Inus e taboo
lting pots such as lating to sexual st of the time still s crets and taboos. r nsmitted infections to be talked about doors and in s in doctor’s offices. ture of STIs and ities react to it have ay, with the former i st- contact diagnosis s and the latter in d awareness levels. t e step to take it oving all social nding STIs and any other medical o be taken. d cine and treatment c ntact diagnosis e s levels have shown success rates globally, the number of STI cases is still on the rise. The World Health Organization ( WHO) reported that more than one million infections are acquired every day worldwide. Each year, there are an estimated 357 million new cases of one of these STIs – chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. This number is more than 11 times the population of Malaysia alone. Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Vigneswaren Ponnudurai says patients who usually seek private healthcare tend to be well- informed and accepting of the situation. He says that he usually has no issues educating his patients about STIs. However, according to the Health Ministry, this health issue is grossly underreported here in Malaysia. Part of the problem could include: i o
– Conversations about sex often take place in a flippant manner. The right conversation between sexually active partners
Get over the fear. As research suggests, there are probably more people suffering from it than we actually know. This means it is quite possible for someone in your circle of family and friends to have an STI.
Have the conversation. It is the duty of every individual to inform of symptoms or a positive diagnosis when getting involved with a new partner.
When initialising conversation, try not to make it all doom and gloom. This is really an exchange of information.
Take comprehensive steps to combat it. This might mean a should involve sexual history, current sexual practices, use of protection and past or present symptoms.
– Being in a monogamous relationship does not mean one partner did not get it from a previous partner.
There are instances where a first sexual encounter was all it took to infect an individual.
There is also a rare type of bacteria that mimics similar symptoms of herpes but is in fact non- herpetic. One can get infected by these non- herpetic bacteria through unhygienic public toilets and unsterilised instruments.
– We often hear jokes and learn about sex and STIs from unreliable sources.
Cultural sensitivities that need to be respected have also led many to generally avoid or feel uncomfortable when it comes to opening up about sexual matters.
Topics such as sex outside marriage and multiple sexual partners in conversations are quickly hushed. This can cause much stress in relationships and hamper the overall sexual health of a couple.
Another possible reason for the low numbers in reported cases of STIs could be the lack of symptoms in an infected patient.
The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) reported that the terms STD ( sexually transmitted disease) and STI are often used interchangeably but that, medically, infections are only called diseases when they cause symptoms. Many STIs do not. change in lifestyle, including the choice of sexual partners, taking precautions and planning sexual encounters.
If infected, couples can schedule their sexual intercourse for after the initial stage of diagnosis because this is where the symptoms are at their worst.
Moreover, Dr Vigneswaren says that couples should wait until after the worst is over before deciding to get pregnant because the medication involved in treating the infections cannot be applied to pregnant women.
Although the infections will not harm the mother or baby, the medicines or cream might.