HOW I CAN HELP YOU : The ABC's Of STI Prevention

By Dr Sanmi Obajuluwa

Continuation.......

Before I mailed the finished version of this article to the editors, i ran it past a little "cohort" study of mine, just to get a feel of what the response would be. I was completely amazed by the feedback i got. The lack of awareness was staggering!

Initially it was a topic of jest, but as the discussion progressed it became apparent that not enough of the sexually active population or demographic are well informed about STIs. People tend to give funny faces and reactions when you try to talk about sex or STIs, maybe it is because they are uncomfortable, then again they could just be plain unhappy that they are being warned to keep away from their favourite past time. "Hence is ignorance bliss?"

"No!" Ignorance is not bliss, ignorance is living with that sore, itch, discharge, painful swelling or annoying smell that just wont go away. "Knowledge is freedom". Let us take a look at a few more bugs on our list ...

Chlamydia

 Among sexually active men, the number of Chlamydia infections is much higher. Although often symptomless in men, chlamydia can cause inflammation of the testicles, prostate and urethra. The consequences for women are more serious. Chlamydia may be difficult to detect because early-stage infections often cause few or no signs and symptoms. symptoms usually start one to three weeks after you've been exposed to chlamydia. Even when signs and symptoms do occur, they're often mild and passing, making them easy to overlook. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Painful urination
• Lower abdominal pain
• Vaginal discharge in women
• Discharge from the penis in men
• Pain during sexual intercourse in women
• Testicular pain in men

Untreated infections are a leading cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancies, and sometimes infertility. Thanks to expanded screening for this easy-to-get bacterial infection, more people who carry the bug are being diagnosed and treated with antibiotics. That should help reduce transmission of chlamydia. But many people with the infection still don’t know they have it. That means almost two out of three people infected with this bug don’t know they have it -- and go can go on spreading it.

Syphilis

Italians called it “the Spanish disease.” The French dubbed it “the English disease.” Among Russians, it was known as “the Polish disease.” Among Arabs? “The disease of Christians.”
No one wanted to claim it, and with good reason. The disease, syphilis, begins by causing crusty sores in private places. After hiding out in the body for years, it can emerge to drive people insane and then kill them.

The signs and symptoms of syphilis may occur in four stages — primary, secondary, latent and tertiary. There's also a condition known as congenital syphilis, which occurs when a pregnant woman with syphilis passes the disease to her unborn infant. Congenital syphilis can be disabling, even life-threatening, so it's important for a pregnant woman with syphilis to be treated.

Primary
These signs may occur from 10 days to three months after exposure:

• A small, painless sore (chancre) on the part of your body where the infection was transmitted, usually your genitals, rectum, tongue or lips. A single chancre is typical, but there may be multiple sores.
• Enlarged lymph nodes.

Signs and symptoms of primary syphilis typically disappear without treatment, but the underlying disease remains and may reappear in the second (secondary) or third (tertiary) stage.

Secondary
Signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis may begin two to 10 weeks after the chancre appears, and may include:

• Rash marked by red or reddish-brown, penny-sized sores over any area of your body, including your palms and soles
• Fever
• Fatigue and a vague feeling of discomfort
• Soreness and aching

These signs and symptoms may disappear within a few weeks or repeatedly come and go for as long as a year.

Latent
In some people, a period called latent syphilis — in which no symptoms are present — may follow the secondary stage. Signs and symptoms may never return, or the disease may progress to the tertiary stage.

Tertiary
Without treatment, syphilis bacteria may spread, leading to serious internal organ damage and death years after the original infection.

Some of the signs and symptoms of tertiary syphilis include:

• Neurological problems. These may include stroke and infection and inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). Other problems may include poor muscle coordination, numbness, paralysis, deafness or visual problems. Personality changes and dementia also are possible.
• Cardiovascular problems. These may include bulging (aneurysm) and inflammation of the aorta — your body's major artery — and of other blood vessels. Syphilis may also cause valvular heart disease, such as aortic valve problems.

What’s more, having syphilis increases the danger of being infected with HIV/AIDS at least two- to five-fold.

