STD testing is what detects a sexually transmitted bacteria, virus, or parasite. Anyone who is sexually active is at risk for contracting an STD and should be tested regularly. Doctors recommend routine STD testing every year. It is also recommended to get a screening whenever there is a new partner. It is smart to get screened if you think your partner has been unfaithful as well.

But what exactly is an STD? Short for sexually transmitted disease, it is an infection that is commonly passed during sexual contact. STD testing that is completed at a physician’s office or a lab is what tells a person if they have been infected or not.

Common STD’s include chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis A, B, & C, herpes 1 & 2, HIV, HPV (genital warts), pubic lice (crabs), syphilis, Trichomoniasis, and vaginitis. Some of these are bacteria, some are viruses, and others are parasites. Let’s discuss the difference.

Bacteria are infections that are generally cured with a specific kind of antibiotic. Antibiotics are medications that kill the bacteria in the body. They require a prescription that is prescribed by a doctor. Sexually transmitted bacteria include gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. These bacteria are easy to cure with the right antibiotics. If they are not treated, they may lead to major health problems.

Viruses are infections that are often treated with a prescription antiviral medicine. A viral infection cannot be killed with antibiotic medication. The body is able to kill certain viral infections naturally but others can live in the body forever. Antiviral medication suppresses a virus and prevents it from rapidly multiplying in the body. Many people that use antiviral medicines are able to lead an active, normal, and healthy lifestyle. Viruses that can be transmitted during sexual contact include hepatitis, herpes, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and HPV (human papilloma virus). Antiviral medicine is available to treat many of these infections. If left untreated, they may cause serious health complications. Doctors and researchers are continuously working on new medications to suppress and/or cure these infections.

Parasites are small or microscopic bugs that live in or on the body. Some of them are transmitted through sexual activity. Medication is available to treat these types of parasites. Common parasitic STD’s include pubic lice (often called “crabs”), intestinal parasites, scabies, and Trichomoniasis. A doctor can run a test to detect these parasites. Most times they are cured with over-the-counter or prescription medication. It is important to be properly diagnosed by a physician and treated quickly.

Vaginitis, a condition that often affects many females of all ages, can be sexually transmitted. It is can be caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite. Vaginitis that is caused by sexually transmitted bacteria is often called bacterial Vaginosis. Vaginitis can also be caused by non-sexual factors such as chemicals, perfume, soap, or poor hygiene. It must be properly treated to avoid complications. Treatment depends on the type of vaginitis that is diagnosed and is determined by a physician.

All of these infections are quite common and can spread very quickly. The only way to know if a person has a sexually transmitted infection is with an FDA approved STD testing.

Simple STD testing with a small sample of urine or blood can easily detect common bacteria and viruses that are transmitted between people during sexual activity. It is important that people get STD testing regularly. Certain untreated STD’s can lead to serious health complications including cancer, infertility, and death.

Some STD’s may cause symptoms right away. Others may appear to have no symptoms at all until it is too late to treat them. Regular STD testing allows people to learn their STD status and get fast treatment. The right treatment can stop the spread of many STD’s. It may also keep partners from infecting or re-infecting each other.

Many females think that getting a routine Pap test is all that is needed when it comes to their sexual health. This is not true. A Pap test only screens for cancerous or pre-cancerous cells in the cervix (usually caused by HPV). It does not screen for other common sexually transmitted infections. A complete lab-based STD testing is important so females will know if they have a sexually transmitted disease.

Sometimes males are afraid to get their STD testing done. They think it may require a painful procedure like getting a tube inserted in the penis. However, the STD testing that doctors often recommend does not require this procedure at all. The only thing that is required is a small urine or blood sample, depending on the test.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that millions of people are infected with a sexually transmitted infection each year. They also report that contracting one STD increases the risk of contracting another one. Getting regular and routine STD testing is recommended in order to help to stop many of these diseases from being spread.

No matter what age, gender, race, or sexual preference a person has, STD testing is important. If you are sexually active, you can get an STD. Abstinence (not engaging in any sexual activity at all) is the only way to avoid this risk. Sexually transmitted infections may be cured or controlled, but first they must be properly detected.

