Sexually Transmitted Diseases – Say "No" to Unsafe Sex

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

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Say "No" to Unsafe Sex

You wouldn't do extreme jumping without a rubber band, you wouldn't do skydiving without a parachute, so why would you have sex with a stranger without a condom?

Think about it: about 30 people die a year from skydiving, and the number of people who die from extreme jumps is about the same.

However, thousands of people die each year from diseases contracted during sexual intercourse.

There are more than 20 sexually transmitted diseases, and their abbreviation is STD.

The horrific AIDS disease is said to have claimed 200,000 lives, but excluding AIDS, very few people die from sexually transmitted diseases.

Nevertheless, sexually transmitted diseases still pose a significant potential threat, and they are very common.

Experts estimate that about one in 20 Americans will contract a sexually transmitted disease each year.

In one year, 17,977 adult men in the United States contracted syphilis, 257,591 contracted gonorrhea, and 48,208 contracted chlamydia.

(Statistics on other sexually transmitted diseases are not listed here.)

Despite the large number of cases, almost all of them are actually preventable.

"Sexually transmitted diseases are lurking around us and show no signs of leaving," says Deborah Ingram, a nursing lecturer at the University of Florida's College of Nursing in Gainesville. "There are certainly ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases."

**Controlling the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases**

The natural physiological structure of the human body seems to favor men.

Although the debate is far from over, it is traditionally believed that men are less susceptible to bacterial infections than women.

This is because a woman's vagina is dark, warm, and moist-an environment conducive to bacterial growth.

The penis doesn't have such conditions, and besides, urination can help flush away anything that has invaded the penis.

On the other hand, men claim to have far more sexual partners than women, which makes their situation even more precarious.

While no one can say for sure whether men contract sexually transmitted diseases more or less than women, there is no doubt that if you are sexually active, you are likely to contract one.

Therefore, the following points will tell you how to avoid these potential dangers.

**Practicing abstinence** Life makes no promises, but practicing abstinence in matters of sex can ensure you don't contract sexually transmitted diseases.

Unless you are in a healthy, one-on-one relationship, you should seriously consider sleeping alone until you meet your future soulmate.

Look at the numbers. Clearly, not everyone can maintain a clean reputation.

A survey of 3,432 people conducted by the National Opinion Research Center found that more than half of the men said they had five or more sexual partners after the age of 18.

Now let's face reality.

The more promiscuous you are about sex, the greater your chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Dr. Robert Johnson, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, says you don't have to be a Don Juan or change sexual partners every week; that's risky.

**Drug Treatment** Since the advent of antibiotics in the 1940s, these diseases that have plagued men for centuries have suddenly become curable or controllable.

Therefore, if you do contract a sexually transmitted disease, you don't need to swear an oath-you can just treat it with medication.

"Even the most advanced stages of gonorrhea or chlamydia are curable," Ingram said.

She added, "Don't fool around outside at night, get treatment, and you'll get better."

"You will need follow-up treatment and blood tests" to confirm whether the treatment has been effective.

If you are a mature, responsible, and sexually active adult-whether you are 18 or 80 years old-you should get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

Getting checked not only prevents potential, long-term harm from undetected sexually transmitted diseases, but also prevents you from carelessly transmitting the disease to others.

"If you have more than one sexual partner, or if you are not the only one in your sexual relationships, then you should get regular checkups," Dr. Johnson advises. "Checkups are especially important for men because they don't always show symptoms."

Doctors will draw blood to test for syphilis or HIV (the virus that causes AIDS).

When testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia, the doctor will use a cotton swab to collect a sample from your penis for culture.

For herpes and genital warts (condyloma acuminata), doctors usually use visual examination, and may also take samples from the ulcers for culture.

Dr. Johnson warned, "It must be remembered that testing is not a panacea; the focus should be on prevention."

And remember to have your sexual partner checked as well.

Because simply having a healthy test result is useless; you might still get reinfected.

**Using Condoms** According to Catherine Forest, MD, a medical researcher and marketing consultant in Portolavale, California, "besides practicing abstinence or having a stable, healthy sexual partner, 'a latex condom is the best way to protect yourself.'"

Dr. Forrest said that using latex condoms adds an extra layer of protection, preventing the passage of microorganisms that cause sexually transmitted diseases.

To increase the level of protection, consider using condoms coated with the spermicide nonoxyno19 (such as Trojan-Enz).

Experiments have shown that nonozynol9 can help kill the HIV virus.

Experts say that when choosing condoms, you should choose thick condoms made of latex.