Hepatitis symptoms

Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are all contagious viral infections that affect the liver. Hepatitis B and C are the most serious of the three, but each can cause your liver to become inflamed. Some people never develop signs or symptoms. But for those who do, signs and symptoms may occur after several weeks and may include:

• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially in the area of your liver on your right side beneath your lower ribs
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Dark urine
• Muscle or joint pain
• Itching
• Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

Genital Herpies

Genital herpes is highly contagious and caused by a type of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). HSV enters the body through small breaks in the skin or mucous membranes. Most people with HSV never know they have it, because they have no signs or symptoms. The signs and symptoms of HSV can be so mild they go unnoticed. When signs and symptoms are noticeable, the first episode is generally the worst. Some people never experience a second episode. Other people, however, can experience recurrent episodes over a period of decades. When present, genital herpes signs and symptoms may include:

• Small, red bumps, blisters (vesicles) or open sores (ulcers) in the genital, anal and nearby areas
• Pain or itching around the genital area, buttocks and inner thighs

The initial symptom of genital herpes usually is pain or itching, beginning within a few weeks after exposure to an infected sexual partner. After several days, small, red bumps may appear. They then rupture, becoming ulcers that ooze or bleed. Eventually, scabs form and the ulcers heal.

In women, sores can erupt in the vaginal area, external genitals, buttocks, anus or cervix. In men, sores can appear on the penis, scrotum, buttocks, anus or thighs, or inside the urethra, the tube from the bladder through the penis. It may also be painful to urinate. During an initial episode, you may have flu-like signs and symptoms, such as headache, muscle aches and fever, as well as swollen lymph nodes in your groin.

In some cases, the infection can be active and contagious even when sores aren't present. Good news on this bad guy, numbers are on the decline according to recent studies.

Genital warts (HPV infection)

Genital warts, caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), are one of the most common types of STDs. The signs and symptoms of genital warts include:

• Small, flesh-colored or gray swellings in your genital area
• Several warts close together that take on a cauliflower shape
• Itching or discomfort in your genital area
• Bleeding with intercourse

Often, however, genital warts cause no symptoms. Genital warts may be as small as 1 millimeter in diameter or may multiply into large clusters.
In women, genital warts can grow on the vulva, the walls of the vagina, the area between the external genitals and the anus, and the cervix. In men, they may occur on the tip or shaft of the penis, the scrotum, or the anus. Genital warts can also develop in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person.

HIV

HIV is an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV interferes with the body's ability to effectively fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause disease and it can lead to AIDS, a chronic, life-threatening disease.
When first infected with HIV, a person may have no symptoms at all. Some people develop a flu-like illness, usually two to six weeks after being infected.
Early signs and symptoms
Early HIV signs and symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Swollen lymph glands
• Rash
• Fatigue

These early signs and symptoms usually disappear within a week to a month and are often mistaken for those of another viral infection. During this period, the person is very infectious. More-persistent or -severe symptoms of HIV infection may not appear for 10 years or more after the initial infection.
As the virus continues to multiply and destroy immune cells, the person may develop mild infections or chronic signs and symptoms such as:

• Swollen lymph nodes — often one of the first signs of HIV infection
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Cough and shortness of breath

Later stage HIV infection
Signs and symptoms of later stage HIV infection include:

• Persistent, unexplained fatigue
• Soaking night sweats
• Shaking chills or fever higher than 100.4 F (38 C) for several weeks
• Swelling of lymph nodes for more than three months
• Chronic diarrhea
• Persistent headaches
• Unusual, opportunistic infections

 

The ABCs of STI Prevention

You’d think advice on how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases would be noncontroversial, right? Wrong. Like so much else these days, STI prevention advice is a political hot potato. Some sides want to focus exclusively on abstinence and monogamy in marriage. Others say more should be done to promote condoms.
To keep everyone happy, public health officials have latched on to an easy-to-remember acronym for prevention: "ABC." A is for “abstinence.” B is for “be faithful.” C is for “condom.”
Obviously, the only foolproof way to prevent STIs is to avoid sex. The second most effective way is to settle down and live happily -- and faithfully -- ever after with a sexual partner who is free of infections. That’s great if you can manage it. But let’s face it -- plenty of people these days are sexually active, with more than one partner. In that case, especially if you aren’t sure whether you or your partner may have an STI, using a condom is critical.
The bottom line: Condoms don’t offer 100% protection, but they can certainly lower your risk -- and the risk of your partner.
If you were able to read through this mess of information then my work here is done as I have been able to help……

Pls ask questions if any via the comment box