STDs! What do those initials stand for?
I know the initials may be interpreted in different ways. You know them? My speech will be centered on the genuine meaning of the initials. STDs stand for sexually transmitted diseases. Now it sounds serious! STDs are now part of us. They are with us. What should we do? STDs issues have been the topic for debate for a long time now. STDs are now a threat to families, societies, and economies of countries. But what are STDs! STDs are a group of diseases that are transmitted through sexual or non-sexual means. Examples of diseases transmitted through sexual means include Chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea and genital herpes. Others, often not transmitted through non-sexual means include HIV/AIDs and hepatitis B (Lindley et al., 68). That is a plain fact. STDs can strike from any angle. It is such serious! STDs cause negative impacts on the social and economic development of a country. They are associated with high infertility rates in men and women of childbearing age (Goesling, Brian, et al., 501). Young men and women watch out. STDs is a wide topic but I am going to narrow it down to three main points which will feature here. They include most common types of STDs, important facts about STDs and challenges in tackling STDs.
Which are the most common types of STDs?
Some of the popular types of STIs are chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, HIV/AIDs, trichomoniasis, Human papillomavirus, name them, the list is long. To get to know a true picture and how serious STDs are, we will discuss the causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of the first three on the list.
Chlamydia
Recapp Resource Centre explains that chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease annually in the United States. About three million Americans are infected with the disease every year. The disease is caused by bacteria transmitted through sexual intercourse from one partner to another. An amazing fact about Chlamydia is that symptoms are not outwardly felt (4). Some of the symptoms include fever, irregular periods in women, and nausea. Symptoms can remain hidden for even one year. That makes you not to worry now. You should get worried though! Chlamydia causes severe health problems including infertility in women, spread to other parts of the body like the eyes, and can be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth. Although chlamydia can be treated using antibiotics, the best way to avoid the disease is by using a condom during sex (Mastromarino, Paola, et al 663).
Gonorrhea
Have you ever heard of Gonorrhoea? Gonorrhea is an STD caused by a bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The disease is transmitted, from one person to another through virginal, oral or anal sex. Body parts prone to gonorrhea are anus, mouth, eyes, vagina, cervix, uterus and eyes. The main causes of the disease are unprotected sex and having multiple partners (Jenkins, Wiley D., et al. 564). Gonorrhea affects both men and women. Symptoms in men inclua de frequent urination, swelling at penis opening, pain in tentacles and sore throat. However, the symptoms in women may be confused with other effects, the most common ones include, fever, sore throat, pain during sexual intercourse, urinating a frequently and a burning sensation, and heavy periods. Treatment is by administering antibiotics. Prevention can be exercised through safe sex by using a condom.
Syphilis
I know the majority of you have ever heard of syphilis but there are emerging facts about the disease. The number of men contracting the disease outnumbered women in 2017. Guess what! More cases were reported in the United States than any other country. This was particularly associated with an increase in gay men in the US (Satterwhite 191). How is syphilis different from others? The symptoms of the disease can remain undetected for years making it one of the most challenging STIs to identify. However, it has a unique symptom called chancre. The chancre is a small painless sore at the end of the penis that appears within the first three months after infection. However, there are other general symptoms like a headache, hair loss, fatigue, and aching joints. In women, it can lead to passing the disease to the fetus, miscarriages, premature or stillbirths. If syphilis is not detected and treated within five to ten years, it can lead to blindness, meningitis, mental illness, deafness, heart problems, spinal cord and brain damage (MMWR, and RSS 19). Syphilis can be prevented by having a regular medical check-up for men. The disease is easily treatable using penicillin antibiotics. However, it is good to note that damaged caused by late syphilis are not easily treatable. Prevention measures include practicing safe sex by using a condom; avoid sharing sex toys and having regular medical check-ups (Su, John R., et al., 381). There are many others and it is good that you research widely about them.
Important facts about STDs
The following facts will broaden our insight into the situation of STDs in the world. These are important truths that everybody needs to understand. According to the report released by the world health organization in the year 2017, over a million STDs are transmitted or acquired in every single day worldwide. The most transmitted STIs are chlamydia, gonorrhea, Syphilis, and trichomoniasis which contribute to over 350 million cases worldwide. WHO report on STIs in 2017, showed that over 290 million women have HPV in the world. That's a surprising figure. Isn't! Listen to this! It is rather shocking. Over one million pregnant women were found to have syphilis in the 2017 World Health Organisation (WHO) report. Out of the total cases reported, more than 350 000 resulted in negative birth outcomes like stillbirths or miscarriage. In some cases, the STIs resulted in more damage like infertility in both men and women. Also, the probability of acquiring HIV can be increased by 30% with herpes or syphilis infection. HPV infection results in over 525,000 cases of cervical cancer, with half of the victims succumbing to cervical cancer every year (de Martel, Catherine, et al., 668). We need to get these facts right in order to understand the threat facing the future generation. There is a need for immediate solutions. Otherwise, it will be too late for the world to act.
