Summa Health System regularly cares for and treats sexually transmitted diseases in the greater Akron area. Our care is fully confidential, and we’re able to treat a variety of diseases and conditions. If you’re concerned that you may have an STD, schedule an appointment today as an STD can be a serious health concern regardless of age.
Chlamydia, a sexually transmitted vaginal infection, is the most frequently reported infectious disease in the U.S. However, 75 percent of women have no symptoms and may not seek care. Left untreated, 40 percent of women will develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and many of these women will become infertile.
PID is the most common and serious complication of STDs, aside from Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Left untreated, PID can cause infertility.
PID is caused by bacteria, often the same type responsible for other STDs, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia.
PID can affect the uterus, fallopian tubes and/or the ovaries, and can lead to pelvic adhesions and scar tissue that develop between internal organs, causing ongoing pelvic pain and the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy (the fertilized egg becomes implanted outside the uterus). If PID is not diagnosed early enough, peritonitis (an infection of the membrane that lines your abdominal cavity) and inflammation of the walls of the abdominal and pelvic cavities may develop.
Although women of any age can develop PID, sexually active women under age 25, and those of childbearing age are at the greatest risk of acquiring the disease. Women who use IUDs are also at an increased risk.
Each individual may experience PID symptoms differently, but the following are the most common:
Symptoms may be mild enough that the condition may go undiagnosed, or symptoms may resemble other conditions or medical problems. So, it is important to consult your physician for a diagnosis.
In addition to a complete medical history and physical and pelvic examination, diagnostic procedures for PID may include the following:
Treatment for PID usually includes oral antibiotics, particularly if there is evidence of gonorrhea or chlamydia. In cases of severe infection, hospitalization may be required to administer intravenous antibiotics. Occasionally, surgery is necessary.
AIDS is caused by HIV, which kills or impairs cells of the immune system. It progressively destroys the body's ability to fight infections and certain cancers.
According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1.3 million people are currently living with HIV in the United States, with a fifth unaware they are infected.
HIV/AIDS is transmitted through the following methods:
Contrary to common misconception, HIV/AIDS cannot be spread through the following methods:
Some people may develop a flu-like illness within a month or two after exposure to the HIV virus. However, many people do not develop any symptoms at all when they are first infected. In addition, the symptoms that do appear usually disappear within a week to a month and are often mistaken for the symptoms of another viral infection. Symptoms might include:
Persistent or severe symptoms may not surface for 10 years or more after HIV has initially first entered the body in adults, or within 2 years in children born with an HIV infection. During the asymptomatic period, HIV is actively infecting and killing cells of the immune system. Its most obvious effect is a decline in the blood levels of the T4 cells which are the immune system's key infection fighters. The virus initially disables or destroys these cells without causing any symptoms.
As the immune system deteriorates complications begin to surface. Each individual may experience symptoms differently, but the most common complications or symptoms of AIDS may include:
Some people develop frequent and severe herpes infections that cause mouth, genital, or anal sores; or the painful nerve disease known as shingles. Children may experience delayed development.
The symptoms of an HIV infection may resemble other medical conditions, so it is very important to talk with your doctor for a diagnosis.
Early HIV infection often causes no symptoms, and must be detected by testing the blood for the presence of antibodies against HIV. These HIV antibodies generally do not reach levels high enough to detect by standard blood tests until 1 to 3 months following infection, and may take as long as 6 months. People exposed to HIV should be tested for HIV infection as soon as they are likely to develop antibodies to the virus.
When a person is highly likely to be infected with HIV and yet antibody tests are negative, a test for the presence of HIV itself in the blood is used. Your doctor will often recommend repeat antibody testing at a later date when antibodies to HIV are more likely to have developed.
As with many other conditions, early detection offers more options for treatment. Today, there are medical treatments that can slow down the rate at which HIV weakens the immune system, but currently there is no cure for the disease.
However, there are other treatments that can prevent or cure the conditions associated with AIDS. Consult your doctor for more information regarding various available drug therapies.
For more STD information or testing, schedule an appointment or call 330.869.9777
