Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s)

REBECCA ARROYO801-09-0369PROF. SANJURJO ENGLISH CLASS

Readings: The languages of Sex The languages of Sexuality Sexuality in the relationships of Lesbians and Gay Men Aids in Television

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (“STD”) (Ohsman & Mirisola, LLP) http://www.oshmanlaw.com/personal_injury/sexually-transmitted-diseases-std.html

Essentialism vs. Constructionism

Sex is not intrinsically “naughty”, but it is a focus for powerful feelings . This is why we experience sex very subjectively.

The assumption that our sexuality is the most spontaneously natural thing about us. That it is the basis for some of our most passionate feelings and commitments. That thought it, we experience ourselves as real people; it gives us our identity, our sense of self, as men or women, as heterosexual or homosexual, normal or abnormal, natural or unnatural. Sex has become “the truth of our being”.

Despite sustained attempts over many years to “demystify” sex, and several decades of much proclaimed “liberalism” and “permissiveness”, the erotic still arouses acute moral anxiety and confusion.

Sexuality has become the focus of fierce ethical and political divisions: betweeb traditional moralist and liberals.

Essentialism vs. Constructionism

There is also a belief that sex is an overpowering natural forcé, a biological imperative misteriously located in the genitals that sweeps all before it.

Freud stated in his dynamic unconscious theory that what goes on in the unconcious mind often contradicts the apparent certainties of concious life. The life of the mind-of fantasies above all-reveals a diversity of desires to which human being is heir. It unsettles the apparent solidities of gender, of sexual need, of identity.

This view of sex in our culture provides an ideological justification for uncontrollable male lust, and even for the fact of rape, and for the downgrading of female sexual autonomy.

Rosalind Coward stated: “In the private life of the mind, nothing is certain, nothing is fixed”.

Media Resources

Informative- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtIbdkaQ3AQ Graphic video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oVwIOEW-2g HIV stories- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1REixiBm_T8 Support- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep8u-vuk4cM

Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) Genital human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted

infection There are more than 40 types of HPV that can infect the genital areas of males and females.

Anyone who is having (or has ever had) sex can get HPV. HPV is so common that nearly all sexually-active men and women get it at some point in

their lives. This is true even for people who only have sex with one person in their lifetime.

HPV is passed on through genital contact, most often during vaginal and anal sex. HPV may also be passed on during oral sex and genital-to-genital contact. HPV can be passed on between straight and same-sex partners—even when the infected person has no signs or symptoms.

HPV Symptoms

Most people with HPV never develop symptoms or health problems. Most HPV infections (90%) go away by themselves within two years. But, sometimes, HPV infections will persist and can cause a variety of serious health problems. Health problems that can be caused by HPV include: Genital warts (warts on the genital areas); Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a rare condition in which

warts grow in the throat; Cervical cancer, cancer on a woman's cervix; and Other, less common, but serious cancers, including genital cancers

(cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, or anus), and a type of head and neck cancer called oropharyngeal cancer (cancer in the back of throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils).

How lo lower the risk of

getting HPV: There are several ways that people can lower their chances of getting HPV:

HPV vaccines are recommended for 11- or 12-year-old boys and girls. HPV vaccines are safe and effective, and can protect males and females against some of the most common types of HPV that can lead to disease and cancer. HPV vaccines are given in three shots over six months; it is important to get all three doses to get the best protection. Boys and girls at ages 11 or 12 are most likely to have the best protection provided by HPV vaccines, and their immune response to vaccine is better than older women and men.

For those who choose to be sexually active, condoms may lower the risk of HPV. HPV can infect areas that are not covered by a condom – so condoms may not fully protect against HPV

HPV Treatments There is no treatment for the virus itself, but there are treatments for the

health problems that HPV can cause: Genital warts can be removed with treatments applied by the provider or the

person himself/herself. No one treatment is better than another. Some people choose not to treat warts, but to see if they disappear on their own. If left untreated, genital warts may go away, stay the same, or grow in size or number.

