, pools, or toilets. Syphilis can be passed from mother to infant during pregnancy, causing a disease called congenital syphilis.
Treatment
Effective antibiotic treatment is available. Treatment needs to be supervised carefully and long-term follow-up is required, particularly for patients with late stage syphilis infection. Treatment of the mother during pregnancy may be sufficient to prevent foetal infection. Sometimes babies require an additional course of antibiotics after birth.
Relevant Statistics
- In men, a chancre often appears in the genital area, usually (but not always) on the penis. These sores are often painless.
- In women, chancres can develop on the outer genitals or in the inner part of the vagina. Again the sores are often painless and can't be easily seen.
- Chancres cannot just appear in the genital area.
- Swelling of the lymph nodes may occur near the area of the chancre.
How it is transferred between people
The most common way to get syphilis is by having sexual contact with an infected person. If you are infected, you can pass the bacteria from infected skin or mucous membranes (linings), usually your genital area, lips, mouth, or anus, to the mucous membranes or skin of your sexual partner. The bacteria are fragile, so you cannot get syphilis from sharing food or utensils, or from using tubs, pools, or toilets. Syphilis can be passed from mother to infant during pregnancy, causing a disease called congenital syphilis.
Treatment
Effective antibiotic treatment is available. Treatment needs to be supervised carefully and long-term follow-up is required, particularly for patients with late stage syphilis infection. Treatment of the mother during pregnancy may be sufficient to prevent foetal infection. Sometimes babies require an additional course of antibiotics after birth.
Relevant Statistics
Chlamydia
Symptoms:
Symptoms in women:
Symptoms in men:
How it is Transferred between People:
Chlamydia is mainly passed through sexual activity:
You can not catch chlamydia from simple kissing, sharing baths, towels, cups, or from toilet seats.
Treatment:
Chlamydia is simple to treat with antibiotics, either a single dose or a course lasting up to two weeks. To avoid re-infection any sexual partners should be treated too.
Statistics:
Rates by Age and Sex, United States, 2012
Symptoms:
Symptoms in women:
- An unusual vaginal discharge
- Pain or a burning sensation when passing urine
- Bleeding between periods
- Pain during sex or bleeding after sex
- Low abdominal pain sometimes with nausea
Symptoms in men:
- White/cloudy, watery discharge from the tip of the penis
- Pain or a burning sensation when passing urine
- Testicular pain and/or swelling
How it is Transferred between People:
Chlamydia is mainly passed through sexual activity:
- Vaginal or anal sex with an infected partner
- Oral sex, although this is less common
- Sharing sex toys
- Touching parts of the body with fingers (for example, chlamydia often occurs in the eyes)
You can not catch chlamydia from simple kissing, sharing baths, towels, cups, or from toilet seats.
Treatment:
Chlamydia is simple to treat with antibiotics, either a single dose or a course lasting up to two weeks. To avoid re-infection any sexual partners should be treated too.
Statistics:
Rates by Age and Sex, United States, 2012
Genital Warts:
Symptoms:
Genital warts are small lumps that look a bit like the surface of a cauliflower. They are painless but can be itchy. Genital warts could be seen or felt in the vagina, penis or anus. It is possible although very unlikely for them to occur in the mouth, on the lips, and in the throat. If you have genital warts you will feel itching but no pain wherever they are.
How it is Transferred Between People:
Treatment:
Symptoms:
Genital warts are small lumps that look a bit like the surface of a cauliflower. They are painless but can be itchy. Genital warts could be seen or felt in the vagina, penis or anus. It is possible although very unlikely for them to occur in the mouth, on the lips, and in the throat. If you have genital warts you will feel itching but no pain wherever they are.
How it is Transferred Between People:
- Genital warts can spread from one person to another during vaginal or anal sex.
- The virus can be spread by skin to skin contact so it can be passed on by close genital contact – you don’t need to have penetrative sex (vaginal or anal) to pass it on.
- The virus will not pass through a condom but as condoms do not cover all of the genital area it is possible to infect genital skin that is not covered by the condom.
- The virus is most likely to be passed on when warts are present but it is still possible to pass the virus on after warts have disappeared.
- It is possible, but very rare, to develop warts in the mouth or throat, or on the lips from oral sex.
- Warts can spread from the genital area to the area around the anus without having anal sex.
- It is possible for warts on the hand to be passed to the genitals but this is very rare.
- It is possible for a pregnant woman who has genital warts at the time to pass the virus to her baby at birth, but this is rare.
- You cannot get genital warts from kissing, hugging, sharing baths or towels, from swimming pools, toilet seats or from sharing cups, plates or cutlery.
Treatment:
- The warts are frozen off with liquid nitrogen or dry ice.
- Podophyllotoxin which is a lotion that can be applied at home. It is most effective on multiple warts that are easily accessible. Pregnant women should not use podophyllotoxin.
- Imiquimod cream although this treatment is not recommended for use in pregnancy.
- Laser or diathermy treatment which is used for larger numbers of warts or when other treatment options have not been effective. Laser or diathermy treatment is administered in hospital under general anaesthetic.