Ultra-thin condoms made from animal intestinal walls are permeable and cannot prevent the passage of sexually transmitted disease pathogens.

Always use a condom before engaging in any sexual activity.

The condom should be rolled up to the base of the penis.

Do not apply oily lubricants, such as hand cream or petroleum jelly, to condoms, as they will damage the latex.

The condom should be removed immediately after intercourse. The way to do this is to pinch the ring of the condom as you withdraw the penis, so that the condom will not slip off or allow semen to leak out.

A new condom should be used for every sexual encounter.

**Make her wear it** This is a product of the 1990s.

Furthermore, real men value equality, so discussing with your sexual partner whether she's willing to share the responsibility of using condoms isn't unfounded.

The working principle of female condoms is no different from that of traditional male condoms, except that they are reversed.

Rather than saying that a female condom tightly wraps around the penis, it's more accurate to say that it's pressed against the inner wall of the woman's vagina.

The open end serves as a protective barrier from the outside of the vagina and allows for penile insertion.

The female condom has a soft and elastic ring at each end to hold it in place.

"No one is born knowing how to use a condom, so it takes some practice."

"Female condoms are just as effective as other protective products," said Holly Sherman, a spokeswoman for Women's Health, a company that sells "True" brand female condoms. "The key to all condoms is to use them carefully and consistently."

"Real" brand condoms use polyurethane instead of latex, and when used properly, they can effectively prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

Polyurethane is 40% stronger than the latex used in male condoms and does not decompose when oil-based lubricants are used.

"The biggest secret is that these condoms feel amazing to men," Sherman added.

"The condom gradually warmed up to body temperature, and it wasn't too tight, so it felt very natural."

Furthermore, since male erection is not required for use, women can insert the condom before intercourse begins.

**Common Causes**

To some extent, preventing sexually transmitted diseases is easier than preventing other infectious diseases.

At least you know when it's easy to get something.

But you still need to know what you should pay attention to.

Below is an introduction to some common sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia infects 3 to 5 million people a year, making it the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States.

Nevertheless, "many people still don't know the name of this sexually transmitted disease," Dr. Johnson said.

"Because many men do not experience any symptoms, it is very important to get tested for chlamydia."

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is transmitted through sexual contact. Sharing a bathroom, kissing, swimming in a pool, or taking a hot bath will not transmit chlamydia.

Studies have shown that 25% of men carrying chlamydia do not experience any symptoms at all.

If symptoms are present, they usually appear about two weeks after sexual contact.

Symptoms include penile discharge (usually watery and white), burning sensation during urination, and occasionally testicular swelling.

Even if you don't show symptoms, this disease can still cause problems for men and their sexual partners.

Ingram said, "You could develop epididymitis (inflammation inside the scrotum)."

Epididymitis can cause severe pain and may lead to complications such as infertility.

Treatment for chlamydia mainly involves oral antibiotics, usually doxycycline or tetracycline.

> **Male Profile**

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The following chart shows your chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease based on the number of sexual partners you have in your adult life.

This data is based on a nationwide survey that covered the sex lives of 3,159 people, 45% of whom were men.

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| Bacterial sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, etc.) | Sexual partners | **Percentage of infection** |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| 1 | > Approximately 1 |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| 2～4 | > Approximately 3 |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| 5～10 | > Approximately 11 |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| 11～20 | > Approximately 21 |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| 21 and above | > Approximately 28 |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

Viral diseases (genital warts, genital herpes, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS)

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| Sexual partners | **Percentage of those infected** |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| 1 | > Approximately 1 |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| 2～4 | > Approximately 2 |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| 5～10 | > Approximately 3 |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| 11～20 | > Approximately 11 |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

| 21 and above | > Approximately 13 |

+----------------------------------------------------+--------------------+

Gonorrhea

Commonly known as "venereal disease," approximately 700,000 people contract this disease each year.

This bacterium has difficulty surviving outside the body, so it is almost never transmitted through baths, wet towels, or by sharing a friend's swimming trunks.

However, it can also occasionally spread through objects.

There are cases where a sailor contracted gonorrhea after playing with an inflatable plastic toy belonging to a crew member who had gonorrhea.

Typical gonorrhea develops within 3 to 5 days, but it can take as little as 1 day or as long as 30 days.

Symptoms in men include: penile discharge (usually green or yellow) and painful urination; sometimes the glans penis may swell.

Up to 80% of female gonorrhea patients do not experience obvious symptoms.

Gonorrhea can be cured with injectable or oral antibiotics.