What students need to know about STDs
Vomiting, diarrhea, vaginal discharge and cauliflower-like bumps near the genital area are just some of the symptoms associated with a sexually transmitted disease.
One in four Americans between the ages of 15 and 55 will contract an STD during their lifetime, according to a leaflet distributed by the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah.
Also known as sexually transmitted infections, STDs can be passed through vaginal, anal or oral intercourse, by sharing needles for injection drugs, steroids, vitamins, and sharing needles for body piercing or tattoos, according to a pamphlet by Laurie Slothower that the Student Wellness Center disperses.
The pamphlet cites the most common STDs as chlamydia, herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea and syphilis.
“[STDs] are something that we recognize, that we see and that we take care of,” said Dr. Jim Davis, director of the Student Health Center. “It’s not a steady stream of students coming in though.”
Davis said he feels people are abstaining from sexual intercourse and avoiding STDs, but infections are still present on campus.
The Student Health Center will give those who may have an STD a chance to have an honest talk about the disease, provide an evaluation of the symptoms, diagnose and treat any infections, and help to track down any contacts, Davis said.
“Most of these illnesses are reportable by law,” Davis said. “We have to make a report to the Public Health Department. Every practitioner in the state of Utah does so you can’t keep [an STD] a secret by choosing a different doctor.”
Davis said the Student Health Center is on a cost-recovery basis, which means it is not out to make a profit and charges only the cost of the test to students.
“Once they get past the embarrassment and discomfort, we don’t want to add cost to that,” Davis said.
Of the 20 to 30 cases of STDs diagnosed at Utah State University, Davis said chlamydia is the most common. It is also listed as the fastest growing STD, according to the Student Wellness Center pamphlet.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) lists chlamydia as having 254 cases per 100,000 people.
“It is the one that has common symptoms which makes it easier to diagnose,” Davis said.
The symptoms for chlamydia include burning and stinging while urinating, using the bathroom more often and having discharge from the urine outlet or the urethra, Davis said.
According to a handout stating the basics on STDs from the Student Wellness Center, chlamydia in males can cause inflammation and infection of the urethra. In females it can cause inflammation of the cervix. Infertility can be found in both males and females due to chlamydia.
The Student Wellness Center sees more cases of chlamydia in men because the symptoms are more present, Davis said. Many women who have the infection are not aware of it because their symptoms are silent.
Davis said eight out of 10 women who have chlamydia have no symptoms.
Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics.
“Unless you get it back again, it’s gone forever,” Davis said.
Davis said the second-most-common STD the Student Wellness Center deals with is genital warts or human papilloma virus (HPV).
HPV causes small bumps, which sometimes resemble cauliflower, in the genital area and increase the risk of cervical and other cancers, according to Slothower’s pamphlet.
“Human papilloma virus is not treatable to the point of getting rid of the virus,” Davis said. “The symptoms and the lesions are controllable so you can freeze them or burn them to get rid of them, but you can’t get rid of the virus from your body.”
The most common viral STD, a person cannot receive genital warts by coming in contact with a normal skin wart. The two look much the same though, according to the Student Wellness Center handout.
Because of the nature of the infection, more women are seen with HPV than men, Davis said.
“A lot of times you pick up [that women] have genital warts simply because you see them,” Davis said. “[Women] come in for a routine exam and men don’t often come in for a routine exam on a regular basis.
Women often visit a doctor for a routine examine when they are on birth-control pills, Davis said.
The third infection the Student Wellness Center sees the most of is herpes type II.
A common virus, herpes causes cold sores and fever blisters around the mouth or lips but can also cause genital sores, according to the handout. Although the two diseases are different, it is possible to get oral herpes in the genital area and to get genital herpes in the oral area by coming in contact with an active sore.
“Most herpes is painful, red, irritated blisters, therefore it makes itself very obvious,” Davis said.
Even though the blisters can be treated with creams to decrease the severity, there is no cure and the blisters will reoccur for life.
Gonorrhea, rarely seen at the Student Wellness Center, is the oldest known STD, and there are 133 cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC.
In males, gonorrhea causes severe pain in urination and a cloudy-colored discharge from the penis, according to the handout.
In females, it causes an infection to the cervix or urethra, but oftentimes goes unnoticed because it is mild. The infection can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing infertility, according to the handout. If infertility is not caused and a woman becomes pregnant, the child becomes at risk for blindness.
Because it is hard to tell the difference between gonorrhea and chlamydia, according to the handout, an antibiotic which will treat both is often prescribed.
Syphilis, which Davis said is seldom seen at the Student Wellness Center, can be passed through kissing and unprotected sex, according to Slothower’s pamphlet. Early signs of the STD include painless sores in or around the vagina, penis, mouth or anus.
The Student Wellness Center handout lists syphilis as a bacterial infection which can only be cured in the first two stages of its three-stage cycle.
In the primary stage, syphilis looks similar to an ulcer which could be found anywhere on the body.
If the primary syphilis is not treated, it will advance to further stages. The handout describes it as a body rash which can be treated with antibiotics.
Finally, the tertiary stage, where syphilis can no longer be cured, can cause skin, heart and brain problems.
“Students are always welcome to come in [and be tested],” Davis said. “I wouldn’t classify [STDs] as our most common disease, though.”
Planned Parenthood of Logan is offering free testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea for males without symptoms for a limited time. Testing involves a simple urine test. Males need to remember not to urinate for one hour prior to being tested. Appointments are not required. Planned Parenthood, located at Clock Tower Plaza, 550 N. Main St., Suite 117. Planned Parenthood can be contacted at 753-0724.