STI: a growing health problem
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Among the most common infectious diseases in the world today and most often identified in teens and young adults, Sexually Transmitted Infections or STI present the medical community and society-at-large with a major challenge.
While efforts to broaden the scope of sex education at school must be applauded, sexual activity among adolescents continues to increase not least because sexual relations are trivialised in movies, on television and in books and magazines.
STI are infections spread through unsafe sexual practices. The pathogen can be a virus (hepatitis B, genital herpes, HIV, human papilloma virus or HPV), a bacterium (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis) or a parasite (trichomoniasis). Although each infection has specific symptoms, complications and treatment options, many STI share common characteristics and issues.
There are two main reasons why STIs are easy to catch: first, they are highly contagious (up to 80-per-cent risk at first intercourse with gonorrhoea) and may be “silent” (no symptoms) enabling the person to unknowingly spread the infection. This is why they are today known as Sexually Transmitted Infections instead of Sexually Transmitted Diseases or STD as in the past.
When symptoms do occur, they typically include one of more of the following: a discharge (from the penis, vagina or anus), some itching, burning sensation and skin disorders in the anogenital area and painful urination. As the symptoms may be short-lived, you should promptly seek medical advice if you suspect you may be infected.
The first symptoms usually occur about a week after intercourse or genital contact though there may be signs of infection as early as 2 days with gonorrhoea or after several weeks for chlamydia and HIV.
The diagnosis of STI is confirmed through simple lab tests (analysis of discharge) and/or blood tests
Most STI induce some kind of skin ulceration and this favours acquiring another STI. If you are infected with any STI you should systematically be screened for other STIs including HIV. Your sex partner(s) should also be screened even if no symptoms are present. Some STI (Hepatitis B, HIV) may also occur through other routes of contamination such as blood transfusion or sharing needles.
Left untreated, many STI can lead to serious complications such as multiple organ damage (syphilis, hepatitis B, gonorrhoea), cancers (of the cervix, anus, throat with HPV and of the liver with hepatitis B) and infertility. In women, the sterility problem results from chronic inflammation of upper genital organs such as womb and fallopian tubes (the tubes linking the ovaries with the womb) in an illness known as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are two major causes of infertility in women because they often remain unnoticed and untreated. Infected pregnant women can pass potentially severe STI infection to their babies.
There are several risk factors for STI, among them male homosexuality, multiple sex partners, existing STI especially HIV infection, alcohol and drug abuse during sex. Female teens tend to be more easily affected as their immature cervix is more prone to infection.
Diagnosed early and properly treated, most STI, with the exception of HIV, can be cured with simple medical treatment. Sex abstinence is required during the 10 to 15 day-course of antibiotic or antiviral treatment. However, relapses can and do occur and in some cases it is wise to perform a lab test after 3 months to confirm the eradication of the pathogen.
Screening is recommended for HIV and chlamydia. The CDC recommends yearly routine chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing for all sexually active women age 25 or younger and older women at risk. All pregnant women should be automatically screened for syphilis, hepatitis B, HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhoea as part of their first obstetric consultation.
Prevention relies on safe sex practices, such as having protected sex and STI screening before engaging in a sexual relationship, keeping relationships mutually monogamous and ensuring vaccination for Hepatitis B (at birth) and HPV (at 11 or 12 years old before being sexually active).
DR GERARD LALANDE is Managing Director of CEO-HEALTH, which |provides medical referrals for expatriates and customised executive |medical check-ups in Thailand. He can be contacted at [email protected]
STI are infections spread through unsafe sexual practices. The pathogen can be a virus (hepatitis B, genital herpes, HIV, human papilloma virus or HPV), a bacterium (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis) or a parasite (trichomoniasis). Although each infection has specific symptoms, complications and treatment options, many STI share common characteristics and issues.
There are two main reasons why STIs are easy to catch: first, they are highly contagious (up to 80-per-cent risk at first intercourse with gonorrhoea) and may be “silent” (no symptoms) enabling the person to unknowingly spread the infection. This is why they are today known as Sexually Transmitted Infections instead of Sexually Transmitted Diseases or STD as in the past.
When symptoms do occur, they typically include one of more of the following: a discharge (from the penis, vagina or anus), some itching, burning sensation and skin disorders in the anogenital area and painful urination. As the symptoms may be short-lived, you should promptly seek medical advice if you suspect you may be infected.
The first symptoms usually occur about a week after intercourse or genital contact though there may be signs of infection as early as 2 days with gonorrhoea or after several weeks for chlamydia and HIV.
The diagnosis of STI is confirmed through simple lab tests (analysis of discharge) and/or blood tests
Most STI induce some kind of skin ulceration and this favours acquiring another STI. If you are infected with any STI you should systematically be screened for other STIs including HIV. Your sex partner(s) should also be screened even if no symptoms are present. Some STI (Hepatitis B, HIV) may also occur through other routes of contamination such as blood transfusion or sharing needles.
Left untreated, many STI can lead to serious complications such as multiple organ damage (syphilis, hepatitis B, gonorrhoea), cancers (of the cervix, anus, throat with HPV and of the liver with hepatitis B) and infertility. In women, the sterility problem results from chronic inflammation of upper genital organs such as womb and fallopian tubes (the tubes linking the ovaries with the womb) in an illness known as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are two major causes of infertility in women because they often remain unnoticed and untreated. Infected pregnant women can pass potentially severe STI infection to their babies.
There are several risk factors for STI, among them male homosexuality, multiple sex partners, existing STI especially HIV infection, alcohol and drug abuse during sex. Female teens tend to be more easily affected as their immature cervix is more prone to infection.
Diagnosed early and properly treated, most STI, with the exception of HIV, can be cured with simple medical treatment. Sex abstinence is required during the 10 to 15 day-course of antibiotic or antiviral treatment. However, relapses can and do occur and in some cases it is wise to perform a lab test after 3 months to confirm the eradication of the pathogen.
Screening is recommended for HIV and chlamydia. The CDC recommends yearly routine chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing for all sexually active women age 25 or younger and older women at risk. All pregnant women should be automatically screened for syphilis, hepatitis B, HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhoea as part of their first obstetric consultation.
Prevention relies on safe sex practices, such as having protected sex and STI screening before engaging in a sexual relationship, keeping relationships mutually monogamous and ensuring vaccination for Hepatitis B (at birth) and HPV (at 11 or 12 years old before being sexually active).
DR GERARD LALANDE is Managing Director of CEO-HEALTH, which |provides medical referrals for expatriates and customised executive |medical check-ups in Thailand. He can be contacted at [email protected]