Cervical cancer is most treatable when it is diagnosed and treated early. Women who get routine Pap tests and follow up as needed can identify problems before cancer develops. Prevention is always better than treatment.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) can be treated with surgery or medicines. Curing RRP can sometimes require many treatments or surgeries over a period of years.

Herpes (Type I and type II)

There are two types of HSV: HSV type 1 most commonly causes cold sores. It can also cause genital

herpes. HSV type 2 is the usual cause of genital herpes, but it also can infect the

mouth. HSV spreads direct contact. Some people have no symptoms. Others

get sores near the area where the virus has entered the body. They turn into blisters, become itchy and painful, and then heal.

Most people have outbreaks several times a year. Over time, you get them less often.

Medicines to help your body fight the virus can help lessen symptoms and decrease outbreaks.

Herpes (Type I and

type II) CDC estimates that, annually, 776,000 people in the United States get new herpes infections. Genital herpes infection is common in the United States. Nationwide, 16.2%, or about one out of six, people aged 14 to 49 years have genital HSV-2 infection.

People get herpes by having anal, vaginal or oral sex with someone who has the disease. HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be found in and released from the sores that the viruses cause. Transmission can occur from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know that he or she is infected.

Health care providers can diagnose genital herpes by visual inspection if the outbreak is typical. Providers can also take a sample from the sore(s) and test it. Sometimes, HSV infections can be diagnosed between outbreaks with a blood test.

There is no treatment that can cure herpes. Antiviral medications can, however, prevent or shorten outbreaks during the period of time the person takes the medication.  In addition, daily suppressive therapy (daily use of antiviral medication) for herpes can reduce the likelihood of transmission to partners.

Chlamydia Most people who have chlamydia don’t know it since the disease often has no

symptoms. Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD in the United States. Sexually active females 25 years old and younger need testing every year. Chlamydia is usually treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics are

very effective for treating chlamydia. More than 95 out of 100 people with chlamydia will be cured if they take their

antibiotics correctly.

Chlamydia symptoms in women:

If women do get symptoms, the most common include: pain when urinating a change in vaginal discharge pain in the lower abdomen pain and/or bleeding during sex bleeding after sex bleeding between periods heavier periods than usual

If chlamydia is left untreated in women, it can spread to the womb and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is a major cause of infertility, miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy (when a fertilized egg implants itself outside the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes).

Chlamydia symptoms in men:

If men do get symptoms, the most common include: pain when urinating (peeing) discharge from the tip of the penis (this can be a white, cloudy or

watery discharge) pain in the testicles

Some men have mild symptoms that disappear after two or three days. Even if the symptoms disappear you will still have the infection and be able to pass it on. If chlamydia is left untreated in men they are at risk of complications such as orchitis (swollen testicles), reactive arthritis (inflammation of the joints) and infertility.

GonorrheaSexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium.Gonorrhea can

grow easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix (opening to the womb), uterus (womb), and fallopian tubes (egg canals) in women, and in the urethra (urine canal) in women and men. The bacterium can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes, and anus.

Gonorrhea is a very common infectious disease. CDC estimates that, annually, 820,000 people in the United States get new gonorrhea infections and less than half of these infections are detected and reported to CDC.

People get gonorrhea by having anal, vaginal or oral sex with someone who has the disease. Gonorrhea can still be transmitted via fluids even if a man does not ejaculate. Gonorrhea can also be spread from an untreated mother to her baby during childbirth.

Gonorrhea Symptoms

Some men with gonorrhea may have no symptoms at all. However, common symptoms in men include a burning sensation when urinating, or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis that usually appears 1 to 14 days after infection. Sometimes men with gonorrhea get painful or swollen testicles.

Most women with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms. Even when a woman has symptoms, they are often mild and can be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. The initial symptoms in women can include a painful or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods. Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection, even if symptoms are not present or are mild.

Symptoms of rectal infection in both men and women may include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or painful bowel movements. Rectal infections may also cause no symptoms. Infections in the throat may cause a sore throat, but usually cause no symptoms.

Gonorrhea Treatments

Gonorrhea can be cured with the right treatment. It is important to take all of the medication prescribed to cure

gonorrhea. Medication for gonorrhea should not be shared with anyone.

