It’s important to take care of your health and safety before having sex with a new partner. In addition to the risks of unplanned pregnancy, you can become infected with various infections during sex – some of them are very dangerous and cause incurable diseases. For Russians, this is especially important due to the HIV epidemic: 71 thousand new cases of infection were recorded in 2022 alone. In addition, because the topic of sex is taboo, many are embarrassed to see a doctor, which leads to serious problems and risks for themselves and their partners. “Kholod” spoke with obstetrician-gynecologist, candidate of medical sciences Tatyana Rumyantseva about how to protect yourself and your partner from unwanted consequences.
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STIs are sexually transmitted infections. According to WHO, every day in the world fix more than a million cases of STI infection. They can be infected through semen, vaginal discharge, or using the same condom or sex toys when changing the type of sexual contact (for example, from anal to vaginal). Even finger penetration is not safe if the type of contact changes due to secretions that may be infected, or if there are open wounds on the fingers of the infected partner.
Viruses can also be transmitted through blood, kissing, and skin contact with another person’s infected area. But it is almost impossible to get an STI in saunas, baths or public toilets, unless you have sex there, since STI pathogens most often quickly die in the external environment.
There are more than 30 infections in total, but nine are among the most common in Russia and Europe. Let’s talk about them in more detail.
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is an incurable virus that attacks the immune system and is transmitted primarily through semen or vaginal secretions during unprotected sex. You can also become infected through blood during a transfusion, using a contaminated syringe or untreated instruments. HIV can not live outside the human body: it dies when the liquids containing it dry out, and dies almost instantly at temperatures above 56ºC. It is also almost impossible to contract HIV through sweat, saliva and urine, as they do not contain enough virus to become infected.
If you change partners and do not use a condom, you are at risk. According to Rospotrebnadzor, in 2022, among all HIV infections, unprotected sex between heterosexual partners was reason infection in 72% of cases. The proportion of infections during intravenous drug use is 22.5%, and during sex between men – only 4%. Also at risk are teenagers who know little about contraception, are embarrassed to seek help because the topic is taboo, or do not have money for doctors.
The HIV epidemic is still ongoing in Russia. According to report According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, more than half of new HIV cases in Europe in 2022 will occur in Russia. Although Ministry of Health approvesthat in four years the incidence of HIV in the country has decreased by almost 35%, Rospotrebnadzor, which also collects statistics, explains a decrease in the number of infection cases due to the fact that risk groups began to test less.
- Symptoms: Within two to six weeks of infection, you may experience fever, sore throat and muscle pain, and rashes. Once the immune system is severely damaged, new symptoms may appear: weight loss, chronic diarrhea, night sweats, skin problems and recurring infections – even after treatment or symptoms temporarily disappear, infections may return due to the body’s inability to fight them effectively.
- Complications: destruction of the immune system, AIDS.
Get tested no earlier than two to three months after unprotected sex, and test every three monthsif you are at risk.
HPV
Human papillomavirus is another incurable virus. There are more than 200 strains of HPV with different symptoms. About 40 of them affect the mucous membranes, especially in the genital area, the rest affect the skin.
All types are divided into oncogenic (low and high risk), that is, those that cause cancer, and non-oncogenic. The most aggressive and common are oncogenic types 16 and 18 – they cause the majority of HPV-related cancers.
Approximately 80% of sexually active people become infected with HPV. This virus can be transmitted even with a condom – through friction of previously infected areas of the body around the genitals.
- Symptoms: Some people develop warts after a few weeks or months, but may not have symptoms.
- Complications: Highly oncogenic strains can cause cancer of the cervix, vagina, anal canal, mouth and pharynx. HPV infection causes more than 300 thousand deaths from cervical cancer every year.
You should see a doctor only after symptoms appear. However, after reaching 25 years of age in Russia, it is recommended to take an annual PAP test (cytological examination of a smear from the cervix). It helps detect changes in the cervix in the early stages and initiate treatment that can prevent cancer. If there are no indications, then it is not worth taking an oncocytology test more often. There are also vaccines for HPV – we will talk about them below.
Author: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels
Herpes
Herpes is an incurable infection transmitted sexually and through the skin.
