Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Transmission

The lentivirus in the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV is the chief cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS. The immune system is destroyed by HIV leaving it open for invasion by cancers and other harmful infections. As of today, no cure is available for HIV/AIDS but antivirals taken daily for a lifetime can delay the progression of the disease. The disease has been listed as a pandemic by the World Health Organization which has made it a top priority for prevention of infection in many health centers from different countries around the world. The largest number of HIV/AIDS cases is in Africa and statistics show that as many as 2 million people die of AIDS every year.

 

An exchange of infected body fluids like semen and blood is how HIV gets transmitted from an infected person to an uninfected one. This makes us see that safety measures have to be used in order to avoid coming in contact with the infected fluids. Sexual activity is the most common way of HIV transmission. Reducing the risk of becoming infected would be the usage of safe sex procedures. Even if statistics shows that women infect less than men, vaginal fluids that can enter through cuts in the penis or mouth will bring infection. Anal, fellatio, and vaginal intercourse should only be performed through the use of a condom. Dental dams should be used when oral sex on females is performed. Kissing should be avoided if open wounds or sores can be seen as saliva that contains infected blood can transmit the disease.

 

While male condoms are widely used, there are also female condoms that provide the same protection even if they are not as widely accepted. Condoms should be made acceptable, affordable, and accessible in order to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS.

 

Male circumcision has been considered as a way to reduce the transmission of HIV yet has been found to be far less effective than using a condom.

Intravenous drugs are also one of the ways where HIV can be transmitted. The sharing of needles between drug addicts has provided the perfect pathway for HIV to be transmitted from person to person. Since the drug addicts could not be stopped from using prohibitive drugs, the various health agencies have no choice but to advise them not to share needles or else to use fresh ones while injecting the drugs. This scenario also applies to people who use intravenous drugs like insulin. A used needle should be disposed of properly to avoid the spread of disease.

 

Breastfeeding should never be done when the mother is infected with the HIV virus. Transmission of the virus from the mother to the child will pass through breast milk which is a body fluid.

 

One of the professions that are at high risk for HIV transmission would be the healthcare professionals. In order to avoid this, healthcare professionals should always gloves and mask especially when caring for HIV-infected patients that have open wounds, sores, and handling other body fluids. Used needles should always be disposed in safe collectors.

Different Types of Hepatitis – Signs and Symptoms of Hepatitis

Swelling or inflammation of the liver is described as hepatitis. This happens when the liver has been exposed to substances which can harm it such as alcohol or an effect from a viral infection.

There are other types of hepatitis that may afflict, but will not permanently damage the liver.

Other types can last for many years leading to liver scarring such as cirrhosis. In serious health conditions, it may cause liver failure or liver function loss or liver cancer which could eventually lead to death. These long-lasting types of hepatitis are referred to as chronic hepatitis.

The first symptoms of hepatitis that is developed by infection could be compared to symptoms of the flu:

  • Jaundice which is yellowing of the skin and eyes
  • Joint and muscle pain
  • Being sick
  • Headache
  • High fever
  • Feeling sick

When it is already chronic hepatitis, these will be the symptoms:

  • A sense of being unwell
  • Extreme fatigue all the time
  • Jaundice
  • Depression

In most cases, there are hardly noticeable symptoms in cases of hepatitis which could make infected people unaware that they have it.

Types of hepatitis

 

Hepatitis A

The most common viral hepatitis, it is caused by the virus from hepatitis A. It is very common in places where there are poor sewage and sanitation disposals.

You can also become infected when travelling to countries where hepatitis A occurs frequently.

Eating or drinking something contaminated with the feces from hepatitis A infected people will transmit the infection.

After three months, symptoms and infection will go away. There is no special treatment program for hepatitis A except to provide relief from the symptoms.

The best protection against hepatitis A is vaccination. It is highly recommended if you plan to travel to countries where hepatitis A is common.

Hepatitis B

The hepatitis B virus causes hepatitis B. This can be found in body and blood fluids, such as vaginal fluids and semen, so it can be transmitted during birth from an infected mother, unprotected sex and needle-sharing when drugs are injected.

It is a fairly uncommon infection that is usually confined to groups such as users of drugs. Most people could fight off the virus and recover fully after a few months. However, some people develop chronic hepatitis B which could lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis.

