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The following information is designed to help you fill out your EXTENDED MATCH profile more completely and accurately.
Informational excerpts courtesy of ASHA (American Social Health Association).
Information on other STI's not covered below, can be found on the CDC Facts Page or www.ashastd.org
Hepatitis B (HBV)
PLEASE NOTE: Hepatitis B is preventable through vaccination
What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver. Chronic (long-lasting) hepatitis B can cause liver cell damage, which can lead to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and cancer. It is estimated that 5,000 people die each year in the United States due to the complications of cirrhosis and liver cancer as a result of HBV.
How common is Hepatitis B?
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that 1.25 million people in the United States have chronic HBV. There were an estimated 73,000 new HBV infections in the United States in 2003.
Signs and symptoms
A few patients (1%) have a more severe course of illness and may experience sudden and severe liver failure within a short period of time after infection. These people may suddenly collapse with fatigue, have jaundice, and develop swelling in their abdomen. This can be fatal if not treated immediately .
For more detailed Hepatitis B information see www.ashastd.org
For information on Hepatitis B visit CDC Facts Page
For information on testing please visit www.healthcheckusa.com
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
What is HIV?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. A blood test can determine if a person is infected with HIV, but if a person tests positive for HIV, it does not necessarily mean that the person has AIDS. A diagnosis of AIDS is made by a physician according to the CDC AIDS Case Definition. A person infected with HIV may receive an AIDS diagnosis after developing one of the CDC-defined AIDS indicator illnesses. A person with HIV can also receive an AIDS diagnosis on the basis of certain blood tests (CD4 counts) and may not have experienced any serious illnesses.
Over time, infection with HIV can weaken the immune system to the point that the system has difficulty fighting off certain infections. These types of infections are known as opportunistic infections. These infections are usually controlled by a healthy immune system, but they can cause problems or even be life-threatening in someone with AIDS. The immune system of a person with AIDS has weakened to the point that medical intervention may be necessary to prevent or treat serious illness
How common is HIV?
According to the CDC, in 2000, an estimated 850,000-950,000 people in the United States were living with HIV and approximately one fourth of these people did not know they were infected.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that there are 42 million people in the world living with HIV and 3.2 million of those are children under the age of 15. Over half of all adults living with HIV/AIDS are women. In 2002, approximately 5 million people were newly infected with HIV.
Signs and symptoms
- The only way to tell you have HIV is to be tested for the virus. You cannot rely on symptoms to tell if you or someone you know is infected. The symptoms of HIV are similar to many other illnesses and many people have no symptoms at all.
- The symptoms of AIDS are also similar to other diseases. If a person is infected with HIV, the only way to tell if they have progressed to AIDS is to be diagnosed by a doctor using the CDC defined criteria.
For more detailed HIV information see www.ashastd.org
For information on HIV visit CDC Facts Page
For information on testing please visit www.healthcheckusa.com
HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
What is HPV?
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted disease that is highly prevalent, yet often misunderstood. Recent scientific advances have established that certain types of HPV can cause cervical cancer. However, this cancer can almost always be prevented through regular screening and, if needed, treatment of abnormal cell changes. The challenge is to provide focused, much-needed education about HPV without causing undue fear.
Only a small number of women, and even fewer men, infected with HPV develop lesions that are detected or need to be treated. In almost all cases, the immune system will keep the virus under control or get rid of it completely. HPV is a virus that is very common. In fact, most men and women are infected with HPV at some time in their lives.
Most men and women are not aware that they have the virus.
It is usually impossible to determine when or from whom HPV was caught. HPV may be detected fairly soon after exposure, or may not be found until many years later.
How common is HPV?
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus. It has been estimated that 75% or more of sexually active Americans will contract HPV sometime in their lives. Most sexually active adults (ages 15 to 49) will acquire HPV at some time in their lives and will never even know it.
Signs and symptoms
- HPV usually has no symptoms and usually does not cause disease.
- Certain types of HPV cause warts on the hands or feet, and other types can cause warts on the genitals. But some people never have warts they can see and many never get warts, so most people with HPV do not know they have it.
- About 30 of these types are sexually transmitted and cause genital HPV. Some types of genital HPV may cause genital warts, while other types of genital HPV are linked to abnormal cell changes on the cervix (detected through Paps).
For more detailed Hpv information see www.ashastd.org
For information on Hpv visit CDC Facts Page
For information on testing please visit www.healthcheckusa.com
Genital Herpes & Oral Herpes (Cold sores) HSV1 or 2
What is Herpes?
- Herpes is a common and usually mild recurrent skin condition; most infections are unrecognized and undiagnosed.
- There are two types of herpes simplex: herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).
- The majority of oral herpes cases are caused by HSV-1 and the majority of genital herpes cases are caused by HSV-2; however,type-1 or type-2 can occur in either the genital or oral area.
How common is Herpes?
- About 50 percent to 80 percent of the adult population in the United States has oral herpes (commonly called cold sores or fever blisters), with as many as 90% having the virus by age 50.
- Most people contract oral herpes when they are children by receiving a kiss from a friend or relative.
- About one in five persons in the United States has genital herpes; however, as many as 90 percent are unaware that they have the virus. There are many reasons people do not know they have herpes (see below).
- Anyone who is sexually active can contract genital herpes.
Signs and symptoms
- While some people realize that they have genital herpes, many do not. As many as 90 percent of people with Genital Herpes are unaware that they have the virus. This is because many people have very mild symptoms that go unrecognized or are mistaken for another condition or no symptoms at all.
- A person may show symptoms within days after contracting genital herpes, or it may take weeks, months, or years. For this reason, it can be difficult for people to know when and from whom they may have contracted the virus.
- The “classic” symptoms that most people associate with genital herpes are sores, vesicles, or ulcers, but for many other people, herpes lesions can be so mild that they may be mistaken for:
- Insect bites.
- Abrasions.
- Yeast infection.
- Jock itch.
- And other conditions.
A word about Oral Herpes (commonly known as Cold sores or fever blisters) .
- If a person with oral herpes performs oral sex, it is possible for the partner to get genital herpes.
- By performing oral sex on someone who has genital herpes, it would be possible to contract oral herpes - but this is rare. Most cases of genital herpes are caused by HSV-2, which rarely affects the mouth or face. Also, and even more importantly, most adults already have oral HSV-1, contracted as a child through kissing relatives or friends.
- Much like genital herpes, however, symptoms of oral herpes can be very mild and go unnoticed. Subtle symptoms can be easily mistaken for another infection or condition such as a small crack or cut in the skin, chapped lips, bug bite, or a pimple, to name a few examples
In other words, the signs and symptoms go unrecognized as being Herpes
For more detailed HeRPES information see www.ashastd.org
For information on HeRPES visit CDC Facts Page
For information on testing please visit www.healthcheckusa.com
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