STDs

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how could your life change if you find out that you are affected by a sexually transmitted disease (STD)? In fact, nobody is safe, because if people are sexually active they're potentially exposed to any STD. There are different kind of STD's, some are easier to live with and some other are fatal. More than 40 million people are living with some of these diseases and their number is rising rapidly. The worst affected region by far is Sub-Saharan Africa with almost 30 million people concerned. The world's highest rates are found in Southern Africa where adult prevalence most countries exceeds 25%. In 2003, the number of people living with some of these diseases reached 1.8 million in Eastern Europe and Central Asian, and 9.5 million in Asia and the Pacific.The number of affected people is rising every day, at the same time are we able to do something to avoid it? contraception plays a gigantic role in the solution of this problem. However, contraception also inhibit STDs. We will try to define what a STD is and how can we manage to deal between contraception and STD transmission inhibition.

What do STDs mean?

STD is the abbreviation of sexually transmitted diseases. STDs are contagious diseases which are spread by sexual contact. These diseases can be controlled by medications, but the symptoms are not always visible,and so the risk of contamination is high.
In addition, since their symptoms are not rapidly apparent, people can live feeling fine. However, many STD's cause problems in long term and if they stay untreated they can be fatal. So, anyone who is sexually active has to have regular check up for STD's!!!

The most important diseases and their transmissions

• Bacterial way

• 1. Chlamydia infections:

• 1.1 Symptoms: urination itching and pain at the bottom of the belly during the sexual relations
• 1.2 Transmission: by sexual ways or from mother to child
• 1.3 Effects:

1. for women: infections of the trunks
2. for men: drop of the fertility
3. for the baby: reach of lungs and eyes

• 1.4 Treatment: antibiotics

• 2. Gonorrhea:

• 2.1 Symptoms:

1. for women: unusual vaginal loss, pain at the abdomen,burn during the urination and pain during the sexual relations
2. for men: thick flowing from the penis and pain/swelling of the testis

• 2.2 Transmission: by sexual ways even without physical manifestation and from mother to child
• 2.3 Effects: risk of sterility for men and women and occulaire complications for the baby
• 2.4 Treatment: antibiotics

• 3. Syphilis:

• 3.1 Symptoms: small non-painful lesion on the glans, anus, rectum, mouth, and throat
• 3.2 Transmission: by sexual ways and from mother to child
• 3.3 Effects: appearance of some pink blotches on the body and it must be fatal if it is not treated
• 3.4 Treatment: specific antibiotics

• Viral way

• 1. Genital herpes:

• 1.1 Symptoms: burn and small blisters on the genital organs and ganglions
• 1.2 Transmission: by sexual ways, contact between mucous membrane, kisses, and from mother to child
• 1.3 Effects:

1. important consequences for the baby
2. inflammation of the skin
3. linked to cervical cancer

• 2. Genital warts:

• 2.1 Symptoms: growth of kind of blisters in genital organs
• 2.2 Transmission: sexual ways and from mother to child
• 2.3 Effects:

1. for women: cervical cancer (uterus)
2. for men: cancer "de la verge"

• 2.4 Treatment: removal by freezing

• 3. AIDS and HIV infection: AID is caused by HIV virus which lead to infections and cancer

• 3.1 Symptoms: infections at the moment of the first contact with the virus
• 3.2 Transmission: sexual ways, from another to child, and by blood ways
• 3.3 Effects: weakening of the immune defenses, development of infected diseases and cancers or clever tumors
• 3.4 Treatment: combination of drugs

• 4. Hepatitis:

• 4.1 Symptoms: fever, tiredness, and go yellow
• 4.2 Transmission: sexual ways, from mother to child, and blood ways
• 4.3 Effects: growth diseases of liver
• 4.4 Treatment:

1. at the high phase: treatment of the symptoms (fever, tiredness...)
2. at the column phase: therapy

• Protozoan way

• 1. Trichomoniasis:

• 1.1 Symptoms (essentially for women): itches, burn at the vulva and vagina level
• 1.2 Transmission: sexual ways
• 1.3 Effects: infections without seriousness
• 1.4 Treatment: antibiotics

• Fungal

• 1.Candidiasis:

• 1.1 Symptoms: similar to Trichomoniasis
• 1.2 Transmission: frequently infected non-sexually
• 1.3 Treatment: antifungal drugs

(annexe 1)

How does contraception be linked to STDs?

It is a little hard to define precisely the link between contraception and STD's. In one hand, contraception doesn't allow the creation of life but if two partners want to have a baby they have to stop the contraception to allow the regular cycle of reproduction. Although, in another hand if the partners decide to stop contraception they are exposed to increased risks of STD contamination. Despite, they have never had another sexual partner before.

The condom is the most efficient way to avoid pregnancy and STD's contamination, but it has to be used perfectly. It means that condoms have to be used at every sexual relations and with a correct way. If the condom is used with a classic way (it means irregular and incorrect way) and not with a perfect way, the risk of being pregnant is from 10 to 14 per cent. Therefore, it is not the condom failure. We speak about condom failure when it breaks or slides during the sexual relation. In addition, it was proved that STD's can not pass through an undamaged latex condom.

It was also tested that if a person who is infected by the HIV virus has a sexual relation with one who is clean (using regularly a condom), the risk for the clean person to be infected is less than 1% per year. Therefore, it means that if an infected person uses with an irregular way the condom it can be as dangerous as if he doesn't use it at all.

There are several ways for contraception. Some are more adequate to men and others are more adequate for women (see previous informations concerning different ways of contraceptions).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the only way to inhibit STD's is the condom, there is no best way. The pill doesn't inhibit at all the transmission and the contamination of STD's, it just acts as a way of contraception because it inhibits the fertilization to start. Whereas, this latex barrier, the condom, acts as a way of contraception in addition of avoiding the risk of transmitting some diseases to our partner (in the case where we are infected) or get infected. Of course, the best way to protect itself and our partner is the combination of the condom and the pill, the protection is absolutely assured! They avoid to get infected by STD's and have undesirable babies. Even if some diseases can be treated, they remain dangerous for health, for fertility and for the possible baby. They create severe complications and some are fatal. It is better to have fun with a total security...you can better profit this intimate moment with your partner!