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Virus Viral STDs

There are a number of graphic photos and pictures of viral / virus genital stds on this page, which involve graphic portrayal of male and female genitals (anus, penis, and vagina) that have been infected. This page on viral stds may also take several seconds more than usual to load as a result of the photos used to clarify each viral std.

Herpes Simplex

Definition: Genital herpes infections are caused by one of two varieties of herpes simplex, named type 1 and type 2. Real imaginative, those medical types.

How is Herpes Spread or Caught?

Anyway, type 1 herpes simplex prefers to infect in the mouth region, giving rise to cold sores, while type 2 prefers the genital region, but both can cross infect.

You get the virus through touch of some kind, which means that condoms are not completely effective against the disease.

Children often spread type 1 cold sores through touching an active sore and then touching another child's face.

The sexual kind can be spread from the mouth or from the genitals, so oral sex is also dangerous if you have cold sores.

In addition, the virus can be contagious even if no symptoms are present.

Herpes Treatment

There is no cure for herpes, but the disease can be managed with antiviral medication, usually acyclovir.

It's usually not fatal, especially if consistently managed.

General good health practices such as decent diet, enough sleep and lack of stress or concurrent disease also help to keep it a minor, if permanent, health problem.

Herpes Symptoms

The symptoms for genital herpes are pain, iching, burning, uncomfortable urination or other general discomfort coming up a few days before the first blisters or rash.

The rash usually consists of a reddish patch of skin with tiny blisters that break easily.

The above photo picture shows herpes of the vagina.

The above photo picture shows herpes of the penis. (The above two genital herpes photos courtesy of SOA-AIDS of Amsterdam.)

Once they break, they turn into open ulcers that then crust over. After a few days the crust drops off to reveal new skin. At that point, the virus has returned to the spinal cluster where it lives during dormancy and you're no longer contagious.

However, you start shedding virus a few days before any symptoms turn up, so it's always important to be careful.

Some people only ever get one outbreak, some get recurring outbreaks. Either way, you'll have and can transmit the virus for life.

Genital herpes can be transmitted to newborns during natural birth and can cause serious complications for the baby. Newborns don't have the kind of immune systems adults enjoy, so they can have respiratory problems, eye infection or brain tissue infection.

It's easy to mistake genital herpes for a yeast infection, so a doctor's diagnosis is important to make sure you're not endangering yourself.

Human Papilloma Virus - Mostly Genital Warts

There are a number of strains of HPV, many of which are asymptomatic (don't produce symptoms). The most common symptom of HPV infection is the gaining of genital warts, but the strains that cause genital warts are not the same strains that cause genital cancer. Many of those don't produce symptoms at all.

The above photo shows a case of vaginal warts.

The above picture shows genital warts on the penis.

The classic appearance of genital / anal warts can be seen above. (The above three genital wart photos courtesy of SOA-AIDS of Amsterdam.)

Condom use may decrease your chances of catching HPV, but current mainstream medicine doesn't know if condoms completely protect from the disease. You can get it through direct skin to skin contact or through contact with an inanimate object that's infected.

The best way to avoid problems with HPV is to abstain from sexual contact with anyone not tested for it recently.

The second best way is to get yearly checkups to find genital cancer before it starts.

HPV can also cause problems in the anal and respiratory areas, so people who engage in oral or anal sex are certainly not immune.

Genital warts are much further explained on our warts and genital warts site.

Cytomegalovirus

Cytomegalovirus infection is a persistent, latent white blood cell infection.

This virus is a beta-group of the herpes family of viruses.

Most people with CMV were infected during their younger years and the virus isn't very common anymore.

Rare doesn't mean gone, though.

The primary infection is usually asymptomatic, but may produce mononucleosis symptoms similar to those produced by primary infection with HIV.

After that, the virus rarely produces symptoms in healthy people again.

However, people who get suppressed immune systems from disease, organ transplants or cancer treatments and pregnant mothers can experience the effects of a flare-up, known as secondary infection.

These symptoms include blurred vision, blindness, severe diarrhea, cough, stomach problems and chronic problems with keeping oxygen in the blood.

There is no cure, no treatment and no vaccination for the virus.

CMV is only transmitted through the bodily secretions such as blood, sexual fluids and so forth, so a male condom is normally sufficient protection against the transmission of this disease.

If a pregnant woman passes CMV to her child, the baby can develop a number of different blood problems including anemia, blood clots, enlarged internal organs and brain problems. 50% of newborns infected with this virus die.

The virus can be tested for and should be part of the tests run on anyone who's participated in risky sexual behaviours

Human herpes virus type 8

This particular kind of herpes virus causes Kaposi's sarcoma, a kind of cancer that used to be limited to people of a certain genetic heritage.

Once, it was usually only seen in elderly men of African, Mediterranean or Ashkenazi Jewish extraction.

However, since the rise of AIDS and the subsequent opportunities for herpes type 8 to infect people suppressed immune systems, Kaposi's sarcoma has been seen far more often.

