The majority of adults typically consider themselves sufficiently educated on the issue of sexually transmitted diseases or STDs. The reality is that several people could use a bit more education on the topic of STDs. One important fact that everyone should understand, some STDs can be spread without sexual contact or the sharing of needles. Trichomoniasis The urban myth becomes true in the case of Trichomoniasis. You can get this disease from a toilet seat. You can also get this disease from a public pool. Trichomoniasis is a parasite that can live in the genital track of both men and women. The parasite can be passed through urine that is on the seat of a toilet. It can also be flushed out of the genital track while swimming in a pool, which then can infect you in reverse fashion. The parasite is diagnosed by taking a urine culture and testing it for the presence of the parasite's DNA. Another way the parasite is detected is through the examination of a vaginal swab under a microscope.
Syphilis This disease has been dubbed the "great imitator". The reason is that the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of several other conditions. Someone infected with untreated syphilis will develop sores. Coming into contact with the sores, or the fluid from the sores will transmit the disease. You can also contract the disease by coming into contact with clothing that has been infected by the sores. The disease can be diagnosed through a blood test. Another way to diagnose syphilis is by examining the sores under a dark field microscope. Under this special microscope, you are able to see the bacterium which causes the disease, Treponema pallidum. Chlamydia The disease has minimal symptoms, making it difficult to detect. It is why it is a considerable danger to pregnant women. Women can pass the disease to children during childbirth. The bacteria is transmitted through both the eyes and respiratory tract of the infant as he or she passes through the infected vaginal canal. Chlamydia is diagnosed with labs test conducted on urine samples.
Gonorrhea Gonorrhea is another bacterial, sexually transmitted disease. Just as with Chlamydia, it can be passed to a child during birth. It can also be transmitted by coming into contact with the body fluid of a contaminated person. The bacteria can live outside the body from minutes to hours. This means that it can be contracted much in the same way you contract the common cold or the flu. If you touch the bacterium with your hand, the simple act of touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, could cause you to contract gonorrhea.
There are several other STDs that can be contracted in ways that have nothing to do with sex or intravenous drug use. It is important to practice could hygiene and wash your hands regularly. The horrifying truth is that you can catch more than the cold or the flu from dirty surfaces. It is important for everyone, sexually active or not, to educate themselves about STDs.