Treatment and Vaccines Against STDs

Throughout my blog-writing process I have touched on three different subjects: the risks that come with sexual intercourse, microbe reproduction, and the difference your gender makes in what types of microbes live on you. This post is going to relate back to my first post about the risks of sexual intercourse and will expand the discussion to include the value of vaccines and treatment for Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

Some of the STDs that were discussed in my first blog post include, chlamydia, gonorrhea and genital herpes. Of these three STDs, Chlamydia and gonorrhea are treatable with antibiotics, but genital herpes is not. But what if the disease was preventable to begin with? Fortunately, there have been some vaccines made to help prevent some STDs. One of the most popular vaccines is Gardasil. Gardasil was made to help prevent Human Papillomavirus, which commonly causes cervical and vaginal cancer in females and genital warts in both females and males. According to the Gardasil informational website, roughly 30 woman are diagnosed with cervical cancer each day (Garasil.com). Although Gardasil has been primarily recommended for use by female patients, doctors are now recommending for male patients as well. So who should get the vaccine? Accoriding to the Gardasil website, “In boys and young men ages 9 to 26, GARDASIL helps protect against 90% of genital warts cases. GARDASIL also helps prevent girls and young women ages 9 to 26 against 70% of vaginal cancer cases and up to 50% of vulvar cancer cases” (Gardasil.com Learn about GARDASIL). To answer the “who should get it?” question, boys and girls as young as 9 years old can get the vaccine to help prevent the disease. Even if you are already sexually active, it is recommended to get the vaccine.

Since not all sexually transmitted diseases have a vaccine to possibly prevent them, some have antibiotics to cure them once contracted. Chlamydia for example, has a number of antibiotics to kill the Chlamydia bacteria. The list includes, Amoxicillin, Azithromycin, Doxycycline, Erythromycin, Levofloxacin and Ofloxacin (WebMD). If any of the antibiotics are taken properly, the Chlamydia is usually cured. Gonorrhea is the other STD previously mentioned that is treatable with antibiotics. Like Chlamydia, Gonorrhea has a number of antibiotics for treatment, Cefixime, Ceftriaxone, Azithromycin and Doxycyline (WebMD). These antibiotics kill the Gonorrhea bacteria, and if taken exactly as directed, will typically cure the disease.

Microbes have both beneficial and negative qualities. There are many microbial risks that come with sexual contact and intercourse, leading to sexually transmitted diseases. However, if you take precaution and get vaccinated, some diseases can be prevented. But for some who may not be preventable with vaccines, antibiotics for treatment may be available.

What Kind of Sex Are You?

On any average day, we don’t really think about our gender. Why we were born a man or woman doesn’t cross our minds very often. Really, the only time we ever actually “think” about our gender is when we are asked “female” or “male” on some kind of form that we are filling out. But what if being a man or a woman has a lot more to do with your appearance and what body parts mommy and daddy’s genes gave you.

For those women out there reading this, how many of you spend at least ten minutes a day putting on make up to get ready? Don’t be ashamed while thinking about this and realize it might be a little more than ten minutes… maybe even thirty; we all need to look our best, right? Well, have you ever thought about how long you’ve owned the mascara or eye shadow you’re currently applying? Don’t worry; because until I read an article about the bacteria that live on make up, I didn’t either.

Sadly enough, that brand new collection of beauty products might be great for now but, depending on what it is, in as little as four months, it might have to be taking a trip to the trash. According to the article, Infections Caused by Bacteria in Makeup, “… recommends throwing mascara way after three to four months, foundation after one year and eye shadow after two years to reduce the risk of these infections”

Although some of us might have never thought about throwing out our cosmetics, here are three great reasons to say sayonara and move on: Keratitis, Stye and Blepharitis. Keratitis is an infection that occurs on the cornea. One way to contract this disease is through contact lenses, and although contacts aren’t any type of make up, the contamination takes place when a contact is placed after applying make up that could have infectious bacteria. Symptoms include decreased vision, light sensitivity and puffy eyelids. Another infection that could be picked up is Stye, an infection that affects the eyelid, caused from trapped oil or bacteria from cosmetic products. Symptoms of stye include, tenderness and inflammation or a small lump on the eyelid. Lastly, blepharitis is an additional infection that could happen. Blepharitis comes from staphylococcus bacteria that contaminates make up, and when applied to/around the eye, can cause pain, redness, blurred vision, eye discharge and light sensitivity.

