The Centers for Disease Control notes that there are 50 known and recognized STDs. The most common STDs that are seen today are chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, chancroid, trichomoniasis, the human papillomavirus, HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, crabs, pelvic inflammatory disease and genital herpes and genital warts.
Uncommon STDs
There are many STDs that exist that the general public is not familiar with. In some cases, this is because the rate of infection in the United States is minimal. In other cases, the disease simply has not gained media notoriety or medical field attention that some of the more common diseases, such as AIDs/HIV, chlamydia and the human papillomavirus have.
Risk Factors for Many STDs
Sexually active homosexual males are at a high risk for many STDs, including AIDS/HIV, lymphogranuloma venereum, herpes, gonorrhea and syphilis. People who are living with HIV are also at a higher risk for other STDs. Naturally, those who use physical protection, such as a condom, can decrease their risk of obtaining certain STDs such as genital warts. These odds are decreased even further if abstinence is practiced while a sexual partner is experiencing a physical outbreak of symptoms from an STD such as genital herpes. Doctors can also administer vaccinations against many STDs, including certain strands of the human papillomavirus and hepatitis A and B.
