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Sexually Transmitted Diseases - information
From The Student RoomTSR Wiki > Life > Health and Relationships > General Health > Sexual Health > Sexually Transmitted Diseases - information Oh, I don’t know. It seems as though some people have had STI information jammed into their ears until it starts falling out the other side, but I’ve been reading about recently, and it seems that even grown ups don’t realise the real risks that they’re taking when they’re having sex. Newspapers talk about this “promiscuous ten per-cent” that are the ones responsible for rampant transmission of the nasties. Whilst it is true in many cases that promiscuity is the reason that infections are spreading so fast; those of us in seemingly monogamous relationships shouldn’t get too smug too soon. Some of us are having sex with one person, and one person only, but some of us still think that because we’re having sex with a virgin/someone who’s never had anyone else, they’re totally safe. Some of us trust the word of our sexual partners, [as I guess you should, in any loving relationship] but sometimes that trust is a little misplaced, because a lot of people just assume that because their pee doesn’t burn, there’s nothing wrong. People aren’t being tested as often as they should, and it’s a poor excuse, because they’re FREE. So I’m just going to lay out some basics of the more well known STIs. I think everyone should have regular tests between partners, and especially if you’ve dabbled in less than savoury antics like infidelity without your partner’s knowledge. Okay. The most popular one at the time of press [hurhur] is
ChlamydiaHe: “I’m sorry…I’ve had chlamydia…” She: “Who the HELL is Chlamydia?” boom boom! Causes: Chlamydia is most often transmitted through unprotected sex. You can get it from oral, anal or conventional sex, but the thing is, it can be passed from mother to baby, also through sex toys, or even from touching genitals and then touching your eyes. Symptoms: Quite often, you don’t even get any symptoms with chlamydia. Some women feel pain/burning during urination, some will see strange discharge, others have abdominal pain, pain after sex, or even irregular bleeds. In men, it’s usually the urethra that’s affected, causing pee-pain and discharge. This condition can block the fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, etc.. That’s bad news for those of you who want kids, because if you let this fester, you can become infertile or be prone to miscarriage. And that’s not to say you men won’t have your little guys weakened, you can end up with inflamed testicles, bad joints and low fertility. Treatment: You will get either a swab, or blood/urine sample to determine whether you have it. You’re treated with antibiotics, with course length depending on the severity of the infection. Obviously, ALL sexual partners should be contacted and checked.
GonorrhoeaIt’s as fun as it sounds. (: Causes: It’s caused by bacteria, and it can get you in the mouth, penis, rectum, vagina or urethra. Generally a result of unprotected sex. Your fingers can transmit it, though. Symptoms: Women generally get a nasty yellow/green and kind of watery discharge, and the obligatory pee-pain. Men can also get the same discharge and pain. Perhaps the grossest of all; anal itching and discharge is possible. I guess it’s the really really unlucky ones are those that get no symptoms at all and carry on having sex without knowing, and therefore passing it on. Treatment: There is a risk of reduced fertility [ladies, that’s P.I.D again], if you’re not treated. You’ll be warned off sex until you’ve got the all clear. Once again, all partners should be notified.
HerpesCauses: You get cold sores? That’s herpex simplex type I. The herpes I mean, [also known as genital warts] is a virus called simplex type II. You can get type I infections in the genital region though – so it’s best not to get friendly if your partner has a cold sore eruption. It’s also transmitted sexually, obviously. Symptoms: Basically, painful cold sores/ulcerations around your nether regions. They flare up, and seem to disappear, but once you have the virus, you are never rid of it that’s why if you already have it, it’s important to be responsible during your flare-ups. Other symptoms, that are not necessarily always present, are aching, gland swelling, tiredness and flu-like symptoms, itching/tingling around the genitals, and blisters that burst to form sores. Treatment: There is not a cure per-se. There are antivirals that can slightly calm your flare-ups, but the best thing you can do is prevent it with a condom. Pregnant women with herpes can give their children potentially fatal infections through having the virus. It’s not worth risking.