Although medication will stop the infection, it will not repair any permanent damage done by the disease.

Drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea are increasing, and successful treatment of gonorrhea is becoming more difficult. If a person’s symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, he or she should return to a health care provider to be reevaluated.

Syphilis Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium. Syphilis can cause long-term complications and/or death if not adequately

treated. CDC estimates that, annually, 55,400 people in the United States get new

syphilis infections. Syphilis is transmitted from person to person by direct contact with syphilis

sores. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores also can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Syphilis can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sexual contact. Pregnant women with the disease can pass it to their unborn children.

The average time between infection with syphilis and appearance of the first symptom is 21 days, but it can range from 10 to 90 days.

Stages of Syphilis Symptoms

Primary Stage The appearance of a single sore marks the first (primary) stage of

syphilis symptoms, but there may be multiple sores. The sore appears at the location where syphilis entered the body. The sore is usually firm, round, and painless. Because the sore is painless, it can easily go unnoticed. The sore lasts 3 to 6 weeks and heals regardless of whether or not a person is treated. However, if the infected person does not receive adequate treatment the infection progresses to the secondary stage.

Secondary Stage Skin rashes and/or sores in the mouth, vagina, or anus mark the secondary stage of

symptoms. This stage usually starts with a rash on one or more areas of the body. Rashes associated with secondary syphilis can appear from the time when the primary sore is healing to several weeks after the sore has healed. The rash usually does not cause itching. This rash may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and/or the bottoms of the feet. However, this rash may look different on other parts of the body and can look like rashes caused by other diseases.

Large, raised, gray or white lesions may develop in warm, moist areas such as the mouth, underarm or groin region. Sometimes rashes associated with secondary syphilis are so faint that they are not noticed. Other symptoms of secondary syphilis include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue. The symptoms of secondary syphilis will go away with or without treatment. Without appropriate treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and possibly late stages of disease.

Late and Latent Stages The latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when primary and secondary

symptoms disappear. Without treatment, the infected person can continue to have syphilis in their body even though there are no signs or symptoms. This latent stage can last for years.

About 15% of people who have not been treated for syphilis develop late stage syphilis, which can appear 10–30 years after infection began. Symptoms of the late stage of syphilis include difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia. In the late stages of syphilis, the disease damages the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. This damage can result in death.

Syphilis Treatment

No home remedies or over-the-counter drugs will cure syphilis, but syphilis is simple to cure with appropriate antibiotics from a physician. Treatment will kill the syphilis bacterium and prevent further damage, but it will not repair damage already done.

Persons treated for syphilis must abstain from sexual contact with new partners until the syphilis sores are completely healed.

Follow-up testing is recommended to be sure that treatment is successful.

Hepatitis

Some types of hepatitis are sexually transmitted disease (STDs). The viruses that cause them are present in a person's blood, semen, and body fluid. Hepatitis A and B.

Hepatitis B is the one type of hepatitis that is most often spread through sexual contact. Hepatitis A can be spread through anal/oral contact. Researchers don't know exactly how hepatitis C is spread. But, they do know that hepatitis C is hard to get through sexual contact.

To help reduce your risk of getting hepatitis sexually, use a male condom with every act of vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse. And, talk with your health care provider about getting a vaccine for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.

Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is caused by infection with HBV. The incubation period from the time

of exposure to onset of symptoms is 6 weeks to 6 months. HBV is found in highest concentrations in blood and in lower concentrations in other body fluids (e.g., semen, vaginal secretions, and wound exudates). In adults, only approximately half of newly acquired HBV infections are symptomatic, and approximately 1% of reported cases result in acute liver failure and death. Risk for chronic infection is inversely related to age at infection: approximately 90% of infected infants and 30% of infected children aged <5 years become chronically infected, compared with 2%–6% of adults. Among persons with chronic HBV infection, the risk for premature death from cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is 15%–25%.

HBV is efficiently transmitted by percutaneous or mucous membrane exposure to infectious blood or body fluids that contain blood. The primary risk factors that have been associated with infection among adolescents and adults are unprotected sex with an infected partner, and illegal injecting-drug use.

