This public account is followed by the Yunnan AIDS Prevention and Control Bureau of Yunnan AIDS Prevention.
Can STDs be prevented?
Can STDs be cured?
Which STDs are hard to prevent?
Which STDs are incurable?
Come and take a look~
01
What are STDs?
STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases, are a group of infectious diseases primarily transmitted through sexual contact. Currently, the STDs that China focuses on preventing and treating include syphilis, AIDS, gonorrhea, genital warts, genital herpes, and genital Chlamydia infection. The main mode of transmission of STDs is sexual behavior, but they can also be transmitted through blood, mother-to-child transmission, and contaminated household items.
Most STDs are preventable, controllable, and curable, with only a few that are incurable, such as AIDS.
STDs are widely prevalent and are one of the most common infectious diseases in China. In recent decades, the incidence of STDs in China has been increasing year by year, with higher infection rates among populations engaged in prostitution, multiple sexual partners, male-to-male sexual behavior, making it an important public health and social issue.
02
What harm do STDs cause to the human body?
STDs have various harmful effects on human health. If STDs are not promptly detected and treated properly after infection, they can damage the reproductive organs leading to infertility, transmit to fetuses or newborns, and in some cases, cause damage to multiple organs in the body such as the cardiovascular system, nervous system, and bones, leading to disability or even death.
03
What are the common STDs in clinical practice?
01 Syphilis
Syphilis is a chronic, systemic sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum.
The early symptoms include ulcers or rashes on the genital area or other sexual contact sites, which are painless and can be easily overlooked, also known as “latent syphilis.” This situation still poses a risk to the human body and has a certain level of infectivity.
Primary syphilis: typically occurs 2-3 weeks after infection, characterized by a chancre and swollen lymph nodes. The chancre initially appears as small red spots on the external genitalia, which then ulcerate with a diameter of 1-2cm, forming painless ulcers with strong infectivity. One to two weeks after the appearance of the chancre, inguinal lymph nodes near the affected area can swell significantly, but without pain.
Secondary syphilis: occurs 3-4 weeks after the chancre disappears (9-12 weeks after infection). Syphilitic rash can cover the entire body surface, including the palms, soles, and mucous membranes, presenting as red or reddish-brown papules, plaques, or patches without significant itching. The rash usually subsides in 2-3 months, and during this period, syphilis is highly infectious.
Tertiary syphilis: If primary or secondary syphilis is left untreated or inadequately treated, about 40% of patients may develop tertiary syphilis. At this stage, infectivity decreases, and besides skin and mucous membranes, bone syphilis, cardiovascular syphilis, and neurosyphilis may also occur.
The preferred treatment for syphilis is penicillin. Sometimes, even after regular treatment, nonspecific antibodies may remain weakly positive (1:2 or 1:4), which is referred to as serological latency. If the titers do not rise after 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year, further treatment is unnecessary. With early detection and timely treatment, syphilis can be completely cured, so it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly if infection is suspected.
02 Genital Warts
Genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease primarily characterized by wart-like lesions caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This disease is highly contagious, tends to recur, requires long-term repeated treatment, and severely affects the patient’s daily life.
Clinical manifestations: Initially, the skin lesions appear as small papules locally, ranging from the size of a pinhead to a bean, gradually enlarging or increasing in number, spreading to the surrounding areas, eventually developing into wart-like, corona-like, cauliflower-like, or clustered growths. Some patients with weakened immune systems or during pregnancy may develop extensive warts that can affect the entire vulva, perianal area, and buttocks, known as giant condyloma acuminatum.
Patients generally have no subjective symptoms, with a few experiencing itching, foreign body sensation, pressure sensation, or burning sensation. Due to increased fragility of the skin lesions and friction, ulcers, soaks, erosions, bleeding, or secondary infections can occur. Female patients may have increased vaginal discharge.
03 Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea has a very strong transmission capability and ranks fourth among Class B communicable diseases in China. It is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae mainly manifesting as purulent infections of the genitourinary system.
It manifests as urethritis in males and cervicitis and urethritis in females.
