 YOUR
FAMILY DOCTOR
By Dr. Carlitos N. Orola, MD-CFP
The STD plague and how to avoid
it
STDs or sexually transmitted diseases are very common
and anyone who is sexually active is at risk of acquiring one. The thought
of having a sexually transmitted disease brings up feelings of dirtiness,
shame, embarrassment, and even panic… that is understandable. The truth
is that, there is much you can do. Of course, prevention is the best protection.
The eyes can not see what the mind does not know.
First, we must have a thorough understanding of the different
types of STDs.
Sexually transmitted diseases are infections you can get
by having sex with someone who has an infection. These infections are usually
passed on through sexual intercourse. They can, however, be passed on through
other types of sexual activity such as oral sex.
The following are the types of STDs caused by bacteria:
1. Chlamydia. No symptoms may occur at first or
at all, especially in women. Later symptoms for women may include itching
around the vagina, a yellow odorless discharge from the vagina, pain during
sex and when urinating. Women may also experience bleeding between periods
or dull pain in the pelvic area. Symptoms for men may include pain or burning
sensation when urinating with a watery, milky-colored discharge from the
penis.
2. Gonorrhea or “Tulo” or “the clap” or “the drip.”
Men may have a thick, yellow discharge from the penis and pain when urinating.
The opening of the penis may be sore. Gonorrhea doesn’t cause symptoms
in most women. When symptoms do occur, women may have white, green or yellow
discharge from the vagina, pain when urinating, spotting between periods,
or heavy bleeding during periods. (Kawawa si Misis!) Sometimes, fever and
abdominal pain occur. Gonorrhea can cause sore throats in people who have
oral sex or can cause pain in the anus in people who have anal sex.
What are the signs and symptoms of Gonorrhea? When initially
infected, about 50 percent of men show some signs or symptoms. Symptoms
and signs include a burning sensation when urinating and a yellowish white
discharge from the penis. Sometimes men with gonorrhea get painful or swollen
testicles.
In women, the early symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild,
and many women who are infected have no symptoms of infection. Even when
a woman has symptoms, they can be non-specific as to be mistaken for a
bladder or vaginal infection. The initial symptoms and signs in women include
a painful or burning sensation when urinating and a vaginal discharge that
is yellow or bloody. Women with mild gonorrhea, symptoms are still at risk
of developing serious complications from the infection. Untreated gonorrhea
in women can develop into pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Please see below for the complications of gonorrhea. Symptoms
of rectal infection include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding,
and sometimes painful bowel movements. Infections in the throat cause few
symptoms.
When do symptoms appear? In males, symptoms usually appear
two to five days after infection, but it can take as long as 30 days for
symptoms to begin. Regardless of symptoms, once a person is infected with
gonorrhea, he or she can spread the infection to others if condoms or other
protective barriers are not used during sex.
3. Syphilis. Early signs include a chancre — a
painless, red sore. The sores may appear where you were touched during
sex, including your genitals, anus, tongue and throat. The glands near
the chancre may swell. A few months later, you may have a fever, sore throat,
and headache, not feel hungry or have joint pain. A scaly rash may appear
on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. After these symptoms
pass, you may not have any symptoms for a number of years. When the symptoms
return, the infections can affect the brain, spinal cord, skin and bone.
STDs caused by viruses are:
1. Hepatitis B. Symptoms may include muscle aches,
fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, headache and dizziness. As the disease
worsens, you may have dark urine, loose light-colored stools, yellow eyes
and skin, and tenderness in the liver area (just below the ribs on the
right side). Hepatitis B can be fatal if it leads to liver failure or liver
cancer.
2. Herpes. Symptoms start with tingling or itching
around your genitals. Small blisters may form in the area and then pop
open. When this happens, you may feel a burning sensation, especially when
urinating. The sores then turn to scabs. During the first outbreak, you
might have swollen glands, fever and body aches. But some people don’t
have such obvious symptoms. Outbreaks may occur for the rest of your life,
but usually become less frequent and less painful with time.
3. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV
is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). It
weakens your body’s ability to fight off disease. As your body’s immune
system weakens, illness begin to develop until you can no longer fight
them off. Symptoms may take years to develop and may include unusual infections,
unexplained fatigue, night sweats and weight loss.
