Sexually transmitted diseases is a general term that refers to as many as twenty different illnesses. These are transmitted by sex - usually through the exchange of bodily fluids such as ~semen~, vaginal fluid, and ~blood~. |STD's| such as |herpes|, can be acquired by kissing or close contact with infected areas - not just intercourse. If left untreated, |STD's| can cause permanent damage that leaves you blind, |brain|-damaged, or sterile. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) disease, often leads to |AIDS| (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), which can cause death.
The most common |STD's| are |chlamydia|, |herpes|, |gonorrhea|, genital warts, |syphilis|, |hepatitis B|, |crabs|, and |trichomoniasis|.
STD's can be prevented, most can be cured. They infect men, women, and children. Mothers can also be give |STD's| to their babies. Anyone at any age can be a victim. It is not true that having had an STD once and having been cured, you will not get it again. This section will describe |STD's| and some simple steps for protection of both partners.
Who Gets |STD's|:
Anyone who has sex can get a sexually transmitted disease and millions do. More than 4 million people get |chlamydia| each year. Genital |herpes| affects an estimated 30 million Americans, with as many as 500,000 new cases reported each year. There are over 1 million cases of |gonorrhea| each year. And |syphilis|, once thought to be on the decline, has made a rising comeback in the last four years.