There is a type 1 herpes virus, which affects the lips and skin around the mouth, and a type 2, which appears on or around the genitals. Once infected, a person may develop painful sores or blisters.
The danger is that even after the sores disappear, the virus will still remain in the body and will be transmitted through kissing and skin contact.
- Symptoms: You may experience painful blisters on the lips and skin around the mouth or on and around the genitals, pain when urinating, itching around the genitals, unusual discharge from the penis or vagina, and flu-like symptoms such as fever and headache. But they may not exist.
- Complications: herpes type 2 increases the risk of infection and transmission of HIV.
You should consult a doctor if blisters appear on the lips, genitals and around them. If you have genital herpes, you should also take an HIV test.
Hepatitis
This is a group of inflammatory liver diseases, the causative agents of which are hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, E. Each of these viruses has its own characteristics, such as methods of transmission and the severity of the disease they cause.
Hepatitis B and C are considered the most dangerous – they often become chronic and can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. According to Rospotrebnadzor, from hepatitis, which has become chronic, about 27 thousand people die in Russia every year. In 2022, the agency identified 43.3 thousand cases of chronic hepatitis, most of them hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C is most often transmitted through blood transfusions, reuse of syringes, and sexual contact. According to the latest data, in Russia in 2017 from hepatitis C died 5696 people.
More often than others, hepatitis B is transmitted sexually. In 2017, in Russia it was died 2164 people. It is also dangerous because very stable outside the body, so do not use other people’s towels with blood stains, razors and toothbrushes – household items that come into contact with the skin and mucous membranes.
- Symptoms: fatigue, decreased performance, muscle pain, headache, jaundice. But they may not exist until the liver is damaged.
- Complications: cirrhosis, liver cancer and death chronic stage.
Getting tested for hepatitis C costs at least two weeks after unprotected sex and not earlier than a month later – for hepatitis B.
Syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and mycoplasmosis
These diseases are not as dangerous as those described above, since
amenable to treatment. The causative agents of these diseases are mainly transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex. Without treatment, these infections can spread throughout the body, causing rashes and joint pain. Also, gonorrhea, according to WHO, may become incurable over time. The reason is that the causative agent of gonorrhea – the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae – worked out resistance to many antibiotics used to treat the disease.
Most diseases occur asymptomatic or signs of infection appear weeks, months, or even years later. But there are most common symptoms:
- atypical vaginal discharge;
- burning sensation when urinating;
- genital ulcers;
- hurts in life areas.
Contact your doctor as soon as symptoms appear, or no sooner than two months after unprotected sex.
Is it possible to get vaccinated against STIs?
This is a basic and effective method of combating infection, but it is only available in a few cases: to combat HPV and hepatitis A and B.
It is recommended to receive the HPV vaccine before becoming sexually active to reduce the risk of cervical cancer. If you have already developed papillomas, you can still get vaccinated to avoid contracting other types of the virus in the future. It is advisable for adults to get tested for HPV before vaccination to understand whether the vaccine will be effective. For example, if you are sick with strains 16 and 18, then getting vaccinated will be pointless.
In Russia registered two vaccines against HPV – Gardasil and Cervarix. The latter protects against the 16th and 18th and types that cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases in the world. Gardasil protects against four types of virus: 16 and 18, as well as 6 and 11, which cause warts on the genitals and anus.
The hepatitis B vaccine is included in the Russian national vaccination calendar, so all citizens under 55 years of age can receive it free of charge at the clinic. However, before vaccination recommended Preliminarily take a blood test for hepatitis B, since the disease can be asymptomatic. Before vaccination, you also need to check your antibody levels if you were vaccinated as a child. If there are enough of them, then re-vaccination is not necessary. It is recommended to have this checked every few years as antibody levels may decline.
How else can you protect yourself?
Antiseptics, such as chlorhexidine and miramistin, are not included in any protocol for the treatment or prevention of STIs. Their effectiveness in combating sexually transmitted infections has not been proven. And if you douche after unprotected sex, you are putting yourself at risk bacterial vaginosis – disruption of the normal microflora of the vagina.
2024-03-08 21:05:39
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