As frightening as these diseases all seem, I wouldn’t fret just yet. Take a minute and remember when you bought most of the products that you are currently using. If it is more than the recommended time of use, throw them out and run to the nearest drug store to buy some more. Although these infections can occur, it doesn’t happen to everyone, so now that you are realizing that you’ve had that mascara for a little too long, just be happy you didn’t pick up one of these infections.

Unfortunately, the woman bashing isn’t over yet. We, yet again, are more prone to having bacteria follow us around and live on us than the average man. Depending on what sex you are could determine what types of and how many bacteria live on you. Even though there are a few types of bacteria that are more likely to live on men, there are more that live on women, but who could blame them? In a study done by colleagues at the University of Colorado Boulder, it was shown that palms of women had more bacteria living on them than men. The results of this study had researchers believe that various things caused the fluctuations between men and women, such as, sweat, skin thickness, hormone production, cosmetics application, etc. One factor, among many others, was the pH level a person may have. Microbial habitats tend to be much lower in higher pH level environments, and according the study, men on average have higher pH levels than women (“The Influence of sex…” study).

So, ladies, next time you go to the bathroom and pick up that foundation, think about how long you’ve owned it before applying it, and men, be thankful for your higher pH levels, it could be keeping away some unwanted bacteria.

Cites:

“Microorganisms Responsible for Sexually Transmitted Diseases.” ScientificPsychic.com – Physical Fitness, Puzzles, Personality Test, Educational Software. Scientific Psychic, 2007. Web. 22. Nov. 2011. http://www.scientificpsychic.com/health/sexually-transmitted-diseases.html

Zaykoski, Leigh A. "Infections Caused By Bacteria In Makeup | LIVESTRONG.COM."LIVESTRONG.COM - Lose Weight & Get Fit with Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Tools | LIVESTRONG.COM. 15 June 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.

They Do It Too? Yep.

Dear Author,
There isn’t much of an argument that, unless you took some sort of biology class in high school or college, you aren’t going to know about microbes and how they live their lives. But there are the many people who have devoted their lives to studying, teaching, and working in the fields of biology. These are the people that tell us interesting facts like the fact that humans and animals aren’t the only ones who have sex, the little things we call microbes do, too. I completely agree, if it weren't for the biological minds of our planet, the rest of us would be lost in a world filled with life we don't know a thing about. Microbes reproduce, kinda of like we do. They find a partner, which may or may not be of the same species and multiply. Some of the outcomes of microbe reproductions can be beneficial to humans and other living things, while others may be harmful.
One of the many organisms that have been beneficial to our world is a soil organism known as Pseudomonas. This organism is a genetically modified, or genetically engineered, organism (GMO, GEO). Pseudomonas is an organism that helps prevent ice from forming on plants, which leads to death of the plant. Although Pseudomonas is beneficial, it could potentially be harmful to the plants also. Stopping the process of ice forming on plants could lead to lack of water being transferred into the clouds.

Numerous sciences and technologies are using microbes to enhance our lives and to help better the environment. For example, Genomatica, a company that is leading the “green” industry by producing materials made from chemicals rather than oil and gas, has engineered a microbe that helps change trash into plastic. According to Sign On San Diego, “Genomatia has already genetically engineered a bacteria to feed on sugar and make a chemical typically produced from oil and natural gas” (Sign On San Diego). The reason this microbe is important is because it will not only reduce the amount of waste in landfills, but will also help with the production of plastic. Many technologies and industries could potentially advance using genetically engineered microorganisms.

So, is sex among microbes a good or bad thing? Personally I would argue for it both being good and bad. It all just depends on how they are reproducing. Microbes that reproduce on their own all have different outcomes, some could be very advantageous to our environment, others may not, but we have no control over any of that. I do agree that microbes that we, as humans, create though, could be very benefitial. For example, the combination of E.coli and Salmonella, is benefitial in producing insulin (Reynolds 1). Although I do agree that some microbial reproduction can be good, I could also agree that some can be bad. Microbe reproduction that could lead into a bad situation would be ones that we, as humans, create. The genetically engineered organisms that scientists, or even people who think they know what they are doing, could easily have something go wrong that would end in disaster. Or in a much worse situation, anyone with the will and tools to do so can use GMOs as a bioterrorism attack such as anthrax.

