What Have you heard About Sexually Transmitted Infections?

Venereal diseases, as STDs used to be known, are among the most common infectious diseases.

Sexually transmitted infections are severe diseases and must be responded to swiftly. Still some are incurable and can be deadly if not responded to in time.

STIs infections can be contracted via anal, vaginal, or oral sex. They can also be contracted via contact with moist objects such as wet clothes, towels, or toilet seats. However, the most common mode of transmission is sexual contact with infected persons.

Some infections are in the inform of bacterial sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhoea, syphilis, and chlamydia while others are viral such as HIV, genital warts, genital herpes and hepatitis B.

To prevent such occurrences personal hygiene and use of protection during intercourse are a must-do.

Social practices such as having one sexual partner can also help control the spread of the diseases. It is also advisable to always use a condom.
 

Men are less susceptible than Women

The female’s anatomy makes them more vulnerable to diseases from men than vice versa.

Plus, women have more cases of untreatable bacterial infections such as chlamydia since it can spread to their uterus and fallopian tubes.

An infection that spreads can cause inflammatory diseases in the pelvis and result in pelvic pains—and, in some cases, sterilities.

An expectant mom can also pass infections to their unborn babies, if these cases are not identified and taken care of by medics.

For example, the bacteria that cause syphilis can move from the mother to their unborn through the placenta, and cause problems to a baby’s development.

Females can eradicate the possibility of contracting such diseases by a high percentage by practising safe sex.  One protective measure is to use condoms every time they have anal or vaginal intercourse. Or have their partners use male condoms.
 

9 Facts about Sexually transmitted infections.

If you suspects that you have contracted any of these diseases, here are some of the facts to remember.
 

  • There are 25 or more known sexually transmitted diseases.

Most common STDs include viral, parasitic, and bacterial infections. Some are treatable, while others are not.

Widely known common STDs include chlamydia, HIV, hepatitis B, herpes, crabs, trichomoniasis, and human papillomavirus.

There are other infections such as molluscum, contagiosum, mycoplasma genitalium, and scabies that are also transmitted from one person to the other through sexual contact.

  • Oral sex can transmit STDs.

It is important to protect yourself when indulging in oral sex.  Statistics show unprotected oral sex has a very high risk of gonorrhoea, hepatitis B, syphilis, and herpes.
 

  • Sexually transmitted infections are treatable, but some have no cure.

Antibiotics can be used to treat bacterial sexual infections like chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhoea.

Parasitic STDs such as lice and scabies, on the other hand, can be cured by the use of insecticides. Viral infections like herpes, HIV, genital warts, and hepatitis B are incurable, although they can be managed.

Besides affecting the physical health, living with these conditions affect the physiological wellbeing of the affected person.
 

  • Some have noticeable symptoms, other don’t.

A range of sexually transmitted diseases do not exhibit any form of observable symptoms; thus, it is difficult for one to know whether their partners are infected.

For example, an STI like chlamydia often shows no signs, especially in females. Similarly, HIV can take up to ten years for a patient to start developing symptoms.

When the symptoms finally show, they often exhibit symptoms similar to those caused by infections such as urinary tract infections and yeast infections.

Diseases that don’t exhibit symptoms on the infected person can be transmitted from one person to the other through the many ways.

 This is why physicians recommend regular screening for syphilis, gonorrhoea, and chlamydia to those people who are at high risk of contracting the disease.

Pregnant women must also be screened so they don’t pass such infections to their children.
 

  • Left untreated, STIs can have an adverse health implication.

Females experience severe and more frequent health problems from STDs than their male counterparts do.

If left for a long time without treatment, the resulting damage is often extreme and irreversible.

Other adverse effect of untreated STDs are pelvic inflammation, and in the worst cases, infertility. Women with HPV also vulnerable to cervical cancer.

Male and females are at risk of developing liver complications as a result of untreated hepatitis B. Chronic syphilis can also result in damaged blood and heart vessels.  
 

  • Men who practice homosexuality show high rates of syphilis infection.

A study conducted in the United States of America between 2013 and 2017 shows 70% of men found with syphilis engaged in homosexuality.

Primary syphilis develops a painless sore on the spot where the bacteria entered the body and on men, this usually develops on the shaft or the head of the penis.

Syphilis is highly transmittable at its primary or secondary stage. But using protections such as latex condoms can help prevent the spread of the infections as it will completely eradicate the risk of contracting the infections.

  • Physicians rarely do routine STI check-ups.

Unless the patient requests openly for a routine STDs screening; physicians will not do the check-up.

Anyone who is sexually active should consider regular testing. Only that way can you learn the asymptomatic STIs and begin early treatment.
 

  • Bead condom practices can give way to infections.

Every time one decides to have sex in a monogamous relationship or outside their relationship they have to choose whether to use a condom or not.

 It is a good practice to use a new condom whenever you engage in oral, vaginal, or anal sex if you are going to prevent the spread of the infections.

Otherwise, an already used condom, can aid in the spread of the infections from one partner to the other.

Even partners in a relationship should follow best condom practices when having sex to help curb the spread of asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections.
 

  • Almost all sexually active males and females contract HPV at one point in their lives.

Out of the total 150 strains of HPV, 40 of them are sexually transmitted, and a dozens of them pose a high risk of various types of cancers such as the penile, anal, mouth and throat cancers.

Meanwhile, low-risk HPV strains lead to the development of genital warts. Many people who contract HPV will not realize they have the infections since the body’s immunity fights off the less aggressive forms.

Final Words

Testing for sexually transmitted infections from time to time is the best way to watch out for these diseases is you’re sexually active.

Always follow best sex practices such as sticking to one partner—whom you know their status. Always use a condom when having sex with any strange partners. But abstinence is still the best way to go about it.

Contributor: admin