Microbe Reproduction: Does Size Really Matter?: 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