Virus that remains for life.
Type-1: causes fever blisters or cold sores, often on mouth.
Type-2: causes genital sores. Both can be passed to or from mouth or genitals.

Painful blisters on genitals, mouth, or buttocks. First attack lasts about two weeks. Future outbreaks will occur. May have fever, itching, flu symptoms.

No cure. Outbreaks may occur off and on for life. To reduce frequency of outbreaks, ACYCLOVIR drug may be taken daily.

Genital Warts, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Warts on the anal or genital area. Virus passes during skin-to- skin genitals contact. Virus remains in the body for life.

In men: yellow-gray warts on penis, in the urethra, or anus. In women: white or pink warts on the vulva, in vagina, on the cervix, or anus.

Treatment by painting warts with substances that destroy them or removal of warts by surgery, freezing, or laser. Warts may reoccur, needing removal again. Recovery may be painful or long.   

Caused by bacteria which if untreated can cause sterility, arthritis, or heart problems.

Symptoms may not show. May be: burning urination, penile or vaginal discharge, pelvic pain.    

Curable with antibiotics

Syphilis

Infection caused by bacteria, affects entire body if not treated very early. Untreated, can lead to mental illness and death.

First stage: sore appears at entrance site. Second stage: body rash. Third stage: heart and nervous system damage.

Penicillin will cure in early stages. Once in the third stage, medication has limited effectiveness.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Infection in the uterus; may also be in cervix, and fallopian tubes. Caused when bacteria (often gonorrhea or chlamydia) gets in reproductive system. Causes infertility.        

Abdominal pain, fever, tenderness of uterus and ovaries, heavy periods, discharge, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, painful intercourse.

Antibiotics and bed rest are used to treat. If in later stages, then tubal scaring and infertility may be permanent.

Urinary Tract Infection

Infection from bacteria trapped inside the urethra. Common in women having frequent sex with a new partner.

Pain and burning during urination, and urgency to urinate. May have cloudy or odorous urine.

Curable by antibiotics for one day to one week.

Vaginitis

Vaginal inflammation. Yeast Infection festers from poor hygiene. Antibiotics, birth control pills, pregnancy may cause growth of Candida. Also: Vaginosis; Trichomonas. Passed through vaginal or oral sex.

Women: thick white or yellow vaginal discharge, odor, itching, and pain.
Men: genital itch, painful intercourse. If oral, men or women may have a whitish, or greenish film on tongue.

Over-the-counter creams clear up in days. Women avoid wearing tight pants, pantyhose, and wet bathing suits. Never use douches or feminine hygiene sprays.

Crabs/
Pubic Lice

Tiny, white or clear crab-like lice in pubic hair. Spread from infested person, clothes, or toilets.

Itching. May be mild fever, swollen lymph glands, aches. Crabs will be visible on close inspection.

Locally applied medicine kills crabs and eggs. Bedding, clothes, and towels, must be washed.

Internal Parasites

Giardia, cryptosporidia, amoebas and others. Passed primarily though oral/anal sex.

Diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramps, bloating, fatigue, and weight loss.

Prescription drugs kill parasites. May cause temporary side effects.

Hepatitis B

Virus transmitted from sexual contact, or contaminated needles. More common in homosexual men, those who have anal sex and many partners.

Fever, fatigue, headache, abdominal pain, jaundice. In some cases, inflammation of the liver results in bleeding, coma and death. 

No cure. Mild cases are resolved with bed rest & healthy diet. Serious cases need medication. NOTE: can be prevented with a vaccine. 

HIV/AIDS

Virus that makes immune system unable to fight illnesses; leads to AIDS, a set of serious diseases. HIV transmitted from infected blood, semen, vaginal secretions, or breast milk. Gets into bloodstream though a cut, or mucous membrane from vaginal sex, anal sex, infected drug needles, and breast feeding. 

HIV usually has no symptoms. Blood test shows antibodies to HIV. May take years for AIDS to begin. During that time the person has and can transmit HIV. First signs of AIDS : fungal infections, night sweats, weight loss. AIDS diseases: pneumonia, cancer  (Kaposi’s sarcoma). 

No cure. No vaccine. For HIV, combinations of medicines including protease inhibitors slow the virus. For AIDS, medicine treats various diseases; when immunity is low, diseases progress, and could lead to death.