Hepatitis B vaccination is available for protection and prevention. It is recommended for high-risk people such as healthcare workers and drug users that inject drugs.

Hepatitis C

Found in the blood and, to some degree, in the vaginal fluid, semen, and saliva of an infected person, the hepatitis C virus causes hepatitis C.

Blood-to-blood contact is the usual spread of the infection since the hepatitis C virus is concentrated in the blood.

It is commonly spread by sharing needles among drug users when injecting drugs. It does not show any symptoms which are the main reason why people are unaware that they have the infection.

Only a few people will be able to ward off the infection and become free of the virus. In most people, it will develop into chronic hepatitis C leading to liver failure and cirrhosis.

How To Identify Gonorrhea Symptoms?

Some people are not sure what gonorrhea is even if they have heard something about it. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacteria passed on during sexual intercourse. It can infect the throat, penis, urethra, vagina, anus or cervix. It is commonly known as ‘the drip’ or ‘the clap’.

If left untreated, gonorrhea is a serious health risk which yearly affects around 800,000 men and women in the United States.

Symptoms

Most of the time gonorrhea does not show any symptoms, more so with women. It has been reported that out of five women, four will not have symptoms while out of 10 men only one will not have any symptoms.

When symptoms occur, it usually starts between days 1 to 14 days after exposure.

Some women show symptoms and it would include:

  • Yellow-green or yellow colored vaginal discharges
  • Pain in the abdominal area
  • Vomiting
  • Bleeding between periods
  • Frequent urination
  • Fever
  • Tenderness of swelling of the vulva
  • Irregularities in the menstrual cycle
  • Burning sensation during urination
  • Painful sexual intercourse

IN men, the symptoms will be:

  • Frequent urination
  • Pus-like discharges from the penis
  • Burning pain during urination

Gonorrhea could also cause itching in the anus which happens to both men and women. It can also cause oral infection which causes soreness in the throat making swallowing difficult and painful bowel movements accompanied by discharges.

In men, the symptoms could be mild and show mostly in the morning. This is why people could always be unaware that they are already infected.

Health complications

Complications in pregnancy

Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious complications in pregnancy as it may lead to stillbirth or premature birth.

During birth, the infection can be passed to the fetus by the infected mother. The disease can cause eye, blood, and joint infections. Drops of antibiotics are normally used in the eyes of newborns to prevent the occurrence of serious eye infections that are caused by gonorrhea. The risk of transmitting the infection is greatly reduced when testing and treatment is done to a pregnant woman who has gonorrhea.

Infertility

 

PID or pelvic inflammatory disease is a serious health complication caused by untreated gonorrhea which can lead to infertility in women as it affects the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

The untreated infection can also lead to infertility in men. The infection can quickly spread from the urethra to the testicles which result in epididymitis, a condition that can give extreme pain and swelling in the scrotum accompanied by fever.

Arthritis

Untreated gonorrhea has been found to develop a condition known as DGI or disseminated gonococcal infection which can cause skin sores and arthritis. Women have a higher risk of acquiring this condition than men, with teen girls having the highest rate of infection.

The symptoms will include:

  • Fever
  • Pain in the joints
  • Lesions or skin rashes

The condition is easily treatable if diagnosed early, but could damage joints permanently if left untreated.

Chlamydia Infection: The Silent STD

One of the most common bacterial STD or sexually transmitted diseases reported is Chlamydia. It affects more women than men. The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis causes Chlamydia which can infect the rectum and urethra in men and women. In women, Chlamydia could infect the cervix. Sometimes other parts of the body can also be infected such as the eyes and throat. It is asymptomatic which means that it shows no symptoms, particularly in women. This causes serious health problems lasting a lifetime when left untreated. This also causes the spread of the infection as infected individuals unwittingly infect other uninfected sexual partner/s.

Signs and symptoms

Between the period of a week to 3 weeks after infection, Chlamydia symptoms may or may not appear which has given it the name of being a ‘silent’ infection. But if ever symptoms appear it may include:

In women

  • Irregular menstrual periods
  • The inflamed cervix brings about abnormal discharges from the vagina
  • Bleeding after sexual intercourse or pain during sex
  • Frequent urination with a burning sensation
  • Pain in the lower abdominal area

 

In men

  • Even when they are asymptomatic, men notice more symptoms than women
  • Stained underwear brought about by watery and cloudy or white discharges from the penis
  • Swelling and pain in the testicles
  • Pain or burning during urination

 

A Chlamydia infection in the anus will rarely show symptoms in both men and women.

