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Taking precautions about your health should always be your priority. STDs are becoming a much larger problem that ultimately results in death. So, we enlisted five facts about STDs that people should know.
We usually hear this narration about sexually transmitted diseases or infections being passed around by gay men or that men, in general, have a lot of issues with STDs due to promiscuous sex.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), STDs remain a significant public health challenge in the U.S., particularly among women who suffer the enduring consequences. For instance, untreated STDs cause infertility in at least 24,000 women each year, and pregnant women with untreated syphilis experience infant death in up to 40% of cases.
Although this narration has a lot of truth in it, did you know that the female biology is much more susceptible to getting infected by sexually transmitted diseases?
Yes, this is true because of the female shape of the genital.
In essence, the vagina has a more open space that is not so protected by other skin surfaces, this is unlike the penis which is largely covered by the skin of the phallus.
At the same time, women have a much shorter urethra in comparison to men because they don't have the elongated penis.
This makes STDs from their male counterpart have an easier time to infect them.
The world is now changing and it keeps changing on the daily. There are many discussions about how it is perfectly normal for gay people for being gay.
However, there is a case with men who have sex with men (often referred to as MSM for short) that most people avoid mentioning and that has to do with the spread of STDs and STIs within the gay and/or bisexual community.
Some studies, which usually do not get blown fame factor, have observed that there is always an unusually high prevalence of STDs like syphilis and gonorrhoea within the gay community of men who have sex with men.
These studies have suggested that the prevalence of the diseases mostly has to do with the lifestyles and sexual habits of the individuals.
Things like changing partners too often or sharing sex toys with other people can all lead to the development of STDs.
Nobody wants to get afflicted with a sexually transmitted disease, but sometimes we can't help but contract some of them.
Things like personal hygiene can usually affect our risks for contracting STDs or STIs, and in this case, the female biology is often more vulnerable to getting STDs from their partner than they develop them on their own, too.
However, you should know that our modern medical field now has many treatments that can overcome the unpleasant symptoms of these diseases, which means that many STDs are o longer super life-threatening.
Still, you should also know that some forms of STDs may not be as easily totally cured.
Treatments can curb their growth and a person may continue to live, but the STD may never be totally erased. With that said, do be careful when it comes to your sexual habits.
In the medical world today, there are about 25 STDs and STIs that are well-known by professionals and experts.
Meanwhile, most common people who are well-educated on this topic will know about some 20 of these diseases.
Others who may not be as well-educated on the subject matter usually know about 4 of the most common and treatable STDs; they are syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis.
The first two are often mentioned when talking about the prevalence of STDs amongst men. These 4 STDs are also known to be the most curable STDs, so people tend to be less cautious about them.
But, having bad sexual habits is never a good thing since you increase the risks of getting other STDs that may not be as easily treated.
To prevent the spread of STDs you need to remember to not change sexual partners as often and to keep your personal hygiene as a top priority.
Sexually transmitted diseases get passed around through many forms of sexual activity. It isn't only normal penetration that can cause STDs to be transmitted to another person.
In fact, while we already mostly know that anal sex tends to have a higher transmission of STDs, in reality, even oral sex can still do the same thing.
According to an article on the National Health Service (NHS), UK website, it is possible to contract an STD even with a single sexual partner. The article highlights that oral contact, similar to engaging in regular sexual intercourse with an infected person, can transmit several common STDs including gonorrhea, genital herpes, syphilis, and human papillomavirus (HPV).
In essence, any surface on the body that is soft and wet can be vulnerable and they are easy places for bacteria and viruses to latch on to.
Since STDs can often be nasty, and some can even be life-threatening, it is important that you exercise good sexual habits.
For one, keeping your hygiene is always a good thing to consider first, then knowing the sexual habits of the person you have sex with comes second.
This is why it is a good idea not to have too many different sexual partners.
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Divorce and bereavement increase when couples grow old. But this situation also results in the development of new relationships.
The elderly, finding new sexual attraction but are still stuck in the golden era sex myths. During that time, STIs were few and with very mild symptoms.
During the past twenty or so years though, STIs have propagated widely. Besides, they have become resilient to previous medicines.
Still, some STIs have become superbugs, able to withstand even strong antibiotics and similar medications. All the while, they hide their signs until they have ravaged sexual organs.
The aged, still believing in decades-past sexual habits, may commence new relationships without checking the sexual health status of their new partners.
Even worse, these aged new lovers may resent protected sex, amusing that it amounts to sexual betrayal. Many don’t realize that they should always use protection during sex.
But these assumptions have created unwanted results. They have led to an increase in STIs amongst the elderly.
Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been a more than twofold increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among U.S. adults aged 65 years and older over the past ten years. Specifically, the rates of primary and secondary syphilis have risen from 91 instances in 2007 to 349 occurrences in 2017. Likewise, the incidence of chlamydia has seen a surge from 809 instances in 2007 to 2178 incidences in 2017, while the rates of gonorrhea have climbed from 707 instances in 2007 to 2063 incidences in 2017.
Using condoms is vital during sex. They offer protection against most sexually-transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. But not all STIs congregate on the penis and vagina only.
Some of these diseases infect surrounding areas such as the thighs, buttocks, and even mouth. Hence any sexual activity could spread the infections lurking around these peripherals.
Herpes, for example, could cover these areas and so even when you protect yourself, you still end up getting infected through body contact. This could happen even when you didn’t have sex.
Still, it doesn’t have a cure. Available medications reduce symptoms and prevent the spread of infection.
You can still contract sexual diseases such as Human Papillomavirus, chlamydia, and syphilis even when protecting yourself. HPV is particularly aggressive.
If it’s left untreated, it usually regenerates into cancer of the cervix. But it could also turn into anal, throat, or penile cancer.
That is why it’s vital that you routinely examine yourself for STIs. Still, you could prevent HPV through vaccination.
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