By: Mindalynn Frelick, General Member
April is a beautiful month full of sunshine and springtime fun. It is also STI awareness month, so it’s important to take some time to learn about sexual safety, especially if you are exploring it for the first time. This post is a quick overview of what STIs look like and how to protect yourself from them. For more details and answers to questions you may have, follow one of the links I have put in the following paragraphs.
What even is an STI? Sexually transmitted infection is a broad term that refers to the many types of infections that can be acquired through sexual contact with an infected individual. Some of the most common STIs include the bacterial ones; chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, which are all curable with antibiotics. If treatment is not given they can all become worse and cause increasingly serious health issues. The viral STIs are Herpes and HIV which are not curable at this time and if infected, you will have them forever. There are treatments that can help with symptoms and the other viral STI, HPV, has a vaccine available, but it is important to use barriers to avoid infection as these are very serious.
Symptoms of HPV include genital warts, which often go unnoticed and may progress to cervical cancer if left untreated. HIV is another that goes unnoticed because the symptoms may not appear for up to ten years. Symptoms of HIV include fever, chills, fatigue, joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. The virus weakens the immune system and makes the patient more susceptible to cancer and serious infections.
Symptoms of herpes are blisters and sometimes lumps in the genital area and once again often unnoticed or mistaken for other ailments. Symptoms of chlamydia are unusual discharge (from penis or vagina), burning sensation during peeing, pain during sex, and general pain in the genitals. These symptoms are all congruent with gonorrhea and should be tested if present. Syphilis has four stages with symptoms worsening at each stage. Symptoms start with swollen glands and a sore, then progress to fever, headaches, hair loss, and rashes. If it isn’t treated, syphilis can be fatal.
The general theme of these infections is fatality if untreated. It’s normal to feel scared and embarrassed by these symptoms, which may stop some (especially young) people from getting tested, but I once again stress the importance of early detection and treatment. Don’t let fear or shame take your life.