Chronic Epstein Barr virus may be a trigger for auto immunity. Auto immune disease happens when the immune system produces antibodies that attack normally occurring components in the body, as if they were foreign. The destruction of body tissues and proteins by the body’s own antibodies causes inflammation, pain and injury.

Some of the auto immune diseases that can be triggered by environmental factors like chronic Epstein Barr virus (EBV) include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythamatosis
• MS
• Myasthenia gravis
• Sjorgren’s syndrome
• Sarcoidosis

In terms of chronic Epstein Barr virus, one study showed that people with the highest rate of antibodies against EBV, were more than 30 times more likely to develop MS than those with the lowest level of antibodies. More research is needed as there may be other factors involved in the progression to MS.

Auto immunity is considered by the medical community to be a permanent degenerative disease. Conventional treatment is aimed at minimizing symptoms with anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids. The toxic side effects of these drugs can cause further problems and lead to degenerative disease.

Fortunately the natural treatments for chronic Epstein Barr and auto immunity can bring relief to symptoms without the nasty side effects of conventional drugs. Natural treatments are aimed at controlling chronic EBV, reducing the levels of auto antibodies, quelling inflammation and healing damaged tissues.

The first step in treating auto immune disease is to regain optimal digestive and liver function. Overgrowth of bad bacteria in the small bowel has been linked to the development of auto immunity. A herbal gastrointestinal supplement followed by a course of the good acidophillus bacteria is a good start. Adding some digestive enzymes like pancreatin and Betaine HCl helps by reducing external antigen absorption which is often seen in auto immune patients.

Liver detoxification can be done during or after a bowel cleanse. There are some excellent herbal cleansers available through naturopaths, herbalists, health food shops and pharmacies.

A diet for the natural treatment of chronic Epstein Barr virus auto immunity should focus on high protein / and low carbohydrate meals. Each meal should contain some quality protein like fish, free range chicken, lean red meat, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds or a good protein powder. Plenty of fresh vegetables, salads, low carb fruits should make up the bulk of each meal. The addition of some anti-inflammatory foods like turmeric, ginger, garlic, rosemary oil, pineapple and paw paw can minimize tissue inflammation.

Vitamins and minerals for chronic Epstein Barr virus auto immune disease that can reduce inflammation and heal body tissues include vitamin C, zinc and fish oils.

The flu has become a great concern to many people. This is especially the case with the rise of the H1N1 strain. When in the swimming pool it helps to know that this condition can be tough to pass around. It will still be important to handle all proper cleaning processes though.

A study by the Center for Disease Control states that some types of this condition can be disinfected by chlorine. Recommended levels of chlorine for a swimming pool have been found to be able to disinfect some types of flu viruses. This has been found to be the case for the avian strain of flu. It is not fully certain as to whether or not the H1N1 form can be handled.

Even with this factor the there is no way how this can be fully disinfected in pool water. Germs that can get into the water over time can still be found around the water. This is because of how the effects of chlorine in the water can easily weaken over time unless new chlorine materials are inserted into the water. Therefore the effectiveness of the chlorine to kill off germs can vary.

The virus can be spread in areas that are outside of a swimming pool. These include handlebars for getting in and out of the pool, physical areas for any diving boards and even materials that are around the locker rooms of a pool area. A pool area can be treated like a public place in many cases and as a result it can be a place where it can spread just as easily.

A good thing to do with regards to helping to keep from getting in contact with the flu is to be sure to wash oneself before and after getting into a swimming pool. It also helps to be sure to avoid going to a pool if one is not feeling well. This is so that it will be easier to keep from getting the flu virus to spread around.

Some flu forms can be disinfected in a swimming pool but it is not all forms of this condition are known to be able to be handled easily. It will be important to be aware of how it can spread in areas outside of the water though. Fortunately using a few processes for cleaning can help to keep the virus from being spread at a pool.

HIV or human immunodeficiency virus is a kind of virus that attacks human immune system. HIV virus can cause death because this virus weakens the immune system against infection. This virus categorize as one of the deadliest pathological condition because the early symptoms of HIV virus infection can be hard to diagnose.

This virus can spread to other through contact with tissue or fluid from infected person like the vagina, mouth, eyes, anal area or through a break in the skin. Early symptoms of HIV virus in infected person occur while your body begins to create antibodies to the virus. This condition happens in long period of time after HIV virus infection between six weeks and three months.

