CHLAMYDIA
Symptoms
Men: Usually no symptoms. Some experience discharge from the penis and burning with urination.
Women: Usually none. Some experience pain and/or vaginal discharge.
Damage
Sterility
GONORRHEA
Symptoms
Men: Pus from urethra. Burning with urination.
Women: Pelvic pain. Painful urination and pus-like discharge. (often mistaken for a urinary tract infection).
Damage
Sterility
SYPHILIS
Symptoms
Men: 1st stage swollen nonpainful ulcers on external genitalia.
2nd stage: changes of skin, fever, enlarged lymph nodes. Brain disorders, heart disease
Women: 1st stage: often unnoticed blindness, dementia and death.
2nd stage: Same as for men.
Damage
Brain disorders, heart disease, blindness, dementia, and death.
Can cause birth defects or death in newborns if mother is infected.
HIV/AIDs
Symptoms
Men and Women: Flu-like symptoms: sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph glands.
Damage
Immune system breakdown, leading to death.
GENITAL HERPES
Symptoms
Men and Women: Lesions appear at the site of infection (point of contact)
Periodic eruptions of painful blister and ulcers anywhere on the body.
Damage
Continous outbreaks. Eventually may lead to hospitalization. Lifetime medication required.
HPV (HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS)
Symptoms
Men: Wart-like genital growths.
Women: Often no visible symptoms. Some experience vulvar burning, itching, pain. Abnormal Pap smears.
Damage
Men: Cancer of penis and anus.
Women: Initially premalignant changes difficult to eradicate. Develops into cervical cancer if not treated.
The HPV Vaccine: How Protected are You?
Today there are over 100 strains of HPV. That’s 20 new strains identified since 2004.
Each strain identified is given a number.
Strains 6 and 11 are associated with Genital Warts.
Strains 16, 18, 31, 33 and 35 are considered High Risk HPV types associated with cervical cancer.
The HPV vaccine is only effective on 4 strains or types of HPV they are: Strains 6, 11, 16 and 18.
The vaccine is recommended for uninfected females ages 19 through 26.
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Health and from Private Donations from caring adults, churches, and businesses.