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STD Related Terms

- H -

  • Helper T-cell

  • Properly known as a CD4 cell, a type of T-cell involved in protecting against viral, fungal and protozoal infections. The CD4 cell modulates the immune response to an infection through a complex series of interactions with antigen presenting cells (macrophages, dendritic cells and B cells) and other types of lymphocytes (B-cells and CD8 cells). Other names for CD4 cell are T-helper cell or helper T-cell.

  • Hepatitis

  • Inflammation of the liver caused by microbes or chemicals. Often accompanied by jaundice, enlarged liver, fever, fatigue and nausea and high levels of liver enzymes in the blood.

  • Hepatitis A

  • A self-limiting virus-induced liver disease. Hepatitis A is acquired through ingesting fecally contaminated water or food or engaging in sexual practices involving anal contact. Injection drug users who share unclean needles also are at risk.

  • Hepatitis B

  • A virus-induced liver disease that infects approximately 200,000 Americans each year. The hepatitis B virus is found in blood, semen, vaginal secretions and saliva. This highly contagious virus is spread through sexual contact, sharing contaminated drug needles, blood transfusions, and piercing the skin with contaminated instruments. Many people with hepatitis B have no symptoms; others experience fever, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea. Hepatitis B may damage the liver, putting people at risk for cirrhosis and liver cancer. Most infections clear up by themselves within four to eight weeks. Some individuals (about 10% of the cases), however, become chronically infected. Hepatitis B is the only STD for which there is a vaccine. Although many public health officials recommend the vaccine for children, adolescents and young adults, it is not widely administered, due in part to the stigmatization of STDs and the cost of the three-part vaccine. Form information about Hepatitis B, call the CDC National STD and AIDS Hotlines at 800-227-8922. For more information about vaccinations, please call the CDC National Immunization Information Hotline at 800-232-2522 (English) or 800-232-0233 (Spanish).

  • Hepatitis C

  • Another virus-induced liver disease. It appears to be more common among heterosexuals and injection drug users than hepatitis B.

  • Herpes

  • While 'genital herpes' can cause symptoms in a variety of sites below the waist, the term is used to denote all HSV infection that is latent in the sacral ganglion, at the base of the spine. An estimated 40 million Americans have genital herpes, with 500,000 new cases each year. Approximately two-thirds of people who are infected do not know they have genital herpes, either because they have no symptoms or because their symptoms are so mild they go unnoticed. Symptoms of the first infection usually appear one to 26 days after exposure and last two to three weeks. Symptoms in the genital area include an itching or burning sensation, discharge and blisters or painful open sores. They are sometimes accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as swollen glands and fever. After the first infection, the virus can reactivate and cause new outbreaks of sores. The frequency and severity of recurrences vary from person to person.

  • Herpes encephalitis

  • A rare, severe illness that occurs when the brain becomes infected with HSV.

  • Herpes gladiatorum

  • The presence of herpes lesions on the body caused by HSV infection that is transmitted usually through the abrasion of skin in a contact sport, such as wrestling.

  • Herpes whitlow

  • The presence of herpes lesions on the fingers or toes.

  • Herpes Zoster

  • See both Shingles and Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV).

  • Herpesvirus

  • Any one of eight known members of the human herpesvirus family that include: herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6), human herpes virus type 7 (HHV-7), and human herpes virus type 8 (HHV-8). Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) can cause painful 'cold sores' or 'fever blisters' on the lips, in the mouth or around the eyes; herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2) is usually transmitted sexually and generally causes lesions in the genital area or the anus. See names of individual viruses.

  • HHV-6

  • A newly observed agent found in the blood cells (T lymphocytes) of a few patients with a variety of diseases affecting the immune system. This virus causes roseola infantum, a common childhood infection children under 4. Symptoms of roseola infantum include high fever and listlessness followed by a rash.

  • HHV-7

  • This virus has been identified in the laboratory, but has not been associated with any diseases to date. It infects T-cells, and genetically resembles HHV-6.

  • HHV-8

  • A recently recognized virus that has notable homology with several known herpesviruses. Detection of HHV-8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or HHV-8 antibody seroconversion is associated with an increased risk of developing Kaposi's sarcoma.

  • HIV/AIDS (HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS/ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME)

  • It is estimated that 600,000 to 900,000 people in the U.S. are infected with HIV, the cause of AIDS. An estimated 45,000 people get AIDS each year. HIV damages the cells in the immune system that fight off infections and diseases. As the virus gradually destroys these important cells, the immune system becomes less and less able to protect against illness. Certain life-threatening infections and cancers can then invade the body, causing serious illness and eventual death. However, HIV can live in an infected person's body for years before any signs of illness appear.

  • HIV-1

  • Human immunodeficiency virus type 1, the retrovirus (see) recognized as the agent that induces AIDS.

  • HIV-2

  • Human immunodeficiency virus type 2, a virus closely related to HIV-1 that also leads to immune suppression. HIV-2 is not as virulent as HIV-1 and is epidemic only in West Africa.

  • Holistic (WHOLISTIC) Medicine

  • Various systems of health protection and restoration, both traditional and modern, that are reputedly based on the body's natural healing powers, the various ways the different tissues affect each other and the influence of the external environment.

  • Hormone

  • An active chemical substance formed in the glands and carried in the blood to other parts of the body where it stimulates or suppresses cell and tissue activity.

  • HPV (HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS)

  • Human papillomavirus is one of the most common STDs. An estimated 40 million Americans are infected with HPV, with 1 million new cases each year. HPV is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 80 different types. Certain types of HPV cause warts on the hands or feet, while others can cause genital warts on the vulva, vagina, anus, cervix, penis or scrotum. These may be raised or flat, single or multiple, small or large. Some cluster together; some can't be seen by the naked eye (subclinical infection). Often flesh-colored and painless, genital warts only rarely cause symptoms such as itching, pain or bleeding. HPV and genital warts are usually spread by direct, skin-to-skin contact during sex. Warts might appear within several weeks after sex with an infected person, they might take months to appear or they might never appear. Very little is known about the transmission of subclinical HPV infection. Other types of HPV (not the types that cause genital warts) are strongly linked to cervical cancer. Yearly Pap smears are recommended to detect the abnormal cell growth caused by HPV that may progress to cervical cancer. If detected in time, the progression of cervical HPV can be stopped, and even cervical cancer can usually be treated successfully.

  • HSV

  • Abbreviation for herpes simplex virus. HSV-1 denotes herpes simplex type 1, the usual cause of herpes around the mouth or face ('cold sores,' 'fever blisters'); HSV-2 denotes herpes simplex type 2, the usual cause of recurrent genital herpes. Click here for more information on herpes, or call the National Herpes Hotline. Click here for a list of HELP (support) groups in your area.

  • Hysterectomy

  • An operation in which the uterus and cervix are removed.

  • Hysteroscopy

  • A surgical procedure in which a slender, light-transmitting telescope, the hysteroscope, is used to view the inside of the uterus or perform surgery.


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