STD Overview: Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Being an adult comes with many responsibilities, be it towards your family, health or overall wellbeing. There’s another obligation that knocks up your door, and that is when you become sexually active. You may ask what sort of responsibility? Well, the responsibility of taking charge of your sexual health. Yes, being sexually active comes with the potential risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. 

In India, around 30-35 million people are affected by STIs each year.¹ STDs spread quickly and generally have no early warning signs or symptoms. But worry not when we're here to help! In this blog, we’ll give you an overview on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, while also explaining what STDs are in general.

What Are Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) develop as a result of long-term sexually transmitted infections.² An STD is a more severe form of a sexually transmitted infection. Let us use HPV as an example to further understand this. In most cases, HPV affects a person as a STI or viral infection that resolves on its own without creating any health problems. However, if it persists for a longer period and cause genital warts or cervical cancer, it is called an STD.²

STDs usually spread through sexual contact but can also be contracted by close contact or sharing public spaces like swimming pools and communal baths with infected individuals.^3,4 There are over 20 different STDs, including Genital Herpes, Chlamydia, HPV, Pubic Lice, Syphilis, HIV/AIDS, Trichomoniasis, and Gonorrhea. And all of them are caused by either bacteria, parasites, or viruses.³

By now, you must have gained an outline about STDs,  now let’s learn about their symptoms.

STD Symptoms

Most sexually transmitted diseases do not exhibit obvious or visible symptoms, thus they go undiagnosed until tested. Because of this, the risk of unknowingly spreading STDs is quite high.³ 

STDs may cause mild symptoms that include:³

• Abdominal pain
• Itching, irritation, soreness or bleeding at anus
• Fever
• Abnormal vaginal discharge and odour
• Abnormal discharge from penis
• Experiencing pain while urinating & urge to go bathroom often
• Warts or possible sore around genitals 

Seeing how easily an STD spreads and how unnoticeable its symptoms could be, you must be getting a little worried. Well, don’t worry! Because at the end of this blog, we'll also talk about the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. 

Next, let’s understand some of the most common risk factors associated with STDs.

STD Risk Factors

Sexually transmitted diseases affect both men and women equally. But in some cases, the health problems caused by them could be more severe in women. Also, if a pregnant woman gets an STD, she can also pass on the infection to her child, leading to serious health problems in the baby.³

STD Diagnosis And Treatment

If you’ve had multiple sexual partners or been practicing unprotected sex (even with just one partner) then it’s highly recommendable that you get an STD test done. The diagnostic tests include a physical examination along with a simple swab test (sample taken from vagina, penis or anus). Moreover, blood tests can also help determine some other types of STDs.³

If someone contracts a sexually transmitted  disease, appropriate treatment can be provided based on the causative agent, such as bacteria, virus, or parasite. Antibiotics can effectively treat STDs caused by bacteria and parasites, but those caused by viruses have no cure. However, medications can help reduce the symptoms of viral STDs caused by viruses.³

Moreover, there are vaccinations available for HPV and Hepatitis B too.³

Prevention Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

If a person wants to actively prevent STDs, then using latex condoms (either male or female) could be helpful. Nonetheless, one must remember that using protection only diminishes and doesn't eliminate the chances of contracting the disease.³ 

Polyurethane condoms are a great alternative for people who have latex allergy. Nonetheless, the most reliable way to avoid contracting an STD is to abstain from sexual intercourse.³

Conclusion

Talking about the risks and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases is quite important. And if you’re sexually active, it’s all the more important to discuss it with your partner. Moreover, if you have teenage children, then educate them about the effects and prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases to spread awareness.

The symptoms of STDs are usually not very apparent. Therefore, it’s advised to get regular screening done to understand and be aware of your risks of developing an STD. You may consider getting an at-home self-collection STD test kit. This test kit helps diagnose some of the most prevalent STDs, such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. Getting yourself an at-home self-collection test kit will aid you in gaining a better picture of your sexual health.

Dear men and women/reader, your sexual health is an essential part of your overall well-being, and ignoring any potential symptoms or warning signs can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, it's crucial not to delay seeking medical attention if you suspect any issues. Don't put off taking care of your sexual health any longer – get checked with an at-home Chlamydia and Gonorrhea test kit for men and women right away!