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
