The following are Bacterial Infections. Click on the links below for more information:
- Most common sexually transmitted infection that is spread through unprotected sex.
- Once infected this bacteria continues to live in the vagina and the penis and can spread throughout the reproductive organs.
- It is very common not to have any symptoms when you have chlamydia.
Symptoms:
- Abnormal discharge from the penis or vagina.
- Burning feeling when you urinate.
- Men may experience pain or swelling in the testicles.
- Women may experience pain or bleeding during or after sex and also bleeding between periods. They may also experience some lower abdominal pain.
If left untreated:
- Women - Untreated chlamydia can cause PID ( pelvic inflammatory disease), ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women
- Men - Untreated chlamydia can cause a condition called Epididymitis or result in sterility.
Testing and Treatment:
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- Also known as "the clap", it is another common sexually transmitted infection that is spread through unprotected sex.
- Once infected this bacteria continues to live in the vagina and the penis and can spread throughout the reproductive organs.
- It is very common not to have any symptoms when you have gonorrhea.
Symptoms:
- Abnormal discharge from the penis or the vagina.
- Burning feeling when you urinate.
- Men may experience pain or swelling in the testicles.
- Women may experience pain or bleeding during or after sex and also bleeding between periods. They may also experience some lower abdominal pain.
If left untreated:
- Women - If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause PID ( pelvic inflammatory disease), ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women.
- Men - Untreated chlamydia can cause a condition called Epididymitis or result in sterility.
Testing and Treatment:
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- Bacterial infection that is caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. It is passed along through unprotected anal, vaginal, or oral sex. An infected pregnant woman can also pass along the infection to her unborn child.
- You can have syphilis without knowing and can pass it on to your sexual partners.
Syphilis has three stages:
Stage one
- Starts with a painless sore (called a chancre) at the site where the syphilis germ first enters the body.
- This usually appears from 1 week to 3 months after sex with an infected partner.
- These sores may appear around the vagina, penis, mouth or anus and may disappear on their own, even if not treated. The infection will still spread if you have not been treated.
- A person with untreated syphyilis is most infectious in the first year.
Stage two
- A few months later, you may have 'flu like' symptoms such as fever, nausea, headache and tiredness.
- A rash may appear on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. Sometime a rash may appear all over the whole body
If these symptoms go away, the infection will still spread if you have not been treated.
Stage three
- This stage is very destructive. It is the stage at which long-term damage caused by the syphilis bacteria results in various major health complications such as major internal or external sores, cardiovascular and mental health problems, and damage to other organs such as the eyes and ears.
- In some cases, these complications can lead to death.
Testing and treatment
Syphilis must be treated. It won't go away by itself
Testing and treatment is free and confidential at the health unit. Click here for more information on testing.
Contact Tracing will need to take place. If you have syphilis, your sexual partner(s) must be notified and come into clinic for testing and treatment. You may choose to tell them yourself or have a clinic nurse tell them. If the clinic nurse tells them, your name is not mentioned.
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