Kaposi's sarcoma causes cancerous lesions on the face, trunk, in the mouth and on internal organs of infected people.

Left photo / picture of Kaposi's sarcoma skin lessions.

These characteristic tumors are diagnosed by site, with a tissue biopsy followup to confirm the diagnosis.

Kaposi's sarcoma is treated like any other kind of cancer, with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and interferon medication all being used as appropriate.

Hepatitis A, B, and C

Inflammation of the liver caused by one of the strains (A, B, or C) of the hepatitis virus.

The illness can be anywhere from mild to life threatening, depending on the person who has it.

Hepatitis B is the most common strain communicated through sexual contact, though of course all of the varieties can be transmitted by such close contact.

In many instances, hepatitis can't be diagnosed unless and until a doctor notices high liver enzymes in the blood, indicating liver malfunction, and starts looking for the cause.

However, acute hepatitis presents symptoms of jaundice (yellowing of eyes and skin, as seen in the photo / picture above) and liver enlargement, potentially accompanied by altered mental states, internal bleeding and multiple organ system failure.

Some strains of hepatitis are treated by a combination of interferon and ribavirin, but complete eradication of the virus is spotty.

In most cases, the best treatment is good nutrition, enough exercise and sleep, and appropriate symptom treatment.

HIV/AIDS

What to expect in the first few days / weeks of infection, is shown in the picture / diagram below.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2. Both can cause AIDS over time.

HIV type 2 is primarily limited to West Africa, so anywhere else in the world it's probably type 1.

This doesn't much matter to the average person, as the two types produce the same important symptoms and are both incurable.

Initial infection with HIV may cause symptoms similar to mononucleosis, including fever, sore throat, swollen glands, muscle aches and joint aches.

In addition, an opportunistic infection, such as yeast infection, may take hold temporarily as the body undergoes its first HIV assault.

The body usually quickly rallies, defeating HIV temporarily and driving it into a latent infection state that can last for years.

There is no way of telling if someone has HIV just by looking at them.

People who take medication for the virus can even have negative tests because the viral load is so low.

People who just caught HIV but haven't given it enough time to replicate can also have negative tests.

Initial testing six weeks or more after infection will show the viral antibodies that are actually used to diagnose the disease.

However, even if medication is effective enough to get the viral count so low as to be undetectable, anyone infected with HIV still has it and can still pass it on.

Mothers can pass HIV on to their children anytime during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

HIV is one of the few viruses that can actually pass through breastmilk.

Needless to say, the effects of HIV on a newborn child are terrible. Mothers who have HIV will usually be on acyclovir and have a C-section to protect their unborn children from the disease as much as possible.

People infected with HIV will eventually develop AIDS and start having a seriously compromised immune system. AIDS is always fatal and is currently incurable, though long term viral management can increase the time before the HIV infection develops into full blown AIDS. Fortunately, proper use of a male condom will normally protect from HIV infection for both men and women. My nephew was dying of AIDS, but died accidentally before it could kill him. So, talking for him, believe me, for the sake of a condom, it wasn't worth it.

The two digrams of HIV and AIDS are courtesy of www.wikipedia.com

Adult T-cell leukemia

Human T-lymphotrophic retrovirus type 1 can cause adult t-cell leukemia in infected people and can be transmitted through sexual contact.

There are no primary infection symptoms, only the symptoms of leukemia itself.

The symptoms of leukemia are anemia, fatigue, lethargy, fever, bone and joint pain, bleeding of mucous membranes, enlarged internal organs and tenderness of the sternum or other bones.

Leukemia is one of the most vicious kinds of cancer and needs immediate medical attention.

This particular virus is by no means common, but it is out there. It's included here both for completeness and to give you an idea of the potential problems risky sexual behaviours can cause.

Molluscum Contagiousum

This is one of the less terrifying viral STDs.

Molluscum contagiosum is a rash consisting of small papules with a dimpled dome, often filled with a cheesy material at the core.

It's caused by a member of the pox family of viruses.

The above photo picture is of Molluscum Contagiousum.

The above photo picture is of Molluscum Contagiousum when looked at close up. (The above two photos of Molluscum Contagiousum courtesy of E. van Herk).

These papules will vanish on their own most of the time, but if they're persistent they can also be cut off or frozen off.

Condoms don't stop the disease from spreading because it's spread through touch instead of contact with sexual fluids.

Children often pass it to each other in school through touch, so you can find it anywhere on anyone.

STD AND STI Viruses References

Taber's Encyclopedia

Saslow D, Runowicz CD, Solomon D, et al (2002). "American Cancer Society guideline for the early detection of cervical neoplasia and cancer". CA: a cancer journal for clinicians 52 (6): 342–62.

Greer CE, Wheeler CM, Ladner MB, et al (1995). "Human papillomavirus (HPV) type distribution and serological response to HPV type 6 virus-like particles in patients with genital warts". J. Clin. Microbiol. 33 (8): 2058–63.

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