Sexually transmitted disease

From ArticleWorld

The term sexually transmitted disease has come to be synonymous with the term ‘sexually transmissible infections’ though they are not quite the same. A disease is something that causes the sufferer to feel sick and therefore is conscious of the fact that something is not right whereas one may be infected without necessarily feeling the symptoms of it, in which case they have an infection.

Furthermore, STD’s could be taken to include diseases such as meningitis which can be sexually transmitted but certainly cannot be categorised as a sexual disease. STI’s, on the other hand, are taken to be those infections that have very little chance of being contracted except through sexual contact, with the exception of so-called risky behaviour such as blood transfusions or the more dangerous sharing of needles.

All sexual behaviour that involves at least one other partner in which bodily fluids such as semen, blood or vaginal secretions are risky behaviours. But even complete abstinence from sex is no guarantee against the contracting an STI as they can be transmitted through blood transfusions, sharing of needles whether for drugs or tattoos. Babies born of infected mothers may also become infected.

Causes

STI’s can be caused by bacteria as in gonorrhea and syphilis; by viruses such as some types of hepatitis and HIV; by parasites such as pubic lice; fungus as in thrush or by protozoa, one-celled microscopic animals.

Treatment

The first clinic to treat STI’s or venereal diseases as they were then called opened in 1747 in London, but at the time these diseases were virtually incurable. It was only with the discovery of antibiotics in 1928 that a cure became possible and so easily in fact that they ceased to be such a threat. That is, until the appearance of AIDS in the 1980’s which has so far defied any attempt at curing it.