Challenges faced in containing STDs.
Our world is changing. People are adapting to new behaviors and social values. There is a lack of comprehensive education on sexual health to sex workers and members of the gay community. Our societies are yet to embrace such behavioral changes. Cahill et al., (101) explain that the isolation of LGBT and sex workers in society increases STIs spread by over 25%.
Also, in their study of resistant sexually transmitted diseases, Unemo et al. (139) revealed that some of the diseases like gonorrhea and syphilis are proving resistant to antibiotics, thus further complicating the problem of finding a cure for other STDs. Others like HIV, Herpes, and Hepatitis B are caused by a virus thus are hard to treat. With all these facts present, people don't want to use a condom during sex (Tornello et al.,166). That's where the problem gets tough. In their research on how to prevent early pregnancy Chandra-Mouli et al., 520, found out that often unmarried people do not use a condom during sex. The results showed that 48% of US youths don't use a condom during intercourse. Lastly, this is rather saddening, the majority of developing countries lack enough resources to treat STIs. Sexual workers, gay people, drug addicts, inmates, and adolescents lack adequate health facilities where they can be advised on the best sexual health practices. Furthermore, those who are suffering from STIs have inadequate treatments or lack them at all (Mmari et al., 567). Developed countries should come in handy to help developing countries. Otherwise, the overflow effect will affect developed countries as well.
Conclusion
STDs are part of us. Everybody should acknowledge that anybody is at the risk of being infected. We have learned that not all STDs are passed through sexual contacts. Let everyone take it as a wakeup call to view STDs in a new angle. Let us show love, respect and offer encouragement to those infected and not isolate them. With a positive mind, we will be part of the wider community around the globe contributing towards enlightenment, reduction, or possible eradication of STIs from the face of the earth. It is not easy. We need to start now. Thank you.
References
“Sexually Transmitted Infections.” World Health Organization, 2017. Accessed 29th
September, 2018, from:http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis)
Cahill, Sean R., et al. "Inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in stage 3 meaningful use guidelines: A huge step forward for LGBT health." LGBT health 3.2 (2016): 100-102.
Chandra-Mouli, Venkatraman, Alma Virginia Camacho, and Pierre-André Michaud. "WHO guidelines on preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in developing countries." Journal of Adolescent Health 52.5 (2013): 517-522.
de Martel, Catherine, et al. "Worldwide burden of cancer attributable to HPV by site, country and HPV type." International journal of cancer 141.4 (2017): 664-670.
Goesling, Brian, et al. "Programs to reduce teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and associated sexual risk behaviors: a systematic review." Journal of Adolescent Health 54.5 (2014): 499-507.
Jenkins, Wiley D., et al. "Chlamydia and gonorrhea screening in United States emergency departments." The Journal of emergency medicine 44.2 (2013): 558-567.
Lindley, Lisa L., Katrina M. Walsemann, and Jarvis W. Carter Jr. "Invisible and at risk: STDs among young adult sexual minority women in the United States." Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 45.2 (2013): 66-73.
Mastromarino, Paola, et al. "Effects of vaginal lactobacilli in Chlamydia trachomatis infection." International Journal of Medical Microbiology 304.5-6 (2014): 654-661.
Mmari, Kristin, and Simran Sabherwal. "A review of risk and protective factors for adolescent sexual and reproductive health in developing countries: an update." Journal of Adolescent Health 53.5 (2013): 562-572.
MMWR, RSS. "Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2015." MMWR Supplements 64.1 (2014).
Recapp Resource Center. Sexually transmitted infections, Accesed 28 September 2018. From:http://recapp.etr.org/recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.StatisticsDetail&PageID=558.
Satterwhite, Catherine Lindsey, et al. "Sexually transmitted infections among US women and men: prevalence and incidence estimates, 2008." Sexually transmitted diseases 40.3 (2013): 187-193.
Su, John R., et al. "Congenital syphilis: trends in mortality and morbidity in the United States, 1999 through 2013." American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 214.3 (2016): 381-e1.
Tornello, Samantha L., Rachel G. Riskind, and Charlotte J. Patterson. "Sexual orientation and sexual and reproductive health among adolescent young women in the United States." Journal of Adolescent Health 54.2 (2014): 160-168.
Unemo, Magnus, and Jorgen S. Jensen. "Antimicrobial-resistant sexually transmitted infections: gonorrhoea and Mycoplasma genitalium." Nature Reviews Urology 14.3 (2017): 139.
