Page 6 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1976
Most sexually transmitted diseases are curable
e
Health officials answer questions about VD
Q. What serious communicable
disease occurs most frequently in the
15-24 age group?
A. Gonorrhea (clap); 70 per cent of
the 76,486 cases reported in Texas
last year occurred in that age group.
Approximately 428 girls are absent
from school each day with serious
complications from gonorrhea, cal
led “pelvic inflammatory disease” or
PID.
Q. How would one know if he/she
had gonorrhea?
A. . . .A man usually has a
burning pain when urinating, ac
companied by a discharge of pus
from his penis, about 2-6 days after
sexual contact with an infected per
son. Some men have no obvious
symptoms, however.
. A woman may have an in
creased vaginal discharge, but usu
ally has no symptoms and can un
knowingly spread the infection to
others. This is also why her infection
often progresses into PID.
Q. What may happen if gonorrhea
remains untreated?
A. In a man: sterility; possible in
fection of the prostate gland and tes
ticles; scarring which can obstruct
the flow of urine, causing kidney and
bladder damage.
In a woman: PID can scar the Fal
lopian tubes, causing either inability
to become pregnant, or “tubal” pre
gnancy. This type pregnancy is very
dangerous because, as the fetus
grows, it will rupture the tube, caus
ing massive internal bleeding.
Death is a possibility. The ovaries
and abdominal cavity can become in
fected from PID, possibly requiring
hospitalization and surgery. Late
complications for both sexes: ar
thritis, heart complications, blind
ness, brain damage, tissue and organ
damage.
Q. Since women usually have no
symptoms, how will a woman know
she has the disease?
A. Her male partner with
symptoms should refer her im
mediately to a physician for diag
nosis and treatment. If she is sexu-
FRENCH’S PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Wee Aggieland School
1711 Village, College Station, 693-9900
Royal Tot School
110 Royal, Bryan, 822-0391
• Limited enrollment
• Certified teachers
• Kindergarten
AH new private first grade
• Pre-Kindergarten
• All day care
• Visitors welcome
First Day of School
Royal Tot School — August 18 • Wee Aggieland School — August 19
Open House
Sunday, August 15
Everyone Welcome
3-5 p.m.
^ze ^iquoise^Slipp
MANOR EAST MALL
PRICES FROM $6.00 — UP
10% AGGIE DISCOUNT WITH I.D. CARD
OPEN 11:00 A.M. DAILY
ally active, she can ask her physician
to perform a “gonorrhea culture”
test every 3-6 months, or whenever
she receives a pelvic examination.
The test is painless.
Q. Can the birth control pill and
IUD prevent gonorrhea?
A. No. In fact, some authorities
believe the pill actually increases the
user’s susceptibility.
Q. What other venereal or sexu
ally transmitted diseases are there?
A. Syphilis is the other most im
portant venereal disease. A painless
sore on or near the genitals will ap
pear, usually 3-4 weeks after expo
sure. There may be a rash or sore
throat a few weeks later. Syphilis,
like gonorrhea, is completly curable.
Q. Are there other venereal dis
eases besides syphilis and
gonorrhea?
A. There are several other condi
tions that may be transmitted during
sexual contact. Nonspecific uret
hritis (NSU) causes symptoms very
like those of gonorrhea in men.
Some vaginal infections are sexually
transmitted. Any pain, itching, dis
charge, or painless sore on the geni
tal area should be seen immediately
by a doctor. Most sexually transmit
ted diseases are fairly easy to cure.
Q. I have some antibiotics at
home; can I treat myself?
A. No. The treatment requires
specific antibiotics in specific dos
ages.
Q. What about genital herpes; is it
curable too?
