"The spread of sexually transmitted diseases has reached staggering proportions on a global scale, yet hardly anyone wants to talk about them."(1) Sexually Transmitteed Diseases (STDs for short) are diseases that effect millions of people worldwide. Throughout history STDs have been associated with shame and disgust so no one discusses them. This is the reason why STDs are spreading so rapidly in society. Now STDs have become a social epidemic worldwide, reaching 1 in 4 people throughout their lifetime, usually before the age of 25 years old. .
More than 12 million new cases are reported each year, this is nearly 23 per minute. If left untreated STDs many have negative effects on the bodies internal and external system. STDs can leave men and women infertile, create a better chance for cancers,other sexually transmitted diseases, and even death. These are alarming statistics, however, the positive side of STDs are that some can be preventable. The problem is that most people don't know very much about them, and this lack of knowledge leads to so many infections. .
What is an STD? .
A sexually transmitted disease is an infection that is spread from person to person by sexual contact. Historically, STDs have been around for a very long time. For example gonorrhea was the first recorded about 2,000 years ago. STDs are caused by bacteria, viruses and tiny parasites. Bacteria consist of a single cell, complete with everything necessary to survive and reproduce. Syphilis is great example of a bacterial STD. Bacterial STDs can be treated easily with antibiotic drugs, although some bacteria have now adapted and evolved to become drug resistant. .
Viruses are made of a few strands of genetic material (DNA and RNA), a protein coat and sometimes an outer envelope. They cannot reproduce without the help of host cells. It is very difficult to kill a virus without damaging the host cell too, so there are few anti-viral drugs available.