Hey Ladies!
You are in the right place at the right time. There is a great buzz about this hot topic now because April is STD Awareness Month.
This is celebrated by the Centre for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) every year and is adopted worldwide by other governing health agencies.
Once you have had any form of sexual contact with another human being, you should keep reading because there is some really important information you NEED to know!
Definitions
As usual, I like to start with definitions, so let’s go!
If you are oblivious, STD stands for Sexually Transmitted Disease. We also use another term ‘STI’ for sexually transmitted infections. These are often used synonymously and are often quite similar.
An STD is a disease that a woman/man contracts as a result of an infection acquired through sexual intercourse or its associated activities.
You won’t find this definition in a book, but this is the easiest way I could define it to you.
Get the Basics
There are numerous STDs in existence and we will not be talking about them all. However, I can supply you with the basic facts about the most common and give you the information that you need to know now such as:
- What puts you at risk for an STD…
- How you can get an STI…
- How you can reduce your risk for getting an STD…
- The symptoms of common STDs…
- Which STDs are curable…
- Which STDs are INCURABLE…
- The consequences of STDs…
- Ways you can prevent STDs
STD Statistics
We will get to the nitty gritty info you must be armed with, but I think it’s super important to give you some perspective.
You need to know how bad the situation really is and why you need to protect your health!
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC:
- Each year in the US, over 20 million NEW cases of STIs are reported.
- Over 50% of the newly infected persons are between ages 15 years and 24 years!
Pretty scary, right?
The reason for this is because youth comes with much care-free mentality and so, younger persons are less likely to take the right actions to protect their health.
But if you thought that was scary, wait till you hear this!
The WHO 2019 Fact Sheet for Sexually Transmitted Infections, released some shocking data just recently.
I hope you now get the gist of what I’m trying to say… STIs are no joke…. STIs are nothing to play around with!
Risks
There are certain sexual behaviours or habits that places a woman and her man at risk for a STD. These include but are certainly not limited to:
- Having unprotected sex
- Having more than one current sex partner
- Having a sex partner who has many other sex partners
- Having sex at an early age
- Previous history of a STD
- Having sex with commercial sex workers
- Trading sex for money
- Sharing sex toys
You can reduce your risks by having a totally monogamous relationship with a single partner who has been tested and treated for any apparent STDs.
While anyone who has sex can get an STD, according to the CDC’s STD fact sheet on Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are at greater risk.
STI Transmission
The bugs which causes STIs usually live in semen, vaginal secretions and anal secretions. Hence, these infections are largely acquired through sexual contact including vaginal, oral and anal sex.
However, some can also be transmitted through non-sexual means, since the bugs may also exist in blood, saliva and other inanimate objects called fomites.
Other modes of transmission include:
- Shared personal items such as bath towels which is especially true for Trichomoniasis. This may also spread through the sharing of toilet seats and contact with wet clothing.
- Toothbrushes, razors and some other personal items which enables transmission of Hepatitis B.
- Skin contact during sex such as HPV warts and Genital Herpes.
- Mother-to-child transmission which may occur during pregnancy or at the time of breastfeeding.
List of STIs
Symptoms
STD Testing
This is often quick and easy. First, your health care provider will do an interview with you. They will ask details about your sexual history so be prepared for that.
It will seem invasive to you, but it is very important to knowing your risk level and assessing the best way to test and treat you.
You may be asked questions such as:
- Age when you started having sex…
- How many sex partners have you had in total…
- How many sex partners you have currently…
- What type of sex partners you have: male or females or others…
- What type of sexual activities you engage in: vaginal, oral or anal…
- Use of condoms…
- Use of contraceptive methods…
- Prior history of an STI or STD and treatment if any…
- Prior pap smears and results…
- HPV vaccination status…
- Current vaginal/penile discharge or bleeding…
The next step is medical examination. The doctor will inspect the private parts for discharge, lumps, bumps and sores. The healthcare provider often does a speculum inspection of the cervix for women. Once there are no obvious signs of inspection, a pap smear can be done.
The third step is for biochemical testing. This is often through a rapid (screening) blood test. These rapid tests often take about 15 to 20 minutes.
If some of these rapid tests are positive, then further confirmatory testing would have to be done. This is often the case with HIV/AIDS testing.
Consequences
The effects of STDs can be long lasting if they go untreated. Therefore, early detection and treatment is KEY and will always be stressed.
Affected persons never see the consequences evident at the onset of an infection, but once it stays untreated for an unprecedented amount of time, the effects will surely come to light and they will not be cute…
Or, if I may use the terminology, “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.
For many young women, the consequences include:
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
- Infertility
- Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN; precancerous changes on the cervix)
- Strictures in the urethra (tube which takes the urine from the bladder to the outside)
- Transmission to babies through pregnancy, vagina delivery and breastfeeding
For many men, the consequences usually include:
- Strictures in the urethra (narrowing of the tube that takes urine from the bladder to through the tip of the penis…
- Infertility
- Urinary tract infections
- Penile Cancer
But, for both men and women, they may experience:
- Increased risk for more STIs
- A weakened immune system
Prevention
Healthcare providers will take multiple approaches when educating patients like you about how to effectively prevent STIs. All angles are worked on to ensure better sexual health for at risk individuals. These include:
- SAFE sex
- SAFER sex
- Behaviour changes
- Vaccination
The CDC has great resources to help you learn the right way to use:
These are good sexual habits which will minimize your risk of STIs. If you happen to indulge in high-risk sex practices similar to what I listed above, you must take extra precautions to prevent STIs.
Remember…
The purpose of the vaccine is to minimize the risk of transmission of a disease.
The vaccine will also minimize the severity of the disease making symptoms much milder if the immunised person should contract the disease at a time when their immune system is weakened.
Wrap Up
There you go lovies! I hope that you were enlightened and feel empowered now to take charge of your own sexual health. This is your responsibility and must never be left up to your partner.
You should speak with your partner(s) about getting tested and treated for STDs.
Then both of you should speak with your healthcare provider so that you can both be tested and treated for any present STDs prior to having sexual intercourse.
Always remember to use a condom, every time from START TO FINISH.
Your knowledge is your power! You have a mind of your own so use it to make wise, smart decisions which will protect your health and your future.
Have a safer-sex lifetime!
XOXO
Creator, Her Ob&Gyn Care
References
American Sexual Health Association. (2019, March). Sexually Transmitted Diseases Awareness Month. Retrieved April 15, 2019, from http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/sexually-transmitted-diseases-awareness-month-2019/
CDC. (2019, March). STD Awareness Month Toolkit. Retrieved April 15, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/std/healthcomm/the-facts.htm?s_cid=ht_stdawarenessmonthtoolkit0062
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic, 18 Aug. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sexually-transmitted-diseases-stds/symptoms-causes/syc-20351240.
WebMD Medical Reference. (2019, January 30). Understanding Sexually Transmitted Diseases (T. Johnson MD, Ed.). Retrieved April 15, 2019, from https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/understanding-stds-basics
World Health Organization. (2019, February 28). Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Retrieved April 15, 2019, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis)
