The National Prevention Information Network's List of Most Common STDs

The National Prevention Information Network (NPIN) pairs their prevention methods, along with the statistics and information that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide a detailed list of information on the most common STDs.  This may serve as a bit of a shocker but currently 19 million new infections occer each year, effecting men and women of all backgrounds and economic statuses.  Over half of those cases occur in people ages 15 to 24.  Along with the wide spread of STDs, they contribute to $14.7 billion in health care costs each year.  While the incidence and prevalence are both high and a huge chunk of our nations spending going to STDs, most people in the United States are unaware of the risks and consequences of STDs, including the most common, the HIV virus that causes AIDS.
The rest of my posts will be aimed to highlight the more common STDs and provide general information so that the public has some sort of background and awareness on their effects and prevention.  There are countless sources of information on STDs and their prevention.  Some of which I recommend are the Mayo Clinic, CDC, and NIH along with Medline Plus.  These three links provide information on prevention and STDs in general, but also additionally provide various links to learn more about specific STDs.  Currently the most common STDs are chlamydia and gonnorhea.

Chlamydia

Above is a picture of the microscopic bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatics.  Currently chlamydia is the most common bacterial STD in the United States.  It can be transmitted orally, vaginally, and anally through sexual intercourse with an infected partner.  It can also be passed from mother to infant during childbirth.  Silver nitrate drops are used to prevent this from happening, but chlamydia can pass in the form of pneumonia or a severe neonatal eye infection.  One of the biggest issues with chlamydia is it can show no symptoms for one to three weeks after exposure.  One symptom for men is discharge from the penis.  Symptoms for women include burning during urination or abnormal vaginal discharge. If it spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes some women will have it and experience no symptoms, others will experience lower abdomen and back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or spotting between menstrual periods.  When chlamydia goes undetected and untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to sterility.  Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics.  In order to prevent chlamydia, standard STD prevention techniques are greatly encouraged.  The most important prevention technique is to treat your sex partner(s) before engaging in sexual intercourse after diagnosis.  If not chlamydia will just be passed back and fourth.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae.  It grows in warm moist places of the body including the reproductive tract, mouth, throat, or anus.  Gonorrhea can be spread from mother to baby during delivery.  Symptoms for men include a burning sensation when urinating, or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis, and sometimes painful or swollen testicles.  For women the symptoms include painful or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods.  In women gonorrhea can sometimes be confused with a bladder or vaginal infection. Gonorrhea can also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease if it goes unnoticed or untreated. It can be treated with medications and antibiotics.  Standard STD prevention techniques should be implemented to avoid spreading on gonorrhea.