A. Genital herpes, like flu or chic
ken pox, is caused by a virus, and no
specific treatment is available. It
lE
DRUGS & FOODS
UNIVERSITY DRIVE
AT COLLEGE AVENUE
MONDAY-SATURDAY 8 AM TO 12 PM
SUNDAY 9 AM TO 10 PM
PRICES EFFECTIVE WED .-SAT., AUGUST 18-21, 1976
PEPSI COLA
DIET AND
REGULAR
1 QUART
BOTTLES
FOR ONLY
ELECTRONIC
CALCULATOR
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
MODEL 1200
EASY TO READ
EASY TO OPERATE
MACARONI*
& CHEESE
SUBJECTS
BOOK
GOLDEN GRAIN
w* OUNCE
PACKAGE
PQR ONLY
THREE-IN-ONE
SPIRAL
SUBJECTS BOOK
120 SHEETS
CORN
MEAD’S
DATA CENTER
WELL FILLED
EARS
FOR ONLY
PLANNING & FILING
NOTEBOOK
BUILT IN CLIPBOARD
PLANNING AIDS
rent
Sati
lies
causes painful genital blimUST
may recur several times.Tlfpsaid
is contagious and maybes:®sh(N
sex partners. In pregnant Ite a 11
genital herpes increasesrislKe tl)
defects. There may alsobe^ans :
tion between genital herp;^ of e
tions and cervical cancer <iae ta;
who have been infectedstisjend a
periodic tests. Bulloc
Q. How can one avoid i-bcr st:
A. As with any disease,aii their
tact with infected persons,lW )we
culty lies in knowing whoisj 6 §°j
Two people who engage i”
activity only with each other
become infected if neither
fected at the beginning o(
tionship. Any contact wi
with a penile discharge
(sore) is dangerous as these
can be transmitted to the
throat or rectum. Useofj
(rubber) can prevent tram®
disease if it is worn
tire period of sexual contact|
ing of the genitals and urinij
intercourse may be helpbl
Q. Where can one gtl.
examination or treatment? |f;
A. To one’s private
local public health depart
clinic; a “free” clinic; aneu
room service of city/county
Examinations and treatment
public facilities are either
nominal cost.
Q. What if one is a mins]
parents be told?
A. No. By law, all veneres
cases are confidential. A
any age may consent tobisi
diagnosis and treatment. I
Q. How can one find«
about the venereal disea
other sexually transmittedi
A. Contact the Texas DeJ
of Health Resources, Venea
ease Division, 1100 m
Street, Austin Texas 787S
(512) 454-3781, Ext. 581,i
booklet “VD Answers to
Frequently Asked Queslii
Venereal Disease.” Ifyi
teacher, or are in the
field, contact the VD Dhis
for teaching or medicalresi
or for in-service training and
programs.
DIE
PI
Area highway
soon to he
reconstruct^
District Seventeen hij
provement projects in tk|
College Station area areii
the 1976 State Highway hi
Betterment and Farm
Road Improvement Prog
cently approved by the Stf—. _
way and Public TranspiP
Commission.
District Engineer Joe CI
of the State Department!|
ways and Public Transport
work in this area includf
Highway 6 from 4.3 miles
College Station south 2.5iii
work will consist of reconsl
the four-lane section near
World Speedway. This pi
pected to cost $410,000.
The design and consN
this project will be undertli
vision ofB.G. Bockmon, ^ One
resident engineer.
Similar programs had HDINI
ducted annually until lastT
that time, there wasnosuyp [
ram because of the fmancifl
facing the State Departr'eaft
Highways and Public Tri]p| RC;
tion. Funds remain shorltf''D'-
way work in Texas and i®;
states in the nation because
ing inflation and diminishi*
rates of available revenues L
Department officials, W - _
note that such programs tvA I
deferred for long without sfL p.
fects. Types of work includsJf
program will provide extras #
of safety, increase trafficca^
convenience and rehabilM
obsolete sections. Program!
this are necessary to prei'
terioration of the highway
and a resulting decline inS 1
Tm
• Bt
fo
ides l
provement of a total of3,H>ll
of highways and FM roads |
per cent assigned to
State-numbered routes, 39®f
for FM routes and 3 pen
served for later assignment]
In all, the program in
projects in 190 counties oft»
SATURDAY
India Association movk
Machaye Shor,” with Engfc
ties; 7:30 p.m., Meteort'
Oceanographgy 112.
SUNDAY
Chess Committee6 p.m.,
Embrey’s Jewel
We Specialize In
Diamonds Set-
Sizing —
Recxidizing-
All types watch/jewel
Repair
Aggie Charge Accoutt,
9-5:30 W