Vaginal thrush is a very common yeast infection that it is caused by Candida albicans in 90% of the cases (2007). Candida is a diploid yeast fungus and is an opportunistic pathogen that is normally kept in control by the immune system and bacteria, therefore, any disruption in body’s defenses can lead to the overgrowth of Candida, hence thrush (2011). Vaginal thrush mainly occurs during a women’s reproductive years and is not a sexually transmitted infection (STI), but it can be passed on from one partner to another through sexual intercourse, being one of the most common infections, affecting 75% women at least once throughout their lifetime (2007). The male partner of a woman with thrush does not need any treatment unless they have symptoms of thrush on their penis. Some of the typical signs and symptoms of thrush experienced by women are, vulvovaginitis which is redness and inflammation around the vaginal area and the vulva, vulva pruritus and soreness, thick creamy white discharge with no offensive smell, dysuria and superficial pain during sexual intercourse (2011). Normally the...
Introduction: Chlamydia Trachomatis is the organism responsible for diseases such as trachoma and the STD Chlamydia. Chlamydia is the most common STD in the United States, with about 4 million new cases diagnosed every year.
Giardia lamblia is a flagellated enteric protozoan parasite that is found in soil, food, and water (“Giardia lamblia” sec 1). This microorganism tends to live in the small intestines of humans. G. lamblia has two separate morphological stages. The first morphological stage is the trophozoite stage. In the trophozoite stage, this microorganism is shaped like a flattened pear. During this stage, the microbe is about ten to twelve micrometers long and about five to seven micrometers wide. Bilaterally the microbe is symmetrical and has two separate nuclei present. On the anterior side of the organism, there is a large sucking disk. This disk is the mechanism by which the parasite attaches to the mucosa of the host (“Morphology” par 1).
Gonorrhea in women can cause vaginal discharges that are bloody or yellow, painful urination, bleeding between periods, excessive bleeding during menstrual periods, painful intercourse, and lower abdominal pain. Symptoms of rectal infection include discharge, anal itching, and occasional painful bowel movements with fresh blood in the feces. When treated early, there are no long-term consequences of gonorrhea. Doctors usually prescribe a combination of antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, doxycycline, or azithromycin, which will treat both diseases. Serious complications can occur, however, when left untreated.
Hochadel, M. (2014). Mosby's Drug Reference for Health Care Professionals (fourth edition ed.). : Elsevier.
Candida albicans is a harmless commensal yeast which becomes pathogenic when environmental changes trigger the virulence factors of the organism. Hence Candida species are opportunistic pathogens in susceptible individuals. Oral infection caused by C. albicans known as oral candidiasis or candidosis. However, C. albicans exist in the mouths of 80% of healthy individuals. Any alteration in the environment of oral cavity can change the presence of candida from commensal to pathogenic. This translation in the status of candida is due to many predisposing factors. In the past, oral candidiasis was thought to affect mainly elderly and very young population. Recently, the incidence of oral candidiasis increased greatly with the intensification of HIV infection and immunosuppressive chemotherapy (1, 2). Oral candidiasis colonize 5% to 7% of newborn less than one month old. The infection also estimated to affect 9% to 31% of AIDS patients and nearly 20% of cancer patients (3). This review discuss the possible causes, the types of oral candidiasis, treatment and management strategies.
Voss, Andreas. Epidemiology of Systemic Candida Infections: Studies to Pursue the Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology. S.l.: Ponsen & Looijen., 1997. Print.
The fishy odor associated with bacterial vaginosis is the product of amines from anaerobic (Hainer & Gibson, 2011). The odor associated with bacterial vaginosis is more prominent when there is an increase in vaginal pH, which mostly occurs after sexual intercourse when semen is present in the vagina, as well as during menstrual cycle (Hainer & Gibson, 2011). In comparison to many other vaginal infections, bacterial vaginosis is not associated with inflammation of the vaginal mucosal and/or vulvar itch (Hainer & Gibson, 2011).