Major symptoms include frequent urination, urgency, dysuria, purulent discharge from the urethra or cervical or vaginal discharge, etc.
Females often have asymptomatic infections. Individuals with multiple sexual partners or those with a history of contact with gonorrhea infection and experiencing symptoms such as mucoid or purulent discharges, urethral pain, etc., should promptly seek medical consultation in the dermatology and venereology department.
04 Genital Herpes
Genital herpes outbreaks are easily recurring when immunity is compromised and are caused by infection with the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Clinically, genital herpes presents as single or clustered vesicles on the genital, perineal, perianal, buttock, or upper thigh areas, which may ulcerate before subsiding.
The clinical presentation of genital herpes is often atypical and involves asymptomatic viral shedding, posing a significant challenge to clinical prevention and treatment work.
Therefore, the incidence of genital herpes is likely severely underestimated, and clinical doctors should pay attention to not only typical symptoms but also atypical manifestations and genital lesions that cannot be ignored.
05 AIDS
HIV is a virus that survives in human blood and primarily targets CD4+ T lymphocytes. HIV itself does not cause disease but when the infected person’s immune system is destroyed by HIV, various clinical symptoms and diseases appear leading to death.
The acute phase usually manifests with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection such as fever, fatigue, sore throat, and general discomfort occurring 1-2 weeks after HIV exposure; some patients may experience headaches, rashes, meningitis or acute disseminated encephalomyelitis; lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and occipital regions may become enlarged, resembling infectious mononucleosis or hepatosplenomegaly.
The asymptomatic phase often does not show obvious symptoms or signs, with some patients experiencing persistent lymph node enlargement for a considerable length of time.
Currently, there is a lack of effective drugs to cure HIV infection worldwide. In the event of risky behavior, it is recommended to take preventive treatment as early as possible, preferably within 72 hours by taking antiretroviral drugs for 28 days to prevent potential infections caused by exposure. Subsequent testing should be done at one month and three months after exposure.
If infected with an STD, what should you do?
↓↓↓
Don’t panic, go to the hospital!
Never hide diseases from medical professionals; seek timely treatment at legitimate medical facilities.
Don’t be afraid, seeking medical help is not embarrassing!
Do not visit illegal medical facilities or traditional healers for treatment and avoid self-medication.
Follow the doctor’s advice diligently!
STD patients should adhere to treatment as prescribed by healthcare providers; do not stop medications arbitrarily, change drug types, or adjust dosages to avoid drug resistance and worsening of the condition.
Being patient for complete treatment is crucial!
After treatment, follow-up visits as required and monitor the treatment outcomes to reduce the occurrence of complications, sequelae, and promote early recovery.
Be cautious! These STDs,
even condoms can’t fully protect you from them!
1. Pubic Lice
During sexual intercourse, pubic lice can be transmitted directly through pubic hair because condoms do not cover pubic hair. Even if you don’t engage in sexual activity, you could still get infected. For example, sharing towels with an infected person, touching an infected person’s body hair or clothing, or sitting on an infected person’s bed, etc.
2. Syphilis
It spreads in various ways, not only through blood transmission but can also occur in areas that many condoms cannot cover, such as during kissing. If there are small cuts inside the mouth, infection can occur. It’s a quite embarrassing situation.
3. Gonorrhea
Condoms cannot fully protect against this as it is mainly caused by the gonococcus. It prefers to attach to moist things and can survive for a day or two. This means that sharing personal hygiene items with an infected person or using the same toilet can lead to infection!
How to prevent STDs?
â—† Practice good personal hygiene, avoid promiscuous behaviors, and eliminate unsafe sexual behaviors;
â—† During sexual activity, use condoms correctly throughout (ensure they are of good quality);
â—† Engage in premarital and prenatal STD screenings, and if an infection is found, seek prompt treatment;
â—† Individuals with multiple sexual partners or frequent changes in sexual partners should undergo regular check-ups at hospitals;
â—† After a diagnosis of an STD, promptly notify sexual partners to seek medical examination and treatment if an infection is found.
Understanding STDs correctly and fully can help in their effective prevention!
END
Source: Jinan Second Maternal and Child Health Hospital
Editor: Luo Ying
