Image via Complex Original
Most of you know the risks: If you're having unprotected sex, you’re playing with fire. Still, 20 million Americans contract sexually transmitted infections each year, with much higher numbers around the world. Talia Frenkel, a photojournalist who founded L. Condoms, points out that the situation in Africa is much, much worse: “HIV has killed more than all the wars, famines, floods, and deadly disease combined,” she says. So why aren’t people just wrapping it up? While in Africa it’s largely an issue of access and education, “In America you can go to any corner store to buy a condom." (Her company helps contribute and distribute condoms to people in need.) As for Americans, Frenkel suggests that a large reason people don't use them is the idea that they're somehow less pleasurable—a problem her company L. Condoms is trying to remedy. But considering how easily it is for viruses to survive in our warm, friendly nether-regions, a little more pleasure is a terrible trade off.
As it turns out, April is STD Awareness Month, so what better time to tackle one of the world's toughest health issues? But while it’s easy to wag a finger and explain risks in the abstract, on a personal level we’ve likely all had our own drunken mistakes and lapses in judgement. The slides that follow are for everyone that has found themselves in a planned parenthood contemplating their own mortality or examining their junk with a magnifying glass on the bathroom floor (most people, basically). Rather than rely on hearsay or your own amateur medical assessment, however, here's a round-up of some common infections and conditions that arise from unprotected sex to show you exactly what you're dealing with. Maybe after reading this you’ll finally decide to wear a fucking condom.
A word of warning to the squeamish. What you're about to see isn't pretty.
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Chlamydia
Symptoms: Painful urination, lower abdominal pain, discharge from penis and vagina, pain during sex, testicular pain
Treatment: Antibiotics
Nickname: The clap
Chlamydia one of the most common sexual transmitted infections, ranking second in the U.S. behind HPV. (Frenkel told me that there are currently around 2.8 million people diagnosed with chlamydia.) Even so, up to 20 percent of men and 70 percent of women show no apparent symptoms—making it very important to get tested regularly. Still, even symptomless, Frenkel says that the infection is transmitted from one carrier to another around 20 percent of the time. When they do show, the symptoms are often similar to gonorrhea. The clap, though it carries a stigma, isn't a huge risk health-wise. Still, get tested often—you don't want to be an unwitting carrier of something that's so easy to cure.
Hepatitis
Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, abdominal pain (especially on right right side near your liver), appetite loss, dark urine, fever, itching, muscle and join pain, jaundice
Treatment: Antiviral medicines, Sovaldi
Nickname: Hep
Common among needle-drug users, hepatitis C had long been thought incurable, but it can be treated with a controversial new medicine called Sovaldi. While A and B have vaccines that are administered to children in the U.S., there is currently no vaccine for C. Perhaps unsurprisingly—considering the malady's drug-associations—there are a remarkable amount of celebs who have contracted hep C including Pamela Anderson, Natasha Lyonne, and Anthony Kiedis. At least you'll be in good company.
Herpes Simplex
Symptoms: Small red bumps or open soars near the genitals or anus, painful itching on genitals or inner thighs
Treatment: Topical creams, antiviral drugs
Nickname: The herp
Herpes, unlike many of the other STIs on this list, never goes away. However it can be treated to alleviate symptoms, which appear fairly rarely. Frankel says that herpes is transmitted from one partner to another around 10 percent of the time, but it's harder to transmit if you aren't currently showing symptoms. She also notes that these numbers increase with the amount of sex (as they do with any STI), "Is it five minutes of sex? What position?" Still, herpes is for life. The best way to deal with the virus is to talk with future partners before any sexual activity and always use a condom. Tenofovir, a topical drug, can help reduce the likelihood of getting herpes from a partner. Basically, herpes isn't the end of the world, but you have to be more conscientious from now on.
Gonorrhea
Symptoms: Viscous discharge from penis or vagina, burning when urinating, painful bowel movements, anal itching, painful or swollen testicles, abnormal periods in women
Treatment: Antibiotics
Nickname: The drip
The good news is that gonorrhea has no complications if you treat it immediately. The bad news is that the symptoms can be really, really gross. (Do some googling if you don't believe me. Actually, maybe don't.) Still, a cycle of antibiotics should have you up and ready for more escapades in a week or so. If left untreated, however, things can get pretty icky: Gonorrhea can lead to scarring, infertility, and chronic pain in the pelvic area, especially in women. If you think you've got the drip, get some antibiotics and use a condom next time.
HPV
Symptoms: Gray or flesh-colored swelling near genitals, several warts closed together in a "cauliflower shape," itching, bleeding during sex
Treatment: Vaccines are available for women, warts can be removed
Nickname: Genital warts
Frenkel notes that the human papillomavirus has the highest rate of newly transmitted infections, with a 49 percent increase, "That's 14.1 million people each year." But most men don't display symptoms of the condition at all. Women, on the other hand, can develop serious complications including cervical cancer. Though there's no cure, new vaccines can prevent women from ever getting the virus. As for treatment, HPV is currently not curable, but cancerous cells and warts can be removed as they show up. If you are a young woman who isn't vaccinated, you should seriously consider it—it's one of the most important medical innovations of the last decade. Anecdotally, I can say that I have more than a handful of female friends with HPV. If you are sexually active young person, there's a high chance that you have it also.
Crabs Lice
Symptoms: Itching, visible lice
Treatment: Lice-killing shampoo
Nickname: Crabs
So the idea of tiny little critters crawling around around our sex parts isn't the best imagery. Still, of all the bad things that could happen after a night of unsafe sex, crabs is certainly a lesser-of-many-evils situation. If you think you have them, just go to a doctor and they'll prescribe a special shampoo. One of the more disgusting thing about crabs, however, is that they can survive in other parts of your body (like eyelashes!), so make sure you check yourself thoroughly. Another interesting fact: Genital lice aren't nearly as abundant as they used to be. Because so many of us choose to shave or maintain their pubic hair, they're slowly going extinct.
HIV/AIDS
Symptoms: Fatigue, fever, rash, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, headache
Treatment: Medications such as Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) and Protease Inhibitors (PIs)
Nickname: The bug
HIV/AIDS is the worst case scenario when it comes to STIs, but in many rich countries the AIDS virus is no longer a death sentence. New drug cocktails have made living with AIDS easier and many people can live long, happy lives if treated properly. That said, HIV proves more than any other STI that you should get tested regularly, regardless of whether or not you have symptoms. When people initially contract HIV, most don't display symptoms at all, while others have a flu-like reactions shortly after contracting the virus. It isn't until years later that complications arise and your immune system begins to break down. HIV/AIDS is especially prominent in the South, where sexual education is less common. About one in four new HIV infections happen to youths between 13 and 24. Most never get treated.
Syphilis
Symptoms: Small painless chancres (one or multiple), enlarged lymph nodes
Treatment: Antibiotics
Nickname: The Great Pox
Syphilis is a highly treatable STI that can be cured within a week of diagnosis. Without treatment, however, some seriously disturbing complications can arise. The New York Times notes that late syphilis can be disabling and deadly if left untended. Al Capone, for instance, famously suffered from late-stage neurosyphilis and it almost completely deteriorated his mental capacities. (He was famous for trying to fish in his swimming pool.) If you contract syphilis think of it as a warning for your irresponsible behavior—it could have been a lot worse, and would have killed you a hundred years ago. Get it treated before you start going crazy.