STDs or sexually transmitted diseases can be transmitted by sexual activity with a person already carrying it. Other terms for these diseases are venereal diseases or sexually transmitted infections. STDs can also be transmitted through breastfeeding and child birth. Although there are diseases like common cold or influenza can be transmitted through sex, they are not considered as STD as sex is not the main factor of these diseases.
STDs are well known for the past 100 years and they are a major problem to our current health care. Because of their infectious property, people having STDs are growing exponentially every day. This rapid growth of infected individuals has made the government from different countries take necessary measures like implementing social consciousness.
There are many known STDs and they all have different natures. These kinds of diseases are the result of different types of germ infections like fungal, viral, bacterial etc. There are also protozoa and parasites STDs. While most of these diseases can be cured and treated, there are some that are not. HIV and AIDS are two examples. Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis are STDs caused by bacteria while Herpes, HIV, Hepatitis A, E, and C are viral.
The symptoms of STDs cannot be listed because the term STD means a group of diseases. Every disease has its own signs and symptoms. However, it often happens that an individual infected with STD is not aware of it. A person may not feel sick at all or may never show any symptoms towards an STD and may still be infected. There are also some cases that a person who may have an STD is shy to admit it. This is very unfortunate as not only those persons are difficult to detect, they make it easier for other people to get infected.
While cure of an STD depends on a certain disease and may or may not be easy to do, prevention of these diseases is easy. STD can be avoided by practicing safe sex. This means that one should always use condom if he is not unsure of the history of the sexual partner.
In third-world countries, governments and NGOs are trying hard to advertise the use of condoms. In the developed countries such as USA, many posters and advertisements are used to stop STD spreading. It also increases more awareness on the population. In schools, introducing sex education in the syllabus is another way to fight against these diseases.