Epididymitis

Overview Epididymitis is the bacterial infection and inflammation of the epididymis.1 There is one epididymis for each testicle. The epididymis is a single, narrow, tightly-coiled tube that collects sperm from a testicle and moves it to the vas deferens. After spermatogenesis occurs, sperm are moved to the epididymides and stored there for several weeks to…

Vaginitis

Vaginitis is the broad term for inflammation or infection of the vagina. There are many types of vaginitis; each of which is characterized by different causes and symptoms.1 Symptoms of vaginitis include vaginal itching and irritation, painful urination, pain during intercourse, light vaginal bleeding or spotting, and vaginal discharge that has a foul smell or…

STI Testing

NOTE: The term sexually transmitted infection (STI) is often used interchangeably with sexually transmitted disease (STD); this article will use STI to represent the group of conditions that are traditionally acquired through sexual contact. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health concern around the world. In fact, there are more than one million…

An Overview of STIs

The Basics Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that can be spread through sexual contact such as intercourse, oral sex, kissing, or shared sex toys. Also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), these conditions are more often asymptomatic than not, which means an infected individual does not show signs of infection. To contract an STI,…