In many cases, those who do present early HIV symptoms will develop a flu-like symptom. These flu-like symptoms can include fever, rash, muscles aches and swollen lymph nodes and glands. But in other cases, they may not show the symptoms of HIV at all and keep silent for years.

It is varies for each person to show the symptoms of HIV but it often takes months to years before the signs and symptoms of HIV infection appear. As the infection stage progresses, early symptoms of the infection can worsen to symptoms of HIV like weight loss, extreme fatigue, short-term memory loss, and more. However, early diagnostic and several tests can be taken and should be monitored regularly if you notice such symptoms.

When the infection get worse and do not treated well, HIV virus can cause AIDS. The term AIDS is a worst stage of HIV infection also the symptoms of HIV when it have substantial damage to the immune system. A person with HIV infection is does not mean always get AIDS. When HIV become AIDS, it is a deadly illness and there is currently no cure from AIDS.

Summers have long seemed the most appropriate time for love’s beginning to writers and poets. Even though Karachi’s own summers aren’t exactly close to that poetic ideal (yesterday’s maximum recorded temperature was 36 C, humidity was not as high at 29% but the load shedding schedule, at least in my locality, ran from 7 PM to 10 PM), but the character and spirit of some of Karachi’s worst effected citizens to take into their stride, any and everything the summer season offers, is not to be underestimated. Yesterday was back-to-school day for me and after nearly a month and half of post exam holidays, when I went back to my college yesterday, that determination to enjoy the summer, despite its many tests, was at full display.

The morning’s van journey would see the van driver return to play, customarily in maximum pitch, the same old dance remixes of the even older Indian music numbers from the black-and-white era (oh how I miss now the wonderful days of Muharram, the Islamic month when Shia Muslims mourn the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hazrat Ali, and no music is hence played in ‘religious respect’, and my ears spared of this aberrant noise pollution).

Then there would be the familiar faces of old friends and returning seniors, and amongst us all, some fresh juniors as well. The fashion trends, even a style-impassive person like my self could sense, had already changed to some extent; shirts were shorter (and tighter) still for the girls, and closing the top few buttons of your shirt was seemingly a fashion crime for the boys (and there I was thinking one of the easier ways to avoid complete dehydration in this weather was to adjust your clothing for minimum sun exposure).

But the surest indicator of summer’s arrival came as we neared the college hospital in Azam Basti. This disparity between rich and poor in this locality is quintessential sub-urban Karachi all year round, but especially in the summers.

Huge, two story houses, with latest model cars standing outside them can be seen as you drive past the broken and sewerage inundated roads in one lane, and almost as huge piles of accumulated garbage meet your eye as you go into the next lane, which incidentally also leads into our college’s clinical facility. Much smaller, unpainted cemented houses are seen in these parts, the roads here are less bumpy and ironically aren’t flooded by over flowing gutters either, but there aren’t many cars. Pathan men on foot inhabit these lanes, and the varied kaleidoscope of views on offer, each tells its own unique story.

Back in December when we came here in the mornings, there would be little groups of men standing around fires ignited out of the abundant paper and wood in the trash, warming themselves in the early morning chill, others would be seated inside a dhaba (small inn-like restaurant) serving oily parathas with tea for breakfast. ‘Garam chai aur paratha lelo, aik dam garam lelo’ (Get hot tea with bread, get it real hot) use to be their waiter’s loud call in Urdu. The dhaba still serves aik dam garam chai aur paratha, but a new juice stand had emerged now within their inn; ‘Tazza keeno aur ganney ka juice lelo, aik dam tazza lelo’ (‘Get fresh orange and sugarcane juice, get it real fresh’) is now aptly the waiter’s new call.

In the afternoon, this time on the way back from college, lemon juice had been added to the dhaba menu; the Walls ice-cream walla’s (ice-cream man’s) businesses was going stronger then the makkai walla’s (roasted corn seller), and some of the little kids who were playing around in the morning, were still playing, seemingly unfazed by the heat, running around after a stray cat in the area. Still bare foot, still only half dressed.

In the relative comforts of our air conditioned residences and cars, our sun-glasses and sun-blocks covered bodies, as we continue to whine about the heat, I thought, on the way back, eves dropping shamelessly on the conversation of two of my batch matches going back home in their own private cars, may be we miss out on the real joie de vivre of the summer that those kids are able to enjoy.