SyphilisNow, the sad thing with this is that it was well on the way to being eradicated in the UK. Then, it shot back up. Causes: The bacterium's called treponema pallidum. Remember “the pox” from history textbooks? This is it. It’s transmitted through close contact. That’s oral/anal/vaginal sex, or even touching the sores of someone who’s infected. Also mother-child transmission is wholly possible. Symptoms: There are four stages to this nasty: Basically, symptoms can take 2-6 weeks to appear, Primary: small sores appear where the bacteria got in [so that’d be the genital area, for example. Sometimes they’re not even visible; they’re on the inside. Secondary a skin rash can appear. It’s wicked infectious can hold brown sores, and spread from your palms to your soles. That, and there’s headaches, fever, gland swelling, wart-like growths, hairloss… this can last about a year. Latent no symptoms. Tertiary/Late If the first bits didn’t put you off, this might. It can damage your brain, joints, bones, eyes, heart or nerves, leaving your paralysed, mentally ill, blind, and with heart disease. Oh yeah, and it can kill you. Treatment: Mainly blood tests for diagnosis. This, like others, can be treated effectively with some antibiotics. It’d seem pointless to ignore it and let it worsen. Again, lets partners know of your infection. Now, as far as I’m concerned right now, they’re the biggies. The ones to watch out for because most could be so easily treated or better still avoided if people just became a little more sensible and self aware. Piffling doses of antibiotics early on, could stop you dying or killing your baby. And yes, it is that simple. Book an appointment.
HIVHIV, as I know you’ll all be well aware, doesn’t go away. And gradually, it will wear you down to a point at which your immune system gives way to AIDS defining illnesses. I know you’ve heard the spiel a million times. So why is it that so many of us are still members of the “promiscuous ten per-cent” or the group that operate the “don’t ask, don’t test, don’t tell” policy. HIV doesn’t just happen in Africa, it’s happening right on our doorstep: Causes: Needle sharing, mother-child etc, but here, let’s concentrate on unprotected sex. We’re all at risk, gay or hetero. Yes, gay men are at greater risk; not because they’re dirty, but simply because the sexual method is more likely to give way to tearing of tissue, and therefore entry to the bloodstream. There seems to be a group that think heterosexual people are immune; they’re not, and their infection numbers are rising alarmingly. Unless both parties have sores/bleeding mouths, it’s safe to assume no transmission will occur unless you drank like, a bucketful of saliva. Symptoms: Most don’t prevent any symptoms aside from a slight “flueyness” after infection. Basically, it’s just your immune system beginning to suffer. Once compromised, you’re more susceptive to “opportunistic” infections that will start to make you feel ill. Cancers are also more likely to appear once HIV has weakened your immune system. It is when these secondary illnesses have taken hold, as well as the knowledge that the immune system is inefficient, that AIDS is thought to have developed. Treatment:Any treatment, can at best, slow the HIV progression. The best treatment by far is prevention and awareness. Tests are done through blood tests for HIV antibodies. Here are a few that I didn’t put on the biggie list, but it doesn’t make them any less dangerous; I just looked at the figures for young people, and worked off of that.
CrabsI don’t know about you, but these things put the fear of god in me. Pubic lice/scabies/itch mites/crabs, whatever you want to call them, they’ll still bite you in the ass. Causes: Whilst scabies and pubic lice are slightly different, their cause is pretty much the same; sex with infected people/transmission through bedlinen/clothes/towels. Symptoms: Itching, mainly. They burrow in the hairy regions under your skin, and bite the living daylights out of you. They lurve the groin area. They lay eggs under the skin, and they take about 6-8 days to hatch. [yum] Sometimes you can see the little brown insects, or in the case of scabies, a rash. Treatment:All clothes/linen should be washed accordingly, as well as ointment being obtained from the docs to apply. No close contact until the all clear.
HepatitisThere are three forms; A, B and C, each having relatively similar symptoms: Fluey symptoms, nausea, diarrhoea, poor appetite, weight loss, jaundice, itchy skin. All forms are very damaging when left untreated, especially to the liver. They’re transmitted through needle sharing and obviously, unprotected sex. That’s all for now, updates to come ^_^ If you are ever diagnosed with an STI/STD and you don’t tell your sexual partners, you SUCK. You totally suck. Yes, it’s embarrassing as hell, but when it comes to health matters, wouldn’t you rather that people were honest with you? You’re owed that, they’re owed that. It doesn’t matter who gave who what, at the end of the day; you are likely to have [unless there’s been some rape involved here] consented to unprotected sex, or you have not put on a condom properly, and you, and indeed your sexual partners have a right to know what’s going in and on with your bodies. ALL of the above are preventable. Easily. You see so many people going crazy having missed a period after the condom split/they had unprotected sex. How many of them go for an STI/D test as well as their morning after pills? Think about it. Also, you don't even have to have all/most/ANY symptoms to have these. The only way to be sure after the deed, is to be tested! |
