Do you experience itching, rashes, abnormal discharge from the vagina? The reason behind this could be a STD.

STD stands for sexually transmitted diseases that spread through vaginal, anal and oral sex. In case you think, only men are susceptible to getting STD, you are widely mistaken.

Women too can get it. But, STDs can be present without any identifiable signs and can easily spread from person to person

That’s why annual check ups become essential to prevent its spread.

And to help you detect a similar condition hassle free, Karepedia is here with a comprehensive guide for common STDs in India.

Common symptoms of STDs

Let’s begin with identifying certain common symptoms of STD among women. Here they are.

• Urinary problems: You may experience a burning sensation while urinating. increased frequency of urination or painful urination are other urinary problems.

• Abnormal discharge : Vaginal discharge is totally normal. Colourless, odourless discharge is also normal. If you have thick, curdy white discharge that indicates candidiasis, a yeast infection.

Green discharge indicates Trichomonas. White mucoid discharge indicates bacterial vaginosis. Yellow discharge would mean a bacterial infection such as Chlamydia or Gonorrhoea.

• Open sores : Sores on the genitals could mean you have an STD. Some wounds can be painful and unbearable. Some are also painless.

• Itching : is a non-specific symptom for STDs.

• Pain during intercourse : If you are experiencing this, it could be PID, a complication of untreated bacterial infections. PID stands for pelvic inflammatory disease. It can lead to abnormal bleeding, infertility.

Some of the most common STDs in India

Here are some of the common STDs that you must be aware of.

Chlamydia Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of genital tract. Early stages are symptomless. Symptoms don’t appear until 2-3 weeks after infection. LGV is a strain of Chlamydia. LGV stands for lymphogranuloma venereum. This presents with open sores and swollen glands. It can also cause bleeding from anal region if acquired through anal sex.

Gonorrhoea This is also a bacterial infection, similar to chlamydia. Symptoms may appear within 10 days of exposure and up to more than a month. Because the disease progresses slowly many don’t seek medical attention until it’s too late. Gonorrhoea can also affect the liver in severe cases.

Herpes Genital herpes causes very mild symptoms which almost always resolves on its own. You may also experience small red or white bumps or open sores in the genital regions. These sores can be painful.

HPV If you have flesh coloured abnormal growth in your genital area with itching, or bleeding, you may have warts. Warts is caused by benign strains of HPV.

Some strains of HPV are malignant, that means it increases the risk of cervical cancer. Hence Pap smear screening every 2-3 years is very important to assess the malignant potential.

Hepatitis Hepatitis B and C are STDs that damage your liver. These diseases are potential causes of liver cancer. If you have hepatitis, you may have stomach pain, joint pain, yellowish skin and eyes. This is known as jaundice and requires immediate medical attention.

HIV HIV presents initially as a flu-like illness. HIV can cause severe compromise of the immune system which leads to other infections. You may also experience symptoms such as weight loss, appetite loss, fatigue or swollen glands.

Syphilis Syphilis affects your genitals by forming a painless sore. Red- brown rash may show up anywhere on the body including palms and soles. Swollen lymph glands, fatigue, soreness are other symptoms you may feel. It can also affect the brain, heart, nerves and eyes.

Trichomonas This is a parasitic infection. You may experience greenish, foul smelling vaginal discharge with itching. Pain during sex, burning micturition are other symptoms.

Chancroid This is also a bacterial infection. however it is uncommon in India. It presents as painful bumps or open sores in the genitals with swollen painful glands.

Pubic lice Also known as crabs, is a parasitic infection of pubic hair. You may experience rashes and severe itching.

When to Seek Help

If you are experiencing any of the discussed symptoms, see your doctor at the earliest. This is important for early detection and prompt treatment.

Treatment of STDs

• Most STDs are cured with timely medicine. Some of the STDs, however, cannot be cured but are managed with medications. These are viral infections such as HIV, Hepatitis, HPV and are treated to prevent further dreadful complications.
• Bacterial infections such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea are treated with antibiotics. Syphilis is also a bacterial infection treated with antibiotics. Trichomonas and bacterial vaginosis are also treated with antibiotics. After treatment you must undergo retesting in 1-3 months.
• Herpes cannot be cured completely. However, antiviral medications are used to control outbreaks.
• Similarly HIV and hepatitis cannot be cured. ART- antiretroviral therapy is used to manage HIV and other antivirals are used in case of hepatitis.
• It is very important you and your partner both should undergo complete treatment.

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, this holds true for STDs as well. There are plenty of screening methods available with a simple clinic visit. Screening is important not only for early detection but also for transmission of the disease and thereby controlling its spread.

Preventive Strategies

Now let’s discuss some of the preventive hacks that can keep you at an arm’s length from STDs.

HPV - human papillomavirus, is one of the most commonly seen STDs. Pap smear is advised every 3 to 5 years from the age of 21 years or from the age of onset of sexual activity. Not only HPV, other STDs can be screened using several STD screening kits which are readily available in the market.

Another simple method to prevent transmission is practising safe sex, that is condoms for males and females, diaphragm and dental dams. These devices are highly effective to reduce the spread of these infections.

Vaccines are the most effective way of prevention.

1. HPV vaccines are of 3 types - Cervarix, Gardasil, Gardasil-9. They help to prevent warts, cervical cancer and anal cancer.
2. HBV is hepatitis B vaccine which is also beneficial for prophylaxis.

Complications

1. PID - pelvic inflammatory disease.
2. Infertility
3. HIV - Human immunodeficiency syndrome.
4. Sepsis