4. Human papillomavirus (GPV). HPV may cause a
growth of soft flesh-colored warts around the genitals or on the cervix.
The warts are painless, but may be bothersome because of the way they look.
Sometimes the virus causes warts that can’t be seen by the naked eye. There
is a link between HPV and cancer of the cervix.
After knowing the different types of STDs, here are some
tips at prevention:
Am I at risk for having an STD?
If you’ve ever had sex, you may be at risk for having
an STD. You’re at higher risk if you have had many sex partners, have had
sex with someone who has had many partners or have had sex without using
condoms (“rubbers”).
Should I be checked for STDs?
See your doctor if you’re at risk for having an STD or
if you have any concerns about whether you have one. Most STDs can cause
further problems if not treated.
Chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
in women (a disease that can cause women not to be able to have children)
and epididymitis in men (painful swelling of the tubes that carry sperm
from the testicles).
Gonorrhea can lead to arthritis and PID. HPV (the virus
that cause venereal warts) can lead to cancer of the cervix or penis, and
syphilis can lead to paralysis, mental problems, heart damage, blindness
and death.
Most STDs can be diagnosed through an exam by your doctor,
a culture of the secretions from your vagina or penis, or a blood test.
Can STDs be prevented?
Yes. But the only way to be sure to prevent STDs is by
not having sex. You can lower your risk by only having sex with someone
who isn’t having sex with anyone else and who doesn’t have an STD.
There are ways of preventing the spread of STDs.
Here are some tips:
· Know your sex partner. Tell your sex partner
if you have an STD and ask your partner if he or she has one. Talk whether
you’ve both been tested, which STDs you’ve been tested for and whether
you should be tested.
· Look for signs of an STD in your sex partner.
For example, look for sores around the penis or vagina, or for any of the
symptoms listed. But remember that STDs don’t always have symptoms.
· Limit the number of sex partners you have.
· Use the spermicide (sperm-killer) nonoxynol-9
along with condoms.
Nonoxynol-9 may help kill some of the germs that lead
to STDs.
· Avoid sex when you’re being treated for
an STD.
· Don’t douche. Douching may spread infections
higher into the womb, perhaps raising your risk of PID.
· Wash your genitals with soap and water and urinate
soon after you have sex. This may help clean away some germs before they
have a chance to infect you.
· See your doctor regularly.
How safe are condoms?
Condoms can be effective in reducing your risk of getting
an STD. Be sure to use them correctly, use them during all types of sex,
including vaginal, anal and oral sex. For oral sex with a woman, you can
use a condom split lengthwise to place between her body and her partner’s
mouth.
Condoms aren’t foolproof and can’t protect you from coming
in contact with some sores, such as those that can occur with herpes, or
warts, which can occur with HPV infections.
Use only water-based lubricants, such as petroleum jelly
(an example is Vase-line), baby oil or lotions, cause the rubber in condoms
to break down. If a condom sticks to itself, it’s damaged and should be
thrown away.
How to use a condom?
· Use a latex condom. Condoms made of animal skin
may not be protected against tiny viruses, which may be able to pass through
the porous skin.
· Put the condom over an erect penis. The unrolled
ring should be on the outside. Leave about a half-inch of space in the
tip so semen can be collected there. Squeeze the tip to get the air out.
Unroll the condom on the base of the penis.
· Use the sperm-killer nonoxynol-9 to improve
how well condoms protect you. It works best when put into the vagina or
anus, rather than just on the condom.
· Pull out after ejaculating (“coming”) and before
the penis gets soft. To pull out, hold the rim of the condom at the base
of the penis to make sure it doesn’t slip off.
· Don’t re-use condoms.
Can STDs be treated?
STDs that are caused by bacteria can be treated with antibiotics.
Those that are caused by viruses can’t be cured at this time. However,
much can be done to treat the symptoms viruses cause and limit far they
spread.
(The above tips on prevention, while reducing the risk
of contracting STDs, are not a fool-proof protection.
Abstinence remains the best preventive measure. Aside
from a hundred-percent protection from STDs, abstinence likewise enforces
moral and spiritual virtues and strengthens the bond between couples. Our
position is no contact, no risk. Besides, the moral aspect of extra-marital
sex is condemnable. -- Editor) |
