SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (S.T.I.s) are transmitted from person to person by direct sexual contact, such as :
sexual intercourse (penis - vagina)
oral-genital contact (mouth - genital)
anal-genital contact (penis - anus)
Many S.T.I.s are asymptomatic especially in women. These bacteria and viruses can only survive inside the human body. Therefore S.T.I.s are not spread through social contacts such as shaking hands, sharing meals, swimming in public pools or using public toilets and towels etc.
SYPHILIS is an extremely serious disease if left untreated.
Symptoms
Symptoms are the same for men and women. If untreated, the disease progresses, showing different symptoms at different stages. The length of each stage varies. Symptoms of the first stage appear from 9 days to 90 days after infection.
Primary Syphilis
A painless sore will appear on or around the sex organ and will clear up on its own within days or weeks. In men, the sore is easily noticeable. In women, the sore is often inside the vagina where it remains unseen.
Secondary Syphilis
Body rash which may not be itchy, mouth sores, fever, sore throats or flu-like symptoms and enlarged lymph glands.
Latent Stage
No symptoms. The disease seems to have disappeared, but antibody is present in the body and can be detected by blood tests.
Late Syphilis
Damage to heart, eyes, ears, and central nervous system, causing blindness, physical disability and even death.
A person who completes a course of treatment is no longer infectious to others unless reinfected by sexual contact with another infected person. The disease is most infectious to others during the first two stages when symptoms are most noticeable.
It is important to know: Syphilis can be treated safely. Regular medical checks and blood tests are important for a person who has recovered from syphilis. Every pregnant woman receiving antenatal care has blood tests which can detect this disease, and if necessary, treatment will be given to her, thus reducing the harm to the fetus.
GONORRHOEA
The symptoms of gonorrhoea are different for male and female. Gonorrhoea often causes no symptoms at all in women. However, gonorrhoea usually causes obvious symptoms in men.
In Women:
- yellowish-green vaginal discharge
- pain when passing urine
- fever, chills, abdominal pain and painful joints
In Men:
- pain when passing urine
- whitish discharge from penis
The serious complications and permanent damage to the following organs can be avoided by early diagnosis and treatment:
- prostate and testicles of men
- fallopian tubes and ovaries of women
- joints (via the blood stream)
To stop the spread and avoid the complications of gonorrhoea, infected persons should talk honestly to their sexual partners about the possibility of infection and the need to seek treatment promptly.
AIDS
AIDS is caused by a virus, called Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The virus is found mainly in blood, semen, vaginal secretion and in saliva (only very small quantity).
HIV does not pass easily through the intact skin but may penetrate the mucous membranes lining the oral cavity or the rectum, which are much thinner. The risk of infection is increased if there are open wounds on the skin or mucous membrane.
Anal sex, carries a very high risk because there is frequent injury of the rectal mucosa (membrane lining the back passage).
A HIV carrier may not have any symptoms and cannot be identified by any external features.
Any sexual partner can potentially be a HIV carrier if he or she has other sexual contacts in the past.
The risk of infection is proportional to:
- the number of sexual partners (especially if the partner is promiscuous or abuses intravenous drugs.)
- the promiscuity of the sexual partner(s).
- the degree of exposure to the partner's body fluids, especially semen, blood and vaginal secretion. etc.
- the extent of injury during sexual intercourse.
Sexually Transmitted Infections are extremely serious diseases, and they must be thoroughly treated. Do not treat yourself, it may harm you and your sexual partner.
PREVENTION & TREATMENT OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
The most effective way of preventing sexually transmitted infections is to have safer sex and maintain a mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner and avoid casual sex. If this is impossible, condom should be properly used during each sexual contact to reduce the chance of infection.
For more health information, please call:
AIDS HOTLINE : 2780 2211
DR. SEX HOTLINE : 2337 2121
DH 24-hour Health Education Hotline : 2833 0111
or visit:
Centre for Health Protection web site
http://www.chp.gov.hk
DH Central Health Education Unit web site
http://www.cheu.gov.hk
