The SPICE! Guide to Sexually Transmitted Infections, Part 1
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Even if you wear a condom while having sex be it anal, oral, or vaginal, it is still possible to contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Even though condoms properly applied and constantly used give excellent protection, there is only one 100%-fail safe method of protecting yourself against STIs and that is abstinence.
STI symptoms are very variable ranging from the obvious to the subtle…and possibly hardly noticeable. Some infections are easily treated and others not so. However, if you suspect you have an STI it must be treated and all contacts notified.
Of a list of 21 recognised, sexually transmitted infections which are the most common:
• Chlamydia hits the top spot followed in no particular order by
• Gonorrhea
• HIV
• Herpes
• Genital warts
• Syphilis
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of the genital tract and it can be very difficult to detect.
Signs and Symptoms (S&S):
The early S&S are vague and may be fleeting in 50% of people; many do not have any symptoms.
• Pain and difficulty when passing urine.
• Pain in the lower abdomen/pelvis.
• Discharge from the tip of the penis.
• Testicular pain.
Investigations:
The doctor will take
• a sexual history
• a sample from the penis and the skin around – this not painful but may cause some mild discomfort.
Treatment
A simple course of antibiotics will easily cure this condition. Left
untreated, it can cause an infection of the prostate gland and the
testicles. Chlamydia can be transmitted even without genital or oral
penetration.
Gonorrhea
Another easily treated bacterial infection of the genital tract.
Infection will occur at the ‘point of entry’ of the organism for
example the mouth, penis, anus, vagina, or even the eyes.
S&S
Symptoms may not show for up to 30 days and some people may be infected for months before they display any signs.
• Thick, cloudy, or bloody discharge from the penis.
• Pain, burning, or discomfort when passing urine.
• Difficulty in passing urine.
• Frequent need to pass urine.
• Other signs will be dependent upon the site of infection and, if in the anus, may be very difficult to detect.
Investigations:
• A sexual history will be taken.
• A simple sample of the discharge from the site of infection may be required.
• A sample of urine.
Treatment:
The gonorrhea bacteria is becoming resistant to the usual antibiotic treatment; this is particularly so in Asian countries.
However DO NOT have any kind of sexual contact with another person until the treatment is successful.
Effects on future health:
Both untreated Chlamydia and Gonorrhea may have adverse affects upon general health such as:
• Inflammation and infection of the prostate gland.
• Epididymitis – infection of the tube that carries
the sperm to the penis.
• Urethral stricture.
• Infertility.
Syphilis
If you have a dose of syphilis, you are in good company as many famous
and historical characters have been suspected or confirmed sufferers –
from England’s King Henry VIII to Idi Amin, and many more in between.
Transmission:
By close bodily contact mainly through vaginal, anal, or oral sex, the
organism that causes the disease, Treponema pallidum, produces a
painless sore, called chancres at the site of infection, the external
genitals, anus, rectum, mouth, lips, or tongue. Chancres also appear at
a small cut or abrasion on the skin. Chancres swarm with the organism
and because they are painless, may go undetected.
Investigations:
By sampling the chancre fluid and looking at it directly under a
microscope, or by a blood test. However in early syphilis, antibodies
may not show up in the blood and it could take many months to obtain an
accurate result.
Stages:
Syphilis has three or four stages: primary, secondary, tertiary, and late or terminal stage.
Primary stage:
The incubation period is from 10 to 90 days but the average being 21
days. Characterised by a single painless chancre (although multiples
may occur), this stage usually lasts between three to six weeks and
heals by itself. The disease can be treated at this stage but if it is
not, then the next stage is inevitable.
Secondary stage:
A painless non-irritating rash appears over the body and on the mucous
membranes; the rash may be mistaken for other skin conditions. The
rash is very faint and barely noticeable at others; it is accompanied
by a slew of symptoms like fever, sore throat, patchy hair loss, and
weight loss.
Untreated, the secondary stage will disappear only to lead to the next and possibly fatal stage.
Latent and late stages:
All this time the Treponema pallidum is living in the body and damaging
many organs. In the latent stage, there are no signs or symptoms and
it can last for 10 to 20 years after the initial infection.
The late stage affects many of the body’s organs: heart, brain, nervous
system, arteries and veins, skin, bones joints, eyes, and liver.
It is characterised by a condition called General Paralysis of the
Insane that causes difficulty of muscle coordination, nerve
destruction, blindness, and dementia; symptoms that are serious enough
to cause death.
Treatment:
In the early stages of less than one year, a single injection of
penicillin (or similar antibiotic) is sufficient to treat the disease.
Delayed treatment needs repeated injections.
Antibiotics will kill Treponema pallidum but will not reverse the damage already done.
Re-infection is possible.
Future health
Because of the seriousness of the disease and its consequences to
future health, it is vital that all sexual contacts are informed so
that they can be treated also.
So:
If you suspect that you have a sexually transmitted infection, it is
vital that medical help is sought as soon as possible. Do not have
sexual contact until the condition has been fully treated and, where
possible, cured.
To stop the spread of the infection you must inform as many of your past sexual contacts as possible so that they may be investigated and treated too