STD Information

STD Facts and Statistics

AIDS and HIV
Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a virus that attacks the immune system, resulting in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS.

Chancroid
A treatable bacterial infection that causes painful sores.

Chlamydia
A treatable bacterial infection that can scar the fallopian tubes, affecting a woman's ability to have children.

Crabs
Also known as pediculosis pubis, crabs are parasites or bugs that live on the pubic hair in the genital area.

Gonorrhea
A treatable bacterial infection of the penis, vagina or anus that causes pain or a burning feeling, as well as a pus-like discharge. Also known as "the clap."

Hepatitis
A disease that affects the liver. There are more than four types. A and B are the most common.

Herpes
Genital herpes is a recurrent skin condition that can cause irritations in the genital region (anus, vagina, penis).

HPV/Genital Warts
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that affects the skin in the genital area, as well as a female's cervix. Depending on the type of HPV involved, symptoms can be wart-like growths or abnormal cell changes.

Molluscum Contagiosum
Molluscum Contagiosum is a skin disease that is caused by a virus, usually resulting in lesions or bumps. It can be treated.

Nongonococcal Urethritis
Nongonococcal urethritis (or NGU) is a treatable bacterial infection of the urethra (the tube within the penis) and is often associated with chlamydia.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
An infection of the female reproductive organs by chlamydia, gonorrhea or other bacteria. Also known as PID.

Scabies
Scabies is a treatable skin disease that is caused by a parasite.

Syphilis
A treatable bacterial infection that can spread throughout the body and affect the heart, brain and nerves. Also known as "syph.".

Vaginitis
Caused by different germs, including yeast and trichomoniasis, vaginitis is an infection of the vagina that results in itching, burning vaginal discharge and an odd odor.




Some Statistics ...

One in five people in the United States has an STD.
Two-thirds of all STDs occur in people 25 years of age or younger.
One in four new STD infections occur in teenagers.
Cervical cancer in women is linked to HPV.
Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV.
STDs, other than HIV, cost about $8 billion each year to diagnose and treat.
One in five Americans has genital herpes, yet 90 percent of those with herpes are unaware they have it.
At least one in four Americans will contract an STD at some point in their lives.
HPV and chlamydia are the most common STDs in the United States.
More than 5 million people are infected with HPV each year.
Less than half of adults ages 18 to 44 have ever been tested for an STD other than HIV/AIDS.
At least 15 percent of all infertile American women are infertile because of tubal damage caused by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), the result of an untreated STD.
Two-thirds of Hepatitis B (HBV) infections are transmitted sexually. HBV is linked to chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer.



In the United States, the number of people affected by:

Chlamydia: 4 million
Trichomoniasis ("trich"): 3 million
Gonorrhea ("clap"): 1.1 million
Genital Warts (HPV): 750,000
Genital Herpes: 40 million, with as many as 500,000 new cases each year
Hepatitis B: 300,000
Syphilis: 120,000
HIV: 1 million, with as many as 45,000 new AIDS cases reported each year


Source of data: American Social Health Association