Sexually transmitted diseases

“Trasmission via sexual route or towels or underwear”? This is the most common question I am asked when I diagnose an infection that is sexually transmitted, and the answer is often a cause of doubts, discussions and suspicions in the couple that sometimes lead to confessions of infidelity or misunderstandings.

Here follows a short list of the most common sexual diseases that can be diagnosed in out-patients’ clinic, with an indication of the most frequent routes of transmission:

Neisseria Gonorrhoeae or Gonococcus: bacterium that causes cervicitis, urethritis, proctitis and conjunctivitis.

Transmission: can occur through unprotected sexual intercourses of any kind: both giving and getting oral, vaginal and anal sex. It only takes a deep and prolonged kiss, or the simple contact between the genitals, or touching the anus of an infected person with the penis, or through mutual masturbation. But it can also be spread through the exchange of underwear and towels; with the use of sex toys and contaminated genital instruments; finally, the bacterium passes from an infected mother to her newborn; from the genital area, through hands the disease can infect other parts of the body such as the eyes.

Chlamydia trachomatis: small bacterium that causes various genital infections, often silent, which can lead to infertility.

Transmission: can occur through unprotected sexual intercourses of any kind: both giving and getting oral, vaginal and anal sex. It only takes the simple contact between genitals, or mutual masturbation, but can also be spread through the exchange of underwear and towels; with the use of sex toys and contaminated instruments for genital use; finally, the bacterium passes from an infected mother to her newborn.

Trichomonas Vaginalis: protozoan that causes vaginitis, urethritis or cervicitis with variable clinical manifestations.

Transmission: certain sexual contagion with the absence of symptoms in approximately 50% of cases. Easier transmission to the woman: 60% of male partners of infected women have the infection, while 70-100% of women with infected partners have the infection.

Syphilis: infection transmitted by Treponema pallidum.

Transmission: can occur through unprotected sexual intercourses of any kind: both giving and getting oral, vaginal and anal sex. It only takes the simple contact between genitals, or mutual masturbation, but can also be spread through the exchange of underwear and towels; with the use of sex toys and contaminated instruments for genital use; through contact of the genitals with skin lesions or mucous membranes caused by syphilis, or arising in the course of the disease.
The bacterium passes from an infected mother to her newborn (congenital syphilis).
Symptoms appear between 3 and 6 weeks after unprotected intercourse.

Genital Herpes: virus that causes characteristic ulcerated and painful blisters in the genital or lips areas.

Transmission: can occur through unprotected sexual intercourses of any kind, even those in which a condom is used, if any contact between intimate areas occurs: both giving and getting oral, vaginal and anal sex. It only takes the simple contact between genitals, or mutual masturbation. Even through kisses, caresses, effusions (the virus is eliminated on skin and mucous membranes); by contact with the lesions (those are very infectious!). But can also be spread through the exchange of underwear and towels; with the use of sex toys and contaminated instruments for genital use; finally, the bacterium passes from an infected mother to her newborn.
Symptoms appear with a variable latency, based on the immune defenses of the host.

Papilloma Virus: more than 100 types of viruses, widely known for their association with genital warts and cervical cancer.

Transmission: can occur through unprotected sexual intercourses of any kind: both giving and getting oral, vaginal and anal sex. It only takes the simple contact between the genitals, or touching the anus of a person with genital warts with the penis, or through mutual masturbation and direct contact with the skin of an infected person. But it can also be spread through the exchange of underwear and towels; with the use of sex toys and contaminated genital instruments.