Sexually Transmitted Diseases Part 1 - The "H"'s

According to the CDC STD rates are up, particularly in teenaged girls.

So do you know all about different STD's? If not, let's review.

There are seven main STD's:
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Herpes
HIV
HPV
Pubic lice
Syphilis

One thing to remember: If it begins with an "H" it's incurable. So let's start with those.

Herpes (HSV on a blood test)
There are two types of herpes: Type I which is nearly always an infection of the mouth, and Type II which is usually an infection of the genitals. Both types present as sores if the affected areas ("coldsores" for Type I), and are most contagious when sores are present. But they can be spread when there are no sores at all, and many people never have an outbreak. Many people have herpes and never know it.
Herpes is spread my skin-to-skin contact, so condom-use offer some protection, but will not prevent transmission. All contact should be avoided during an outbreak.
Fortunately there is medication to minimize outbreaks in the people who get them: antivirals. Acyclovir, the oldest and most common antiviral is available through generic medication programs in several pharmacies, including Target. That means it's available with or without insurance for $5 a month (or $12 for three months).
Herpes is diagnosed through tests on open sores or blood tests. The blood test is not part of standard STI tests, and is not considered particularly reliable.
Getting herpes might be embarrassing and uncomfortable (particularly if one gets regular outbreaks), but it is incredibly common (80% of adults have Type I, 20% have Type II) and very treatable even though it remains incurable.

HIV (AIDS when it progesses)
HIV destroys the immune system, and is the most dangerous STD out there.
Fortunately it's transmitted by bodily fluids (blood, semen, breast milk and vaginal secretions), which means that condoms provide major protection against it.
It's generally passed through vaginal or anal sex, but can be transmitted through oral sex as well. It's more easily transmitted from a male sexual partner than from a female one. It is not transmitted by kissing (unless a HIV-positive kisser has open cuts in their mouth).
HIV does not always show symptoms but it can be tested for with a blood test. It can take 3-6 months for HIV to appear on the blood test after infection, so a good rule-of-thumb for condom-usage is to never consider forgoing condoms until there is a negative HIV test result after 6 months of monogamy.
HIV can be treated with antivirals and help from healthcare providers.

HPV or genital warts
Like Herpes, HPV will only sometimes show symptoms--in HPV's case, warts on the genitals--but is generally assymptomatic. It passes from skin-to-skin contact, so condoms will only provide minimal protection, and it is contagious even without warts. It is, however, generally passed from genital-genital contact, so unlike herpes, it's usually only transmitted during sexual activity.
HPV is very hard to screen for: the signs of having it can sometimes be seen in a women's pap smear, but there's no accurate screen for men.
The warts themselves can be removed, but the virus' presence in the bloodstream cannot be.
Certain strains of HPV can cause cervical, throat and prostate cancers. A vaccine for several of the cancer-causing strains is available. The student insurance at Redlands does not cover the vaccine, which costs $375-450 total (for three shots). When covered by insurance, the vaccine is only covered for women between 9-26 years of age, but gay men also have an elevated cancer risk from the virus. If you are a women with private insurance, check to see if it's covered--it generally is. It's believed that more than half of college women get HPV while in college, so the sooner one is vaccinated the smaller the chances of aquiring it.