The hazards of playing on busy streets, and of running around bare foot in environmentally adverse conditions not withstanding, there was an unquestionable bliss that you could see reflecting within their eyes. May be it was just the blithe of their childhood which has made me nostalgic; may be I’m just jealous, of those kids I saw in Azam Basti, and then a few more opposite sea view yesterday, taking a free of cost dip in a pound of accumulated rain water to cool off, jealous that can’t even find an inflatable swimming pool to accommodate my size, that I wont be having summer holidays this time either, that I can’t seem to enjoy the summer like those kids were doing.

Its worth asking if perhaps, its true, that we’ve grown so frustrated by the trails and tribulations of the summer, the scorching heat, the worsening traffic, the power outages, the post rain floods, and much more, that we’ve forgotten how to enjoy the harvests of the summer, the mango season, great new lawn sales, and the actual warmth and sunshine it self. We may find the constant heat a pain, but in other parts of the world, say London, for instance, people actually celebrate when the sun peaks through the clouds.

May be we take things for granted. May be we forget that hell will be hotter. Either way, the summer is here. Seasons greetings everyone.

There is nothing worse than to have your computer infected to a point where you must have to format it entirely. The reason for this is simply that such infections and the resultant formatting can result in critical data lost. The inconvenience of losing such data is unbearable regardless of whether your data is related to your profession or even entertaining. There are various types of computer viruses that can infect your computer and one of these types are multipartite viruses. If you are protecting your computer from such threats, you need to make sure that you know what these viruses are and what you can do to secure your computer. Consider the following:

What Are Multipartite Viruses?

Multipartite viruses are different generic viruses floating on the internet in the way that they can infect both system files and sectors on your computer. Because of their dual nature, it can be very difficult to remove such viruses from your computer. Apart from their ability to equally infect system sectors and system files, certain multipartite viruses have also been known to have the capability to infect multiple types of platforms and operating systems. The first multipartite virus was discovered way back in 1989 by Fridrik Skulason and was dubbed ‘Ghostball’.

What Are The Common Symptoms Of Such Infections?

Because multipartite viruses can infect various aspects of your computer, the symptoms of their infection could be many. Their inherent nature allows these viruses to do the following things on your computer which are detectable as symptoms.

1. The symptom most common to all computer viruses i.e. increased loading times and the inability of certain programs to execute properly,

2. Modification of Word document extensions from .DOC to .DOT,

3. Uninitiated formatting of the hard drive,

4. Fluctuations in the sizes of files, whether executable or not,

5. Displaying of malfunctions manifesting in a melting look of the screen,

6. Repeated notifications for the virtual memory being low, and

7. Uninitiated deletion of drivers from the computer viewed in the device manager.

What Can You Do To Protect Your Computer?

There is nothing new that you can do to counter the threat of multipartite viruses, except for the standard security measures recommended for protecting computers from viruses. The first thing you need to protect your computer from such viruses, is to install a good and respected antivirus software program. As the nature of viruses is continually changing and new viruses being found regularly, you have to keep the software program updated. Finally, you should also avoid opening untrustworthy documents and clicking links on unreliable websites to protect yourself from multipartite viruses.

The Coxsackie viruses comprise a large subgroup of the enteroviruses. They produce a variety of illnesses in humans, including aseptic meningitis, herpangina, pleurodynia, hand, foot and mouth disease, myo- and pericarditis, common cold, and possibly diabetes, Coxsackie viruses have been divided into 2 groups; A and B, having different pathogenic potentials for mice. Coxsackie B viruses are the most commonly identified causative agents of viral heart disease in humans.

Properties of the Viruses

General properties

Coxsackie viruses are typical enteroviruses, with a diameter of 28nm.

Animal susceptibility and Growth of Virus

Coxsackie viruses are highly infective for newborn mice. Certain strains (B1-B6, A7, 9, 16) also grow in monkey kidney cell culture. Some group N strains grow in human amnion and human embryonic lung fibroblast cells. Chimpanzees and cynomolgus monkeys can be infected sub-clinically; virus appears in the blood and throat for short periods and is excreted in the feces for 2-5 weeks. Type A14 produces poliomyelitis-like lesions in adult mice and in monkeys, but in suckling mice this type produces only myositis, Type A7 strains produces paralysis and severe central nervous system lesions in monkeys.

