Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), as the name suggests, are diseases transmitted by sexual intercourse or contact. The symptoms range from mild itching to severe death (e.g. AIDS), often causing great distress to the patient, but it is difficult to talk about it. Some people avoid medical treatment and hold back for a long time, which may worsen their condition or infect their family members. As a matter of fact, most STDs can be treated, and the earlier they are detected, the better the outcome will be! Bacterial infection Syphilis Pathogen: Treponema pallidum. Symptoms: Ulcers in the pubic area. Test: Blood test. Treatment: Injections of penicillin once a week for three weeks. Untreated: Gradual progression to secondary or even tertiary syphilis and eventually death. Pregnant women with undetected or untreated syphilis can give birth to babies with congenital heart disease, facial defects, and mental retardation. Gonorrhea Pathogen: Neisseria gonorrheoeae. Symptoms: Pus-like discharge from the genitals. Tests: Special bacterial culture of localized secretions. Treatment: Oral antibiotics for one to two weeks. If left untreated: If a woman is infected with gonorrhea for a long period of time and treatment is incomplete, the fallopian tubes can be damaged, resulting in infertility. Clamydia trachomatis infection Pathogen: Clamydia trachomatis. Symptoms: Watery vaginal discharge, fever, abdominal pain. Tests: Cultures of vaginal secretions. Treatment: Oral antibiotics for one to two weeks are sufficient. If not treated: Pichia has become the most common strain of bacteria causing pelvic inflammation in young girls. In severe cases, it can cause uterine pus to accumulate and even peritonitis, and Pichia destroys the cilia in the fallopian tubes, so if you don’t treat it properly, you may not be able to give birth to a child! Viral infection Cauliflower Pathogen: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Symptoms: Grain-like bumps on the pubic area. Tests: Experienced physicians can make a preliminary diagnosis by looking at the appearance of the bumps, which can be further confirmed by removing the cauliflower and sending it to a pathologist for testing. Treatment Under local anesthesia, the cauliflower can be removed by surgical excision or electrocautery laser. If left untreated: The increasing number of cauliflower growths on a woman’s cervix may progress to cervical cancer, so regular pap smears should be performed. Herpes Pathogen: Herpes Simplex Virus, HSVI or HSVII. Symptoms: Fever, localized pain, blisters, pustules, ulcers. Tests: Experienced physicians can make an initial diagnosis by looking at the appearance of the blisters. Treatment: Painkillers can relieve some of the pain, and oral antiviral medications and creams can speed healing. If left untreated: Herpes will heal on its own after a period of time. However, once infected, herpes will flare up in the future if the immune system is lowered by fatigue, insomnia, or illness, but the symptoms will be less severe than the initial infection. There is a famous saying: “Love is short-lived, but herpes is forever!” AIDS Pathogen: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Symptoms: Fatigue, unexplained fever, weight loss, swollen lymph glands, multiple infections. Tests: Blood tests. Treatment: Suppress viral reproduction with various drugs and avoid other bacterial-viral co-infections. If untreated: complication of other infections and death. Protozoal infection Tricomonas infection Pathogen: Trichomonas vaginalis. Symptoms: Men have almost no symptoms at all. Women have yellowish-green, foamy, foul-smelling leukorrhea and itching in the pubic area. Tests: Take secretions and confirm by seeing Trichomonas vaginalis under a microscope. Treatment: Pills or vaginal plugs can be taken, but the male partner must be treated at the same time, otherwise it is likely to be re-infected! Without treatment: localized discomfort. Parasitic infections Pubic lice Pathogen: Pubic lice (Phthirus pubis). Symptoms: Localized itching. In addition to sexual contact, this disease can also be transmitted by contact with the patient’s clothing and bedding. Tests: The disease can be confirmed by finding insect bodies or eggs in the pubic hair area. Treatment: Local application of special insecticides, clothing and bedding should also be sterilized. Scabies Pathogen: Sarcoptes scabiei. Symptoms: Severe scratching, especially at night, and a spotty skin rash. The disease can be transmitted by contact with the patient’s clothing and bedding in addition to sexual contact, and such infections are common in the military and hospices. Tests: The infection can be confirmed by finding worms at the site of infection. Treatment: Topical application of special insecticides and disinfection of clothing and bedding.