How these diseases spread
Diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another mainly through sexual contact, and through sexual secretions coming into contact with the sexual organs, are called sexually transmitted diseases.
These diseases are also transmitted to another person when the blood of an infected person enters the body of a healthy person. The symptoms of such diseases most often appear on the sexual organs.
How many there are
About 20 sexually transmitted diseases have been identified so far. The next two pages look at a few of those that are commonly seen in the world, grouped by what causes them.
| Disease | Caused by | Curable? |
|---|---|---|
| Gonorrhoea | a bacterium | yes, with medicine |
| Syphilis | a bacterium | yes, if treated early |
| Herpes | a virus | no permanent treatment |
| AIDS | a virus | cannot be cured |
Bacterium or virus decides almost everything
Read the last two columns together. The bacterial diseases can be cured with medicine, because antibiotics work on bacteria. The viral ones cannot be cured, which is why prevention matters far more for them.