Group A viruses produce widespread myositis in the skeletal muscles of newborn mice, resulting in flaccid paralysis without other observable lesions. Group B viruses may produce focal myositis, encephalitis and most typically, necrotizing steatites involving mainly fetal fat lobules. The genetic makeup of inbred strains determines their susceptibility to Coxsackie B viruses. Some B strains also produce pancreatitis, myocarditis, endocarditis and hepatitis in both suckling and adult mice. Corticosteroids may enhance the susceptibility of older mice to infection of the pancreas. Normal adult mice tolerate infections with group B Coxsackie viruses. However, severely malnourished or immuno-deficient mice have greatly enhanced susceptibility.

Antigenic properties

At least 32 different immunologic types of Coxsackie viruses are not recognized; 26 are listed as group A and 6 as group B types.

Resistance

Coxsackie and ECHO viruses posses relatively high resistance. They survive for a long period of time in a frozen state at -70 degrees Celsius. In glycerin and horse serum at room temperature they persist for 70 days. In a refrigerator they survive for more than a year. The Coxsackie viruses resemble the poliomyelitis viruses in that they are resistant to various concentrations of hydrogen ions. They survive at pH 2.3-9.4 for 24 hours and at pH 4.0-8.0 for 7 days. They are resistant to antibiotics, 70 degrees ethyl alcohol, and 5% Lysol solutions but are extremely sensitive to solutions of hydrochloric acid and formaldehyde. A temperature of 50-55 degrees Celsius kills the viruses in 30 minutes.

Pathogenesis and pathology

Virus has been recovered from the blood in the early stages of natural infection in humans and of experimental infection in Chimpanzees. Virus is also found in the throat for a few days early in the infection and in the stools for up to 5-6 weeks. The distribution of virus is similar to that found with the other enteroviruses. Group B Coxsackie viruses may cause acute fatal encephalomyocarditis in infants. This appears to be a generalized systemic disease with virus replication and lesions in the central nervous system, heart muscle, and other organs.

Computer infected with a virus? People often ask me what is Win32 Heur? Win32 Heur or Win32/Heur is actually a deadly trojan virus that releases a firestorm of malicious activity throughout your computer. If you have come under the attack of this virus then you need to remove Win32 Heur as soon as possible.

A trojan virus is a malicious file or program that gets onto your system by pretending to be benign or desirable. These can be acquired several ways. Among them are:

• Through online P2P networks. Be very careful when downloading files from programs like Bearshare and Limewire. Try to avoid any exe files and video codec installers. These are the most frequent methods of infection.

• Installing any free or low cost programs and applications. Very often these programs are free for a reason. They come bundled with spyware, adware, and viruses. Always perform a quick scan of your computer after installing new software off the net.

• Visiting a website that had planted viruses or browser hijackers that force infected your computer. You are probably well aware of this problem as a bunch of pop ups appear and your browser is redirected. Without excellent real time virus and spyware protection, malware like the Win32 Heur virus can sneak onto your system.

Once your computer is infected, viruses can do a couple of dangerous things that can cause a lot of damage. First they use spyware and keyloggers to record private information like passwords, credit card, and bank account numbers. This is why identity fraud is the fastest growing crime on the internet. Don’t allow yourself to become the next victim.

The other dangerous side effect is the corruption of your registry and possible collapse of your computer. The virus can inhabit your registry and alters vital system files. This can cause computer crashing, the windows blue screen, and other malfunctions. It could cost hundreds or even thousands to get it repaired or buy a new system.

Remove Win32 Heur

To manually remove the virus manually click “Start” and then “Search”. Run a search for either “win32 heur” or just “heur”. If the infected file appear then simply delete them. Don’t just delete any file that reads win32 because it could be a necessary system file. Make sure you know the file is infected before removing.

For those who cannot remove the infection manually, fortunately I have found a Win32 Heur removal program. It can not only remove Win32 but also provide real time protection to protect you against future threats.

If your task manager is opening without any problem, see the processes running in the processes tab, you may be able to find a doubt-full process/es which may resemble the name of the virus.

Terminate the process and you will find most of the features blocked by the virus, working as normal.

