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STD Related Terms

- S -

  • Sacral ganglion

  • The nerve root at the base of the spine. (The sacral ganglion serves as the site of latency in genital herpes infections.)

  • Schiller Test

  • A test in which iodine is applied to the cervix. The iodine colors healthy cells brown; abnormal cells remain unstained, usually appearing white or yellow.

  • Seroconversion

  • Development of detectable antibodies to HIV in the blood serum as a result of infection. It may take several months or more after HIV transmission for antibodies to the virus to develop. After antibodies to HIV appear in the blood, a person will test positive in the standard ELISA (see) test for HIV.

  • Serology

  • A test that identifies the antibodies in serum (a clear fluid that is a component of the blood).

  • Seroprevalence

  • For HIV, the rate at which a given population tests positive on the ELISA test (see) for HIV antibodies. The seroprevalence rate is nearly the same as the rate of HIV infection in a given population, leaving out mainly those who were recently infected.

  • Serostatus

  • The condition of having or not having detectable antibodies to a particular microbe in the blood as a result of infection

  • Shingles

  • A skin condition caused by reactivation of a Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection, usually acquired in childhood (when it appears as chicken pox). It consists of painful, inflammatory blisters on the skin that follow the path of individual peripheral nerves. The blisters generally dry and scab, leaving minor scarring. Standard treatment is with famciclovir or acyclovir. See also Herpes Virus.

  • Side Effects

  • Problems that occur when treatment affects healthy cells. For example, common side effects of cancer treatment are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss, and mouth sores.

  • Speculum

  • An instrument used to spread the vagina open so that the cervix can be seen.

  • Spermicide

  • An agent which kills spermatozoa.

  • Squamous cell carcinoma

  • Cancer that begins in squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells resembling fish scales. Squamous cells are found in the tissue that forms the surface of the skin, the lining of the hollow organs of the body, and the passages of the respiratory and digestive tracts.

  • Squamous intraepithelial lesion

  • A general term for the abnormal growth of squamous cells on the surface of the cervix. The changes in the cells are described as low grade or high grade, depending on how much of the cervix is affected and how abnormal the cells are. Also called SIL.

  • Staging

  • Doing exams and tests to learn the extent of the cancer, especially whether it has spread from its original site to other parts of the body.

  • STD (SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE)

  • Any infection that is acquired through sexual contact in a substantial number of cases.

  • Steroids

  • A group of drugs, including corticosteroids and anabolic steroids, that affect metabolism.

  • Stomatitis

  • Inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth.

  • Surgery

  • An operation.

  • Surrogate Marker

  • A laboratory measurement of biological activity within the body that indirectly indicates the effect of treatment on disease state. CD4 cell counts and viral load are examples of surrogate markers in HIV infection.

  • Symptom

  • Any perceptible change in the body or its functions that indicates disease or the kind or phases of disease. Often STDs produce symptoms; however, particularly in women, there may be no symptoms.

  • Symptomatic reactivation

  • The presence of lesions or any other symptoms caused by reactivation of HSV; a 'recurrence.'

  • Syphilis

  • Syphilis progresses in three stages, with the earliest symptoms appearing in 10 days to three weeks after sex with an infected partner. A painless sore (chancre) may appear on the genitals or in the vagina. Second-stage symptoms include a skin rash and flu-like symptoms. The infection remains even after these symptoms disappear. If left untreated, syphilis lapses into the latent stage, during which it is not contagious and has no symptoms. About one-third of people who reach this stage will develop the severe complications of late, or tertiary, syphilis, which can result in mental illness, blindness, heart disease and death. There are an estimated 120,000 new cases of syphilis in the U.S. each year.

  • Systemic

  • Concerning or affecting the body as a whole. A systemic therapy is one that the entire body is exposed to, rather than just the target tissues affected by a disease.


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STD Terms


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