According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), St. Louis has the highest per capita rates of two common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): gonorrhea and chlamydia. St. Louis leads in the infections of these diseases compared to every other metropolitan area in the United States. In 2007, there were 742 cases of gonorrhea and 1,265 cases of chlamydia. Over two-thirds of all cases reported are in adolescents and young adults.
The CDC states on its website that common symptoms of gonorrhea are burning sensations during urination, a green or white colored discharge from the penis, and in some men, swollen testicles. In women, the symptoms tend to be more mild, and can be easily confused with another type of vaginal or bladder infection due to their mild severity. Some of the symptoms can include painful urination, vaginal bleeding or spotting between periods, and also an excess discharge from the vagina.
There are also symptoms of gonorrhea in the rectal cavity in men and women regardless of practicing receptive anal sex or not, and there can be a sore throat due to infections in the throat.
The average appearance of symptoms is between two and five days, however it may take up to thirty days. However, there are times when symptoms are not present even when infected by this particular STD. When left untreated, gonorrhea can cause a fatal complication.
Chlamydia is an STD that is often symptom-free. Two-thirds of all infected women and one-half of all infected men show no symptoms, which usually show up one to three weeks after infection. Women and men can experience painful urination and discharge from the genitals. Receptive anal sex partners can acquire an infection in the rectum which leads to a discharge, bleeding, and rectal pain. Infections in the throat due to oral sex are not uncommon.
Due to the silence of the infection, chlamydia can easily cause complications due to not being treated.
More common in women, the complications can include infertility, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Another important fact is that when infected with chlamydia, women are five times more likely to be infected with HIV when exposed according to the CDC. The complications in men are less common, and can range from fever, pain, and rarely, sterility.
There are two types of sexually transmitted diseases: bacterial and viral. The bacterial infections, like gonorrhea and chlamydia, are curable by taking medications. However, the sexually transmitted infections that are caused by a virus, such as HIV and herpes, are not curable. These viral infections are treatable. There are certain treatments that can minimize or relieve symptoms, according to the St. Louis County Department of Health. The viruses remain in the body for and an individual's entire life and will always be infectious to other people who come in contact with an infected individual because of their chronic, life-long infection.
Sexually transmitted diseases can be passed on by a variety of sexual activity, including anal, vaginal and even oral sex. There are free screenings for the five reportable types of sexually transmitted infectious diseases by the St. Louis County Department of Health.
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