STD's/Hepatitis C

PhotoSexually Transmitted Diseases, Infections & Hepatitis C

The Regional AIDS Project believes that knowledge is foremost in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and accordingly that a holistic approach must be taken in providing outreach and education. For this reason we have provided general information on the link between STD’s/STI’s, Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS and likewise provided links to extensive information for the diseases.

More than half of all people will have a sexually transmitted disease/sexually transmitted infection (STD/STI) at some point in their lifetime. The estimated total number of people living in the US with a viral STD/STI is over 65 million. Every year, there are at least 19 million new cases of STDs/STIs, some of which are curable. Less than half of adults ages 18 to 44 have ever been tested for an STD/STI other than HIV/AIDS. Each year, one in four teens contracts an STD/STI. One in two sexually active persons will contact an STD/STI by age 25. In a national survey of US physicians, fewer than one-third routinely screened patients for STDs/STIs. Of the STDs/STIs that are diagnosed, only some (gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, hepatitis A and B) are required to be reported to state health departments and the CDC.

For more information, please visit the American Social Health Association.

 

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Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Having an STD does not necessarily mean that the infected person also has HIV infection. However, continuing the risky behavior that led to STD infection may increase the likelihood of eventually becoming infected with HIV. HIV infection and other STDs are linked not only by common behaviors, but also by biological mechanisms. Other STDs increase both HIV infectiousness and susceptibility. A person's risk for HIV transmission per sexual exposure can increase anywhere from 5 to 300 times, depending on the type of STD infection. STD prevention is a key HIV prevention strategy.

For more comprehensive information on STD's, click the links below:

Center for Disease Control

The Body

Avert

 

Hepatitis C

Unlike STD’s, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transmitted primarily by large or repeated direct exposures to contaminated blood via skin puncture. About one quarter of HIV-infected persons in the United States are also infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) HIV-HCV co-infection has been associated with higher concentrations of HCV, more rapid progression to HCV-related liver disease, and an increased risk for HCV-related cirrhosis of the liver. Because of this, HCV infection has been viewed as an opportunistic infection in HIV-infected persons. It is not however considered an AIDS-defining illness. For these reasons it is critical to address the relation between HIV and HCV when providing HIV/AIDS related material.

For more comprehensive information on Hepatitis C, click the links below:

eMedicine Health

Center for Disease Control