WIU students can get STDs
Issue date: 2/2/01 Section: News
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Most children in America are taught sex education at an early age, and the lessons continue throughout their lives. All topics regarding sex are usually covered, but lately there has been a focus on sexually transmitted diseases.
According to the text "Healthy Sexuality" used in WIU's Health 121 course, trends over the last 20 years have shown increases in the occurrences of many STDs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV/AIDS. Beu Health Center sees many of these same diseases in high occurrences at WIU. As shown in WIU lab tests from July 1999 through June 2000, there were 32 positive cases of chlamydia, 12 cases of herpes and seven cases of gonorrhea, which topped the charts as WIU's most common STDs.
"There is a misnomer there," Sharon Larson, health educator at Beu, said. "With genital warts, there is no lab test. They are diagnosed by looking at them."
Mimi Prerost, health educator at Beu, added, "I would say that every day, someone comes in with genital warts."
Larson said these numbers also include repeat visits.
Symptoms of chlamydia include burning during urination and discharge in both sexes and pelvic discomfort for women, Prerost said.
Symptoms of gonorrhea tend to mimic those of chlamydia, except they are much more severe. As stated in "Healthy Sexuality," the symptoms are usually enough to cause infected men to seek treatment. However, about 50 percent of women have no symptoms. The treatments for chlamydia or gonorrhea - a simple round of antibiotics - are nothing compared to those for genital warts, Prerost said. The bumps, that may range in size from a pinhead to larger than a thumbnail, have several treatments.
It is treated in many ways, including chemical treatments, liquid nitrogen, medications or acid.
Also, unlike chlamydia and gonorrhea, which can no longer be transmitted after cured, the genital warts virus stays in the body forever.
Herpes and HIV also stay in the body permanently once contracted. Though herpes, which cause open sores on affected areas, does not cause death like HIV, it can still be passed at any time after contract.
According to the text "Healthy Sexuality" used in WIU's Health 121 course, trends over the last 20 years have shown increases in the occurrences of many STDs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV/AIDS. Beu Health Center sees many of these same diseases in high occurrences at WIU. As shown in WIU lab tests from July 1999 through June 2000, there were 32 positive cases of chlamydia, 12 cases of herpes and seven cases of gonorrhea, which topped the charts as WIU's most common STDs.
"There is a misnomer there," Sharon Larson, health educator at Beu, said. "With genital warts, there is no lab test. They are diagnosed by looking at them."
Mimi Prerost, health educator at Beu, added, "I would say that every day, someone comes in with genital warts."
Larson said these numbers also include repeat visits.
Symptoms of chlamydia include burning during urination and discharge in both sexes and pelvic discomfort for women, Prerost said.
Symptoms of gonorrhea tend to mimic those of chlamydia, except they are much more severe. As stated in "Healthy Sexuality," the symptoms are usually enough to cause infected men to seek treatment. However, about 50 percent of women have no symptoms. The treatments for chlamydia or gonorrhea - a simple round of antibiotics - are nothing compared to those for genital warts, Prerost said. The bumps, that may range in size from a pinhead to larger than a thumbnail, have several treatments.
It is treated in many ways, including chemical treatments, liquid nitrogen, medications or acid.
Also, unlike chlamydia and gonorrhea, which can no longer be transmitted after cured, the genital warts virus stays in the body forever.
Herpes and HIV also stay in the body permanently once contracted. Though herpes, which cause open sores on affected areas, does not cause death like HIV, it can still be passed at any time after contract.