But many viruses aren’t so easy to trace and the process/es of virus [ program of virus or u can say virus itself] take the name of a window process or camouflage in the window process.

But many times terminating a window process is more dangerous than the virus, so you must be completely sure of the process you are terminating.

Go on net and find the information about the doubt-full process.

As you may know the virus processes, you can leave the virus remain in the computer and work normally for the time being. You should now prevent the virus from running again at startup. For that you should remove the registry key through which its able to run each time you start your PC. For this, you must have some basic knowledge of system registries.

Anyways, you should use the task manager ‘s Run command to fire up regedit[type “regedit” in run]. Then navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Run (as usual, take a backup of your registry before touching it!)

If you find any unknown entry which is not related to any other software etc and seems to have some similarity with virus name or its process , delete that entry.

This entry stores the keys by which programs and processes run at start up.

Another way of removing virus key is going to msconfig [type msconfig at run] and under start up tab uncheck the undesired [virus] process.This way your done.

To remove the virus completely you would have to terminate the process forever or you would now have to delete each virus file and virus infected files till every file gets cleaned [but mostly its not required ].

You would have to remove every trace of virus manually by removing each file associated with the virus. Remove cache, browser history etc if the virus is came through the internet.

If your task manager is also disabled by the virus, you should download third party process manager like sysintenals processes manager.

So lets discuss about another way through which I have been able to remove most viruses and is easier.

Less than half of all adults 18 to 44 years of age in the United States have been tested for a sexually transmitted disease other than HIV. However, an estimated 15 million people world wide become infected with one or more sexually transmitted diseases (STD) each year. In the U.S. alone, more than 65 million people are currently living with an STD and roughly half of them have contracted an incurable lifelong STD such as herpes.

Most sexually transmitted diseases fall into one of two categories – Viral infections and bacterial infections. Bacterial infections, such as gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia are curable with antibiotics. STDs caused by viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papilloma virus (HPV), herpes and hepatitis B are not curable.

As far as bacterial STD’s, Chlamydia is by far the most common among women; most likely because it is very contagious and difficult to detect. In fact, an estimated 75 percent of women and 50 percent of men with chlamydia have no symptoms. All sexually active women should ask to be tested with each Pap smear, because untreated, chlamydia can cause infertility or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). An estimated 2.8 million Americans are infected with chlamydia each year. Luckily, chlamydia, as well as gonorrhea and syphilis, can be cured with antibiotics.

In 2002, 351,852 cases of gonorrhea were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the United States, approximately 75 percent of all reported cases of gonorrhea are found in people aged 15 to 29 years. The highest rates of infection are usually found in 15- to 19-year old women and 20- to 24-year-old men.

Once responsible for devastating epidemics, the rate of primary and secondary syphilis in the United States actually declined from 1990 to 2000 by 89.2 percent. However, there was still a reported 5,979 cases of syphilis in 2000 and 6,103 in 2001 so syphilis is still out there infecting people.

Of all the non-curable viral STD’s our there, HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is probably the most feared; and for good reason. There were nearly 45,000 New AIDS cases reported in the U.S. in 2004 and a cumulative total of over 500,000 people have died from HIV/AIDs in the U.S. alone since the disease was first diagnosed. Currently over 400,000 people in the U.S. are living with HIV/AIDs right now. That means about 1 out of every 700 U.S. citizens has contracted HIV/AIDs.

Genital Herpes, while not a potential death sentence like HIV/AIDS, is however much more prolific. Some estimates suggest that as many as 1 in 5 people may carry some form of the herpes virus in their body. That is a staggering figure. Forms of the herpes virus include cold sores, genital herpes, chickenpox, mononucleosis and shingles. Medical treatment can, however, alleviate the symptoms of viral STDs such as herpes and in some cases eliminate symptoms without actually elimination the herpes virus itself. About one million people become infected with Herpes each year in the U.S., and an estimated 45 million are currently infected with the herpes virus. An estimated 75 percent of the reproductive-age population has been infected with sexually transmitted HPV. Genital warts are caused by HPV, and can lead to cervical and bladder cancers. There’s no cure, but there is treatment.

Hepatitis B is the only STD out there that you can get a vaccine for. See your doctor if you’re not sure if you’ve been vaccinated. Hepatitis B is a nasty STD that can cause liver failure and death.