Hepatitis B Symptoms Signs and symptoms of hepatitis B usually appear about three months after you've been

infected and can range from mild to severe. Signs and symptoms of hepatitis B may include: Abdominal pain Dark urine Fever Joint pain Loss of appetite Nausea and vomiting Weakness and fatigue Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

Most infants and children with hepatitis B never develop signs and symptoms. The same is true for some adults.

Treatment and Prevention for Hepatitis B No specific therapy is available for persons with acute hepatitis B; treatment

is supportive. Persons with chronic HBV infection should be referred for evaluation to a physician.

Therapeutic agents approved by FDA for treatment of chronic hepatitis B can achieve sustained suppression of HBV replication and remission of liver disease in some persons. In addition, patients with chronic hepatitis B might benefit from screening to detect HCC at an early stage.

Two products have been approved for hepatitis B prevention: hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) and hepatitis B vaccine. HBIG provides temporary (i.e., 3–6 months) protection from HBV infection and is typically used as Postexposure prophylaxis either as an adjunct to hepatitis B vaccination in previously unvaccinated persons or alone in persons who have not responded to vaccination. HBIG is prepared from plasma known to contain high concentrations of anti-HBs. The recommended dose of HBIG is 0.06 mL/kg.

Human immunodefiency virus(HIV)

HIV infection is a condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. The condition gradually destroys the immune system, which

makes it harder for the body to fight infections. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be spread by the following:

Through sexual contact -- including oral, vaginal, and anal sex Through blood -- through blood transfusions, accidental needlesticks, or needle

sharing From mother to child -- a pregnant woman can transmit the virus to her fetus

through their shared blood circulation, or a nursing mother can pass it to her baby in her breast milk

HIV Symptoms People who become infected with HIV may not have any symptoms for up to 10

years, but they can still pass the infection to others. After you come in contact with the virus, it can take up to 3 months for a blood test to show that you have HIV.  

Symptoms related to HIV are usually due to a different infection in the body. Some symptoms related to HIV infection include: Diarrhea Fatigue Fever Frequent vaginal yeast infections Headache Mouth sores, including yeast infection Muscle stiffness or aching Rashes of different types Sore throat Swollen lymph glands

Getting tested for HIV

The HIV ELISA and HIV Western Blot tests detect antibodies to the HIV virus in the blood. Both tests must be positive to confirm an HIV infection. Having these antibodies means you are infected with HIV.

If the test is negative (no antibodies found) and you have risk factors for HIV infection, you should be retested in 3 months.

If the HIV ELISA and HIV Western blot tests are positive, other blood tests can be done to determine how much HIV is in your bloodstream.

A complete blood count (CBC) and white blood cell differential may also show abnormalities.

A lower-than-normal CD4 cell count may be a sign that the virus is damaging your immune system.

HIV Treatments

Doctors usually recommend medicine for patients who are committed to taking all their medications and have a CD4 count below 500 cells/mm3 (which is a sign that of a weakened immune system).

It is extremely important for people with HIV to take all doses of their medications, otherwise the virus may become resistant to the drugs.

Therapy always involves a combination of antiviral drugs. Pregnant women with HIV infection are treated to reduce the chance of

transmitting HIV to their babies.

From HIV to Aids

HIV is a chronic medical condition that can be treated, but not yet cured. There are effective ways to prevent complications and delay, but not always prevent, progression to AIDS.

Almost all people infected with HIV will develop AIDS if not treated. However, there is a small group of people who develop AIDS very slowly, or never at all. These patients are called long-term nonprogressors.

Treatment and lowering the risk of STD’s

Correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of genital herpes, because herpes symptoms can occur in both male

and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom. However, outbreaks can occur in areas that are not covered by a condom.

The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including genital herpes, is to abstain from sexual contact, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected

Why did this interest me? I feel that not enough people give the importance to getting

tested if your sexually active. STD’s are very common, most of sexually active people catch

some type of STD’s during their lives and because many times symptoms don’t show, they keep spreading it witout knowledge of having it.

