Summary of Viral STDs
Viruses are obligate intracellular
parasites that reproduce only after
infecting host cells. Several major viral STDs
are included in this section: Herpes simplex
virus, human papilloma virus, hepatitis
viruses, and human immunodeficiency virus.
As you study this section, keep in mind a few
major principles of viral STDs. First, viral
STDs are unresponsive to antibiotic
therapy. Most medicines used to treat them are
aimed at helping relieve some of the symptoms
that the viruses cause. Second, most viral
STDs cannot be fully eradicated from the body,
so once a person becomes infected with one, he
or she remain infected for life. These two
principles guide the third principle (and the
most important overarching principle with
regard to STDs): prevention is the most
effective approach to viral STDs.
