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Addiction and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
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Addicts and Alcoholics are a STD high
risk group. Alcohol and Drugs lower a persons inhibitions and may lead to risky sexual
behavior.
Sexually transmitted disease (STD) is a term used to
describe more than 20 different infections that are transmitted through exchange of semen,
blood, and other body fluids; or by direct contact with the affected body areas of people
with STDs. Sexually transmitted diseases are also called venereal diseases.
Description
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has
reported that 85% of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the United States are
sexually transmitted. The rate of STDs in this country is 50-100 times higher than that of
any other industrialized nation. One in four sexually active Americans will be affected by
an STD at some time in his or her life.
About 12 million new STD infections occur in the
United States each year. One in four occurs in someone between the ages of 16 and 19.
Almost 65% of all STD infections affect people under the age of 25.
Types of STDs
STDs can have very painful long-term consequences as
well as immediate health problems. They can cause:
- Birth defects
- Blindness
- Bone deformities
- Brain damage
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Infertility and other abnormalities of the
reproductive system
- Mental retardation
- Death.
Some of the most common and potentially serious STDs
in the United States include:
- Chlamydial diseases-- including lymphogranuloma
venereum (LGV) and chlamydial urethritis-- and gonorrhea. These STDs can cause sterility
or potentially fatal infections of the upper genital tract. A chlamydia is a microscopic
organism that lives as a parasite inside human cells.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV causes genital warts.
It is the single most important risk factor for cervical cancer in women.
- Genital herpes. Herpes is an incurable viral infection
thought to be one of the most common STDs in this country.
- Syphilis. Syphilis is a potentially life-threatening
infection that increases the likelihood of acquiring or transmitting HIV. One type of
syphilis is congenital syphilis, which causes irreversible health problems or death in as
many as 40% of all live babies born to women with untreated syphilis.
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. As of
1998, there is no cure for this STD.
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Social groups and STDs
STDs affect certain population groups more severely
than others. Women, young people, and members of minority groups are particularly
affected. Women in any age bracket are more likely than men to develop medical
complications related to STDs.
With respect to racial and ethnic categories, the
incidence of syphilis is 60 times higher among African Americans than among Caucasians,
and four times higher in Hispanics than in Anglos. African Americans are 40 times more
likely than Caucasians to develop gonorrhea, and as much as three times more likely to
acquire genital herpes.
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Diagnosis
A sexually active person who has symptoms of an STD
or who has had an STD or symptoms of infection should be examined without delay by a:
- Specialist in women's health (gynecologist)
- Specialist in disorders of the urinary tract and the
male sexual organs (urologist)
- Family physician
- Nurse practitioner
- Specialist in skin disorders (dermatologist).
The diagnostic process begins with a thorough
physical examination and a detailed medical history that documents the patient's sexual
history and assesses the risk of infection.
The doctor or other healthcare professional will:
- Describe the testing process. This includes all blood
tests and other tests that may be relevant to the specific infection.
- Explain the meaning of the test results.
- Provide the patient with information regarding
high-risk behaviors and any necessary treatments or procedures.
The doctor may suggest that a patient diagnosed with
one STD be tested for others. It's possible to have more than one STD at a time. One
infection may hide the symptoms of another or create a climate that fosters its growth. At
present, it is particularly important that persons who are HIV-positive be tested for
syphilis as well. |