Even though most people know about STD’s, I feel that it isn’t talked about enough among sexual partners

THIS NEEDS TO BE TALKED AND NEEDS TO BE PUT CONSTANLY OUT THERE IN THE MEDIA, TO PROMOTE SAFE SEX, MONOGAMY AND GETTING TESTED.

What do you beleive it is saying to society? Is it a contribution or is it detrimental?

Is sex threatening and dangerous? Or is it a source of potencial freedom, whose liberatory powers is only blocked by the regressive force of religion? The promiscuity that leads to the widely spread of STD’s make unsafe sex detrimental to our

society, promoting the spread of some curable and uncurable diseases. In the American Couple Study, 71% of lesbians, 84% of wives, and 75% of husbands indicated that

it was important to be monogamous, but only 36% of gay men held this view. (Sexuality in the Relations of Lesbians and Gay Men)

In the early stages of a relationship, gay male couples have sex more often than other couples. This pattern of differences between gay male versus other couples ocured primarily among short-term relationships and not among couples who had been toguether for 10 years or longer.

Lesbian couples report having sex less often tan either heterosexual or gay male couples. On the other hand, safe sex and having sex with a stable partner can bring satisfaction,

happiness, relieve stress, create families and form stronger bonds between couples without the spread of STD’s

AIDS between the gay community In response to the AIDS crisis, there has been some changes in the sexual

practices of gay men, most notably increases in condom use and declines in rates of unprotected anal intercourse.

Unfortunately, many do not consistently follow safer sex guidelines. Gay men may me more likely to protect themselves when having sex with casual partners tan with long term partners.

One of the reasons is because of the feelings of safety and trust that inspire the act of doing it witout condoms.

When one partner in a couple is HIV positive and the other is not is said to be serodiscordant. The safest course of action is to use condoms and/or avoid high risk behaviors such as anal sex or exchanging body fluids

AIDS on television Many peple that have AIDS suffer from discrimination. We can see an

example from the movie Philadelphia, in which a man with AIDS is fired by a conservative law firm because of his sexual orientation and disease.

Another example is the character in Woody Allen’s film: Hannah and Her Sister, who observes sadly that her dental hygienist now wears rubber gloves because he has many gay clients and dosen’t want to get infected.

In the introductory soap operas such as Brookside, where the younger son is met by direct hostility from his father, while his mother invites all the neighbors to an outdoor barbecue in order to prevent them from seeing a televisión show in which his son appears admiting he was gay. Also, the maid resigned because since their son was gay, she didn’t want to risk herself from getting HIV

AIDS on Television

In TV shows, they main question remained: “Will the disease stay mainly confined to a small number of specific groups or will it leak out in the rest of the population?

Programmes had concerns with bisexual men having sex with gay men and then passing the virus on to heterosexual women

At the beggining of the 50’s’-70’s programmes usually displayed commentaries suggesting that AIDS happened ONLY in homosexual men, creating isolation of these groups of people from the rest of society. But by the 80’s, they started talking about how AIDS can choose anyone. It dosen’t discriminate against anyone and can kill YOU.

How does did/does society receive this ? In many states, failure to disclose to a sexual partner that you have a

sexually transmitted disease such as herpes or HIV/AIDS is grounds for criminal prosecution or a civil lawsuit.

In approximately 27 states, it is a felony crime for a person with HIV/AIDS to willfully expose another person to this disease via sexual activity. In some states, the law is so broad as to consider it unlawful for a person to “conduct themselves in a manner likely to transmit the disease.” When a criminal STD case is successfully prosecuted, the guilty party may face up to eight years in prison for their crime.

The infected person may have the legal right to seek monetary damages, by filing an STD lawsuit on the grounds of battery, fraud, negligence, and/or the infliction of psychological and emotional distress.

How does did/does society receive this ?

AIDS- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLSaSp2b724 HERPES- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdrbag7mdIk

Decades ago, AIDS was perceived as a very infectious and deadly disease. Today, people with can have normal lives and live for a long time as long as long as they keep taking their medications as indicated.

Many of the STD’s have cure and those that don’t have treatments that allow people to lead normal lives with the infections.

Are you doing your part?

GET TESTED TODAYYYY!!!!