As if viral and bacterial communicable diseases born out of filth in the environment were not enough to endanger human lives on earth, sexually communicable diseases and infections are also rising to make the situation worse. According to a recent report by WHO, 1 million people acquire sexually transmitted infections everyday around the globe.
This is a concerning situation and goes on to show the level of health illiteracy that prevails in the world since STIs are easily avoidable by following some basic protection and hygiene rules. In this article, we are taking a look at the extent of STIs spread in the world and how you can avoid them.
Scope
The stat given in the title of this article barely scratches the surface of the problem. According to the WHO report, 4 STIs namely chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis are very common. Every year more than 376 million people get one of these four infections. These four are however not the only ones. Around 500 million people around the globe get the herpes simplex virus every year.
STIs have also been contributing to infant mortality. According to estimates, STIs 350,000 adverse births along with 200,000 stillbirths were caused by syphilis in 2016 alone. All of these statistics show how far the epidemic of STIs has spread.
Prevention
As bad as sexually transmitted diseases sound, their prevention is not very complex. There are two approaches that may be used to control this fast spreading epidemic. First and foremost is the use of condoms. Condoms can not only save people from receiving deadly infections but can also reduce unintended pregnancies and ultimately abortion rate in developing countries such as Pakistan.
The other approach focuses on a rather long-term solution. This approach involves methods like sexual counselling which not only teaches people about using proper contraceptive but also educates them about the dangers of getting infections like HIV and AIDS. There are also highly effective vaccines available against more dangerous sexually transmitted diseases such as hepatitis B and HPV.
Treatment
The first step towards treating STIs is awareness of their symptoms. If you have indulged in irresponsible sex and symptoms such as allergic reaction in the genital area have already started to appear then you should consult a sexologist as soon as possible and discuss your symptoms. Three of the bacterial STIs and one parasitic variation are very easy to cure and can be done through simple antibiotics. You should however remember to get all the appropriate laboratory tests before accepting the diagnosis or else the medicines can make the situation worse for you.
————-
This article was produced in partnership with oladoc.com, a digital health company in Pakistan. Using oladoc, you can find top sexologists in Karachi, sexologist in Islamabad, and Sexual Health Specialist in Lahore – and book appointment online.