Transmission

The modes of Chlamydia transmission include:

  • Infection from the genitals to fingers to eyes may be one way of transferring the infection although this happens very rarely.
  • Unprotected sex with an infected person through oral, anal, and vaginal contact.
  • A vaginal birth from an infected mother to an uninfected baby.

Testing places

There are numerous testing places that can help you if you feel that you have been infected with Chlamydia.

  • Some countries have chemists and pharmacies that could offer self-help testing kits which allow an infected person to get his or her sample to be analyzed by the pharmacy.
  • Visit your own medical professional who can refer you to a testing center if their facilities do not carry testing procedures.
  • Sexual health clinics that are purposely set up to help people infected with STD.

Treatment

Once the infection has been diagnosed, Chlamydia is easy to cure. A regimen of antibiotics is usually prescribed and taking them correctly will be effective in healing the infection.

If you happen to be allergic to the antibiotics prescribed or if you are pregnant, the doctor has to be informed right away so another mode of treatment can be done. Starting the course of prescribed antibiotics has to be maintained as interruptions may have to make you start from the beginning.

The doctor will be asking about any sexual contact that you had for the last 6 months. This is to give a chance to inform your sexual partner/s about the infection and the need for them to be tested and treated.

A check-up has to be done after the treatments have been completed to ensure that infection has been cured. Sexual relations can only be resumed once a negative result has been seen after the check-up.

Chlamydia Symptoms in Men and Women

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that is particularly common among American women and men under 25 years of age which is transmitted through sexual intercourse. The body parts that it can infect are the throat, penis, eye, vagina, anus, urethra, and cervix. It is more common than syphilis and gonorrhea which affects around three million of the American population each year.

Chlamydia is an asymptomatic STD that infected people are unaware of when they have it – particularly women. 5 to 10 days after exposure, these are the symptoms, should they happen:

Women

A strong-smelling yellow colored discharge from the cervix

Pain in the abdominal area

Vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse

Abnormal discharges from the vagina

Swelling around the anus or inside the vagina

Bleeding between periods

Frequency of urination

Slight fever

Burning sensation or pain when urinating

Painful sexual intercourse

Men

Swelling around the anal area

Burning or pain during urination

Tender or swollen testicles

Milky or pus or watery discharges from the penis

One of the common symptoms of Chlamydia in both men and women is a bleeding and itchy anus which could lead to diarrhea and discharges. Discharges accompanied by itching and redness are the symptoms if Chlamydia has infected the eyes. Soreness of the throat will be experienced if Chlamydia has infected the throat.

The symptoms in men are milder and could only happen during the morning. This is the main factor for the widespread infection of Chlamydia. A consultation and check-up need to be arranged as early as possible with a healthcare professional should your partner or you experience the symptoms that have been listed. It is even more important to have treatment if you happen to be pregnant.

Health complications

Because of the asymptomatic nature of Chlamydia it can take a long time before an infected person gets tested and treated. This has led to serious health complications especially for women who may acquire pelvic inflammatory disease or PID which could lead to infertility.

Epididymitis is the serious health condition that men will acquire if Chlamydia is left untreated. It could cause infertility and sometimes lead to reactive arthritis which can develop disabling pain and swelling in the joints.

Chlamydia tests

The first symptom that a health care professional can see which could lead to a diagnosis of Chlamydia would be the discharges coming from the cervix. Other cell specimens that can positively identify Chlamydia would be taken from the anus, penis, and urethra. A urine test can also be another basis for diagnosing Chlamydia.

Treatment

 

Once diagnosed, it is fairly easy to treat Chlamydia. There are single dose antibiotics that can clear up Chlamydia, but there are also treatment programs that will last for seven days. Your health care professional will know what will work best for your case.

Before resuming any sexual activity, both you and your partner needs to get an STD test. This is to avoid getting infected or re-infected. You will also be advised to return in 3 to 4 months for Chlamydia re-testing.