Yeast Infections

A yeast infection is a fungal infection on the skin or any mucous membranes. A yeast infection is caused by the fungus Candida, and thus is also referred to as candidiasis. The most common yeast infection sites are the vagina and vulva (vulvovaginal candidiasis), the nails (onychomycosis), and the mouth and/or throat (oral thrush). 1Although vulvovaginal candidiasis is more common than penile, both…

Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial Meningitis is caused by inflammation of the meninges, the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.1 A host of different strains of bacteria can cause meningitis, and people are more susceptible to certain strains at certain ages.1 Oftentimes, people carry the contagious bacteria, but do not show symptoms. However, if the bacteria break…

Nongonococcal Urethritis

What Is It? ​Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) is a broad term describing used to describe an inflammation of the urethra. NGU is caused by the introduction of bacteria, not including gonorrhea. While NGU can be caused by several different microorganisms including Mycoplasma genitalium and adenovirus, the most common NGU-inducing pathogen is chlamydia.1 Who Is at Risk?…

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by Chlamydia trachomatis (shown above) , a bacterium that infects and parasitically lives within human cells, sometimes leading to several other disease states in both males and females.1 Chlamydia is the most frequently reported sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the United States, infecting approximately 2.86 million new…

Chancroid

Chancroid is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi.1 It attacks the tissue and produces ulcers or open sores on or near the genitals (i.e., the penis/testes, labia).1 Although chancroid is highly contagious, it is curable.1  While once prevalent across the globe, recent efforts to improve diagnosis and treatment, along with…