World AIDS Day (December 1) is meant to generate more awareness among people regarding HIV/AIDS. Awareness is also needed for other sexually transmitted diseases(STD) as well. STDs are diseases which are transmitted and acquired by sexual contact. Depending on the type of sex act, lesions can be found on moist genital areas, anus or even oral cavity. Untreated, many of these diseases become chronic and affect other body parts as well. Syphilis affects vital body parts like heart and brain in long run. Gonorrhoea can cause arthritis, inflammation of the eyes and even blindness. Blindness can also occur due to chlamydia infection. Herpes genitalis can affect the brain causing encephalitis. Every healthcare facility receives men and women suffering from STDs in various manifestations. The concern is not only for the immediate suffering but due to long term sequel as well. Both genders can suffer from chronic lower abdominal pain, painful urination, difficulty in urination and or discharge. Both can develop sterility because of blocking of tubes, swelling of testes, chronic pelvic infections. Women in addition carry risk of extra uterine pregnancy, abortions and intrauterine death. Carcinoma of the cervix occurs due to infection by human papilloma virus, which is also sexually acquired. This virus causes genital warts which can become malignant. A worse complication caused by STDs is that a baby can get infected by microbes passing through the placenta in womb or through breast milk after birth. Chronic serious infections like hepatitis B and C are also sexually transmitted. People are now getting aware about them due to extensive awareness campaigns by the Government and other agencies. Ignorance among people regarding these diseases is the basic cause for their persistent prevalence in any community. Many teenagers just experiment with sex without realising the consequences. Some adults just do it for a week end fun. Migrant urban labourers, long distance lorry drivers or people whose occupation takes them far from homes also indulge in casual sex and acquiring STDs. They further infect their partners on returning home, thus a chain of infection is set. Many people do not like to use condoms as they think it affects their manliness. Due to stigma attached to these diseases, affected people avoid seeking early treatment. They do not come forwards for treatment, unless very sick. Most of the affected people do not realise that treatment taken currently cures the infection present currently but does not prevent reinfection. The partners of the sexual activity need to be treated simultaneously. Otherwise, a vicious cycle is set where in spite of treatment taken a person keeps on getting infected and infecting others. All these STDs are easy to diagnose by the typical clinical features and suitable laboratory tests which demonstrate the incriminating microbe. Treatment taken in early stages helps in complete cure and also prevents other complications. As preventive measures, people need to be educated about hazards associated with casual sex. One should be loyal to his/her partner and not indulge in multiple relations. Sex should be avoided with any individual having itching, swelling, sores or any problem over genital parts or with a genital discharge. Keeping good hygiene and washing genital parts after intercourse minimises the risk of STDs by removing the concentration of germs settled. Use of condom provides a barrier against unwanted pregnancy and STDs. But the condom used should be a good quality latex one which should not break down. It should be used correctly and never shared or repeated. At the earliest sign of anything going wrong around reproductive parts, one should take early treatment to ensure complete cure. Dr. Rachna Pande is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital
