If you think you have some type of genital infection or you have noticed that you have a genital symptom the best thing and the only thing that you should do is to see your doctor or a go to a health clinic right away for medical treatment. At the office or clinic they will do various tests and ask you about your medical history to diagnose what genital infection you are suffering from and then treat it accordingly.

Here is a closer look at some of the various genital infections that you can suffer from.

Chlamydia:
This is a common sexually transmitted that is caused by a bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. If this infection is left untreated it can cause numerous medical problems including causing severe damage to the reproductive organs. This infection affects both men and women, but it is reported more often in women than in men. For the most part this infection is spread through vaginal, anal and oral sex, but it can also be passed from an infected mother to a newborn through vaginal childbirth.

Risk factors and causes

• Age - due to the fact that the cervix of teenage girls and young women is not fully developed they are actually more prone to getting infection, which the possibility of infection increases even more if they are sexually active. In fact women and adolescents through the age of 20 years are at the highest risk for the disease.
  
• Number of sexual partners - the more sexual partners that you have the higher your risk for contracting the infection. It has been shown that this disease is more common to people who are not in long term, monogamous relationships.
  
• Lack of condom use or improper use - basically not using a condom at all or not using it on a regular basis when having sexual intercourse. But there is also the chance that you are not using the condom correctly.
  
• Having sex with a partner that is infected with a sexually transmitted disease increases your chance of getting Chlamydia. But also having sex with a partner that has not been treated for the disease after you have been treated. This increases your chance of getting reinfected.
  

Signs and symptoms

This is often called a silent disease because about 75% of women and 50% of men who have been infected with it show no signs of the disease so they have no idea that they are infected, But if you do show symptoms they will appear within one to three weeks of being exposed. The symptoms that you want to look for are:

• Abnormal discharge from the penis or vagina
  
• Burning sensation while urinating
  
• Lower abdomen or back pain
  
• Nausea
  
• Fever
  
• Pain during intercourse
  
• Burning or itching around the head of the penis
  
• Swollen or tender testicles
  
• Bleeding between menstrual cycles
  
• Inflammation of the rectum

Diagnosis methods

It is diagnosed during a physical exam that includes a medical history. In women the physical exam is also going to include a pelvic examination. Your doctor will talk to you about your sexual history which will include the number of sexual partners you have had, your past history of sexually transmitted diseases and what methods of protection that you use.

The only conclusive way to determine if you have it is through a laboratory test.

• Culture swab - men a slim swab is inserted into the end of the penis. With women a sample of mucous is taken from the cervix or vaginal discharge with a swab
  
• Urine test - a sample of urine is collected in a cup

Treatment and prevention

It is treated with antibiotics which can be given in a single dose or given over the course of a week. Both partners will need to be treated to prevent the risk of reinfection and sexual contact should be avoided until treatment is completed.

The following things can be done to help prevent getting Chlamydia:

• Avoid having vaginal, anal or oral sex
  
• Use condoms if you are going to have sexually contact whether it is vaginal, anal or oral. For vaginal use either a male or female condom, for anal use a male condom and for oral use something called a dental dam.
  
• Limit how many sexual partners you have because the more you have the higher your chances of getting it
  

Genital herpes:
This is something that for the most part is caused by a virus called herpes simplex 2, but on rare occasions it can also be caused by herpes simplex 1. These viruses are the same virus but herpes simplex 1 usually only causes cold sores and fever blisters. This virus is passed through sexual contact from an infected partner. The worst thing about this virus is that it can be spread from an infected partner even when they are not showing any signs or symptoms of the virus, which includes an outbreak. Another thing about this infection is that many people with genital herpes do not even know they have it because they have no symptoms.

Risk factors and causes

• Is caused by the exposure to the herpes simplex virus 2 but it can also be caused by the exposure to the herpes simplex 1 virus. This virus is released from the sores that the virus causes, but it can also be released from the skin that does not appear to have sore or is unbroken.
  
• Impaired immune system, people who are infected with HIV virus and other diseases that affect the immune system are at a greater risk to catch the virus because of the decreased ability the body has to fight infection
  
• Gender - women get it more than men and they also tend to have more severe and longer lasting symptoms
  
• Unprotected sex - areas that are not covered by a condom can spread the virus. But even using condoms only reduces your chances it does not totally eliminate the risk
  
• Having sex with people who have multiple sex partners or who have a partner who is positive for genital herpes increases your chances of getting it. Not to mention having more than one partner yourself.
  

Signs and symptoms

Many people actually suffer no symptoms but if symptoms do appear during the first outbreak they can be really bad. With this virus you can expect symptoms to appear within days of getting the virus but it can also take weeks, months or even years for symptoms to occur. On average the first outbreak happens two weeks after the virus was first transmitted and last about two to three weeks.

Early symptoms of an outbreak:

• Itching and burning in the genital or anal area
  
• Fever, muscle aches, swollen glands and other flu-like symptoms
  
• Pain in the legs, buttocks or genital area
  
• Vaginal discharge in women
• Feeling of pressure in the area below the stomach

 After the early symptoms appear small sores will appear near where the virus entered the body. These sores appear as small red bumps but can become blisters or even painful open sores. In time they crust over and heal without leaving scars. It can take anywhere from two to twelve days to heal.

Later symptoms:

• Headache
  
• Painful urination
  
• Swollen glands in the genital area

Diagnosis methods

Genetal Infections can be very hard to diagnose because of the fact signs and symptoms vary greatly among different people. They can be found during a physical examination, including a gynecological examination. But this will only work if sores are visible to the naked eye

• Laboratory tests - used mainly to confirm a diagnosis especially if other symptoms are not present
  
• Viral culture - a sample is gathered by swabbing or scraping a new sore. But it must be collected from a new sore within 48 hours of its appearance because once the sore begins to heal there might not be enough of the virus left on the skin to make a proper diagnosis
  
• Blood tests - most popular because they do not require the presence of sores. A small amount of blood is taken from the arm or the finger. It is then looked at to find specific antibodies. This test can distinguish between the two different viruses but it cannot distinguish between an acute or active infection or if one has occurred in the past.
  

Treatment options

There is no cure for this infection but there are things that you can do to treat the various symptoms that might be present during an outbreak.

• Episodic therapy - requires you to take medications when symptoms appear and continue taking the medication daily until the symptoms disappear.
  
• Suppressive therapy - involves taking medication on a daily basis even when you are not having outbreaks. This is recommended for people who experience frequent recurrences. The medication works to reduce the number of outbreaks and the chance of transmitting it to your partner.
  
• Episodic suppressive therapy - for people who are trying to prevent outbreaks when it is important, such as planned vacations.
  

Prevention methods

• Do not have sex with multiple partners or with people who have multiple partners.
  
• Do not have sex with somebody who is infected with the virus while they are having an outbreak.
  

Practice good hygiene habits to prevent the spread of the virus both during and after an outbreak. These can include but are not limited to:

• Keeping the infected area clean and dry
  
• Not touching the sores
  
• Washing your hands if the sores are touched
  
  Avoiding sexual contact from the time the symptoms are first noticed until the sores have healed.