Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that thrive in many different types of environments.1 They are found in every habitat on Earth including soil, rock, water, artic snow, and even the human body.2 In fact, there are approximately ten times as many bacterial cells as human cells in the human body.3 Most types of bacteria are harmless…
Tag: Sexually Transmitted Infection
How to Ask Your Partner to Get Tested
Asking a partner to be tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) can be a difficult conversation to have. It is a sensitive subject for most and may result in hurt feelings or other emotions. Some may take the request the wrong way and assume their partner believes they are dirty or sleep around. However, if a…
Sex and Ecstasy
There are many reasons why one might seek out illegal drugs. For many people, taking illegal drugs is a method of escaping reality; of seeing, feeling, and thinking differently; and of exploring the world they know from an altered perspective. Some take drugs for the purpose of fitting into social settings, some to cope with…
Genital Warts
Genital warts are a sexually transmitted infection (STI).1 They can be transmitted through sexual contact such as oral, penile/vaginal, and anal sex.1 However, transmission can also occur merely through skin to skin contact with someone who is already infected.1 Typically, genital warts appear on the skin in the genital or anal area.1 They are treatable…
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
A urinary tract infection (also known as a bladder infection or acute cystitis) is the infection of a part or parts of the urinary tract, which is made up of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. A urinary tract infection (UTI) is not technically a sexually transmitted infection, however, sexual activity is a common cause…
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
What is it? Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a severe infection of the female reproductive organs that results from the spread of a previously existing infection. PID can be caused by a variety of infections, but it is most commonly a complication of untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Because of this connection, PID is considered…
Syphilis
Syphilis is a highly infectious bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. It is spread primarily through sexual contact, however, the infection can also be passed from mother to fetus during childbirth causing congenital syphilis in the infected offspring. Syphilis is unique among sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in that its symptoms vary dramatically depending…
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…