Chlamydial infection is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States today. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 4 million new cases occur each year. The highest rates of chlamydial infection are in 15 to 19-year old adolescents regardless of demographics or location. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a serious complication of chlamydial infection, has emerged as a major cause of infertility among women of childbearing age. Chlamydial infection is caused by a bacterium, Chlamydial trachomatis, and can be transmitted during vaginal, oral, or anal sexual contact with an infected partner. A pregnant woman may pass the infection to her newborn during delivery, with subsequent neonatal eye infection or pneumonia. The annual cost of chlamydial infection is estimated to exceed $2 billion.
"Sexually Transmitted Diseases: MedlinePlus." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 5 April 2014.
While sitting around your house, watching television, you notice that you have been scratching your arm and in between your fingers for a little while. After taking a closer look you notice something that you assume is a rash and just ignore it. The next day however you notice that the rash has spread and that you think you see burrows in your skin. Then it hits you, the weekend that you spent away on vacation in that not so expensive hotel to save a couple of dollars has now cost you more money in the long run. You must go see your doctor to be treated for scabies!
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases STDs, a.k.a venereal diseases, infectious diseases passed from one person to another during sexual contact. STDs are the most common infections known. More than 12 million people in the United States, including 3 million teenagers, are infected with STDs every year. The United States has the highest STD rate in the world about one in ten Americans will contract an STD during his or her lifetime. People who do not know they are infected risk infecting their sexual partners and, in some cases, their unborn children. If left untreated, these diseases may cause pain or may destroy a woman's ability to have children. Some STDs can be cured with a single dose of antibiotics, but AIDS cannot be cured. Those most at risk for contracting STDs are people who have unprotected sex—without using a condom, people who have multiple partners, and people whose sex partners are drug users who share needles. Static’s show that Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are most likely of catching STDs than older adults, because younger people usually have multiple sexual partners than an older person in a long-term relationship. Teenagers may be embarrassed to tell their sexual partners they are infected Teenagers may also be embarrassed or unable to seek medical attention for STDs. This means that they only more likely to pass the disease to other young people and have a greater risk of suffering the long-term consequences of untreated STDs. STDs are transmitted by infectious bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and single-celled organisms called protozoa that live in warm, moist parts of the body, like the genital area, mouth, and throat. Most STDs are spread while having sex, but oral sex can also spread disease. Some STDs are passed from a mother to her child while pregnant, when the disease enters the baby's bloodstream, during childbirth as the baby passes through the birth canal, or after birth, when the baby drinks infected breast milk. AIDS can be transmitted by blood contact such as open wounds, between people who share infected needles or received through an injection of infected blood. Some people believe that STDs can be transmitted through shaking hands or other casual contact, or through contact with inanimate objects such as clothing or toilet seats, but they can’t. Chlamydeous, is from trachoma is bacterium, is the most commonly transmitted STD in the United States.
...lomavirus (HPV), pelvic inflammatory disease, syphilis, trichomoniasis, vaginal infections, and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including recent facts about prevalence, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention : along with tips on discussing and living with STDs, updates on current research and vaccines, a glossary of related terms, and resources for additional help and information (4th ed.). Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics.
Bacterial vaginosis is one of the major contributors of vaginal infections during pregnancy and accounts for 40 percent of these cases. Generally, bacterial vaginosis is associated with several obstretic complications like pre-term labor and delivery, untimely rupture of membranes, postpartum endometrisis, and chorioamnionitis (Wang et. al., 2010, p.444). Metronidazole has traditionally been used as the drug of choice in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis because it is an agent of the nitroimidazole antibiotic family. This drug has been used for several decades because it efficiency in treating the condition ranges between 80 and 90 percent and can be administered across all pregnancy stages while tolerated by pregnant women. The ability of the drug to achieve the high levels of efficacy is attributed to the fact that it can be found in the cord blood, fetal tissue, and amniotic fluid in high concentrations.