Roughly three years ago I knew close to nothing about the biological world. Here I am today sitting in a college level microbiology class and know more than I would have ever imagined back in my sophomore biology class. A subject that is very relatable to all of us in the class is the relationship between sex and microbes. In no way am I saying that we are all promiscuous teenage college students, but whose to say that all of us know everything there is to know about sex? We definitely don’t know much about the microbial connection to what we learned about in our health classes. We need more people to know about not only the factors of sex among humans and microbes who play a role in that case, but also how microbes themselves also reproduce and what kind of advantages, or disadvantages, we can get from their reproduction.
Sincerely,
Adelina Gomez

Article: http://www.wcponline.com/pdf/September%20On%20Tap.pdf
Picture: http://wownesia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/C0053344-Love_microbial_art-SPL.jpg

Sexy Microbes: When Size Doesn't Matter

“Ah, what a relief! I am finally like all of the other girls. It has been a long time that I have been dreading the day that it would finally happen. Despite not having the guts to talk to any guy that came within one hundred feet of me, I finally grew up the courage to do so. Well . . . the alcohol at the party did at least. Yeah, most of the night was kind of patchy; I remember things here and there, if I remember from a TV comedy show correctly, they call it "browning-out". It’s almost a blackout kind of night, but you can remember some parts of what happened. But like I said, it finally happened and I couldn’t be happier. From what I recall it was with my really good friend Ryan, but then again, I could be wrong. Hopefully, if this happens at the next party I can actually remember some of what happened. Sadly, I know it happened . . . I just couldn’t exactly remember it . . .”

This is the story my friend told me about a week before we walked into the doctor’s office when she started showing some strange symptoms. Unfortunately, now that we are in college, she thinks everything our parents and teachers taught us about sex in high school just doesn’t matter anymore. Either that, or she just pretended to listen in health class and really was thinking about when she was going to have sex the whole time. No matter what the circumstance, I just wish she had taken precaution when she did decide to “join the pack”. Too bad I wasn’t there to stop it, or at least to warn her about all of the things she could’ve possibly picked up that night.

During our visit to the doctor, there were plenty of brochures with information about what kinds of sexually transmitted diseases are out there. While I am only going to talk about a handful, there are more than just five possibilities. One of the STDs that were in the brochure was Chlamydia. Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, and is more common in women than men. The worst part about this disease is that there are often no symptoms shown, therefore many people go untreated which leads to further health problems in life. There is treatment for the disease, so if there are any thoughts that you may have it, check with your doctor to get antibiotics right away. Here are some of the symptoms:

Men: White/cloudy and watery discharge, burning sensation during and/or after urination, and swelling and pain in the testicles.

Women: Heavy discharge, pain and discomfort during/after urination, more frequent need to go to the bathroom, pain and/or bleeding during/after sex, abdominal pain, irregular bleeding.

Sadly, Chlamydia is not the only STD in the world. Gonorrhea is another STD that both men and women can acquire. Gonorrhea, like Chlamydia, often doesn’t show symptoms, more so in men than women. But, if symptoms do show, they will show up in 1 to 14 days of being infected. Gonorrhea is also treatable with antibiotics like Chlamydia. If any sort of symptom is shown, see a doctor as soon as possible to get treatment. Here are the symptoms of Gonorrhea:

Men: Yellow or white discharge from penis, burning sensation during urination, and discharge or irritation of the anus

Women: Vaginal discharge, pain during urination, discharge and/or irritation from anus

Another common sexually transmitted disease is Genital Herpes. There are two types of herpes, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 develops orally, causing cold sores, while HSV-2 develops during intercourse and causes infection to genital area. Unfortunately, unlike Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, there is no treatment for Genital Herpes. If you are infected, be sure to be safe with who your next sexual partner may be, so further spreading doesn’t occur. Symptoms of Genital Herpes include: itching of the genital or anal area, small blisters, pain during urination, back pain, headaches, and flu-like symptoms (Avert).

As mentioned, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Genital Herpes are only a few of the sexually transmitted diseases of our time. If you are unsure at any point of possibly obtaining an STD, see a doctor. Some STDs are treatable, so the sooner the disease is noticed, the better.

Here are a few more facts:

• College students are the most likely to catch a Sexually Transmitted Disease because of the high number of students who are or will be sexually experienced.

• Some STDs to not show any or very few symptoms leading to not knowing that the disease is even present.

• Due to lack of knowledge of whether or not you have an STD or not, you are at a higher risk of passing on the disease to your sexual partner.

• If you are unsure about whether or not you have been infected, get tested.

• For more information, contact a health care provider

http://www.avert.org/std.htm

Structure reference:
http://www.snowboardgo.com/
Images:
1. http://www.microbiologyonline.org.uk/themed/sgm/img/general-content/3.1.1_overview.png
2. http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/jco/lowres/jcon657l.jpg