Sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, are infections resulting from sexual contact that spread from person to person. Generally, they are spread through close sexual contact with body fluids that include but not limited to vaginal secretions, urethral discharge, and often through saliva. With this being said, the infections usually occur and are transmitted through unprotected sexual contact. Since many STIs are asymptomatic, it spreads unknowingly from infected person to others and may have different symptoms such as pain with urination, genital sores, rashes depending on the pathogen. There are curable antimicrobial medications for common bacterial STIs and with viral STIs, some antivirals may reduce the severity and duration of symptoms.
One of common bacterial STIs is gonorrhea which is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a gram-negative diplococcus. According to a review article in the Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery, from the E-journal, transmission of gonorrhea occurs during asymptomatic period and the common symptoms include urethral discharge, dysuria, and vaginal discharge. With increasing cases of gonorrhea in the United States, CDC recommended treatment include dual therapy due to the potential for antimicrobial resistance and in the research article published on CDC, there are injectable medications available in the clinics that also helps to relieve drug resistance.
Another common bacterial STI is syphilis. This disease occurs more commonly in male than females and humans are the only reservoir. The review article from the E-journal website states that there are three progressive stages of manifestations if left untreated. Moreover, the trademark symptom of this infection is genital ulcer or chancre on the site of inoculation and although the chancre may heal without treatment, there is a subsequent latent infection that follows. The recommended first-line treatment for syphilis is an injectable antimicrobial drug of penicillin G benzathine which alleviates the drug resistance to the pathogen according to the CDC research article.
I think the most important takeaway from this blog post is the emphasis on the importance of having a monogamous relationship with an uninfected person and the necessity of having protected sex. Although the condom use does not ultimately protect one from contracting STIs, I still believe that it’s one of the effective measures that a person should use in order to reduce the risk of obtaining STIs. The pleasure of having an unprotected sex may be great at that moment of time but the consequences that might follow is definitely not worth the pleasure that one may had. Moreover, it is scary to know that many STIs are asymptomatic with some of them having a long incubation period, which loops back around to the seriousness of protecting one’s body.
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