The chart below represents sexual exposure by number of partners. As you have more sexual partners, your sexual exposure rises, and your risk of getting an STI grows rapidly. Remember, the term “sexual partner” includes anyone with whom you have had oral, anal, or vaginal sex since STIs can be transmitted through each of those forms of sexual activity.
“Sexual Exposure Chart.” Retrieved August 30, 2010, from http://www.chastity.com/chastity-qa/stds/stds/sexual-exposure-chart/sexual-exposure-.
Information in the following STD chart was obtained from the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 31, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/std/.
|
STI/STD |
Transmission |
Common Symptoms |
Results |
| Chlamydia
(bacterial, curable) |
Through vaginal, anal, or oral sex | Often no symptoms;
Abnormal discharge; Burning during urination; Pain; Nausea; Fever |
Damage to reproductive organs; Infertility; Can create throat problems if obtained through oral sex; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; Higher risk of HIV |
| Gonorrhea
(bacterial, curable) 700,000 new infections in the U.S. every year |
Contact with infected genital areas, anus, or mouth | May have no symptoms; Burning during urination; Abnormal discharge; Sore throat | Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; Pelvic pain; Infertility; Epididymitis; Infection can move through the body;
Higher risk of HIV |
| Genital Herpes
(viral, permanent) Medication may lessen the severity of outbreaks |
Through contact with an infected person’s genitals (transmission can occur even if the infected person is not experiencing an outbreak) | Blisters or sores in the genital area; May have no symptoms | Painful sores; Psychological issues; Higher risk of HIV |
| Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
(viral, permanent) Over half of sexually active people will get HPV |
Through vaginal, anal, or oral sex | Warts | Body may clear the infections; Cancer; Genital warts; Throat warts; Can be deadly
|
| Syphilis
(bacterial, curable) Often exists in the body along with another STI |
Through contact with a syphilis sore on genitalia or the mouth | May have no symptoms; Small red chancre sores; Rash; Flu-like symptoms | If untreated, can cause organ damage, paralysis, nerve damage, or death; Higher risk of HIV |
| Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
(viral, permanent)
|
Through oral, anal, or vaginal sexual contact; Sharing needles or drug equipment | Symptoms are unreliable predictors because they may take years to appear.
Symptoms may include rapid weight loss; Fatigue; Prolonged illness |
Kills disease-fighting cells in the body; Leads to AIDS; Often causes death |
These are only a few of the many STIs that we know of. For a more detailed list, visit a site like WebMD or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.