Sexually Transmitted Diseases are becoming commoner day by day and it is
now a known fact that due to the inculcation of various methods of sexual
gratification (oral, anal and vaginal intercourses), sexually transmitted
diseases are spreading like rapid fire. This piece of writing will take into
light few vital details about Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and AIDS which are
considered to be the three top spread Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Chlamydia is a disease which is transmitted by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is
known to cause serious damage in the reproductive organs of both men and
especially women. The most commonly involved organs apart from genitalia are
the eyes and joints. In pregnant females, the disease can be transmitted to the
fetus. An estimated of 2.8 million people are affected per year by Chlamydia
only in United States!
The thing that Chlamydia and Gonorrhea have in common is their ability
to involve the genitalia and they both cause common infections pertaining to
the genitalia. For example, it starts from Cervix and causes Cervicitis. It can
then ascend upwards to involve Fallopian tubes and ovaries causing infection
and inflammation of these areas. Therefore, when the infection ascends so much,
it is collectively known as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.
Both Gonorrhea and Chlamydia are notorious because they can easily
spread into the blood causing septicemia along with localized diseases such as
arthritis and conjunctivitis. When gonorrhea disseminates into the blood
stream, it causes severe infection which is a term known as “Meningococcal
Septicemia” which can cause adrenal shutdown and many Disseminated Inravascular
Coagulation (DIC) which if not treated in time causes rapid and extremely fatal
death.
Chlamydia treatment and the treatment
for gonorrhea are really easy if the infection is diagnosed and treated
promptly. The usual antibiotics given for both the infections are erythromycin,
azithromycin and a tetracycline known as doxycycline. Gonorrhea treatment is
enhanced by combining it with injectable cephalosporin (ceftriaxone) which
helps eradicating bacteria very efficiently. Drug resistant strains are being
encountered due to the rapid spread of these infections which is becoming a
nuisance to the medicine world.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus which is known to cause
Immunodeficiency which when goes to a very severe level is defined as Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS. It is suspected especially in those groups
who are working as social sex workers and those who have had intercourse with
these groups. AIDS treatment guidelines have
been defined and implemented globally which depend on first diagnosing the
infection and its quantity in the bloodstream and then treating it. The
treatment of HIV infected individuals start with Highly Active Anti-retroviral
Therapy (HAART).
There are three classes of medicines in HAART: Non-Nucleoside Reverse
Transcriptase Inhibitors, Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors and
Protease Inhibitors. There are different combinations of three medicines used
but the Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors are always two amongst them
the other one being either Protease Inhibitors or Non- Nucleoside Reverse
Transcriptase Inhibitor. While these treatment regimens are expensive, work is
still being done to improve the treatment for AIDS. There is however, still no
definitive cure for AIDS.
Additionally, people with AIDS are prone to get opportunistic infections
because the immune system of their body is compromised. Therefore, they are
advised to be in a regular follow-up of physician so that prophylactic
medications against these opportunistic infections could be started. Stem cell
treatment is also under progress and it is hoped that it can counter AIDS to a
great limit.
However, the best treatment of all these Sexually Transmitted Diseases
is abstinence! Prevention is the best way in which these infections can never
be acquired and we can stop these infections to become global epidemics.
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