Also called sexual transmitted infections or STIs, are infections you catch during sex. Some STDs are caused by bacteria, other are caused by viruses or parasites. These infections can be transmitted by any type of sex, including vaginal, oral, anal and other types of sex play. The most common STDs include:

• Gonorrhea
• Chlamydia
• Genital herpes
• HPV (can cause genital warts and in some woman cervical cancer)
• Hepatitis B and C (can cause chronic liver disease and Liver cancer)
• Syphilis
• Trichomoniasis
• HIV (This is the virus that produces AIDS).

STDs can produce a wide range of symptoms depending on the type of infection and its severity. In many cases it can by asymptotic (thus increasing the chances of catching or spreading the disease).

In general, STD causes local symptoms including vaginal discharge, itching and irritation, burning, sores or genital ulcers. With time in can spread to other parts of the body, affecting the cervix (cervicitis), Uterus (endometritis), and fallopian tubes (salpingitis). More advance cases produce pelvic inflammatory disease with fever, pelvic and abdominal pain, pelvic abscess (pus collections), sepsis and on rare occasions death.

Chronic or recurrent infections can lead to chronic pelvic pain, adhesions (scar tissue), infertility or pregnancy complications among others.

Some sexual transmitted infections can produce complications during pregnancy, including increase risks of pre-term labor or uterine infections at the time of delivery. They can also cause congenital malformation including bone and teeth deformations, liver disease in the newborn, brain damage, mental retardation and even fetal death.