elmundo.essaludTraveller's Illnesses

AIDS, gonorrhea, syphilis or papillomavirus are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). There are more than 30 different types. An STD is a disease that is transmitted from an infected person to another person through direct contact with the body or contact with infected fluids, usually through sexual contact, including oral, anal, and vaginal.

STDs affect the genital area and can also affect other parts of the body, either due to direct contact or because the disease spreads to other regions of the anatomy such as syphilis to the nervous system.

The vast majority of STDs can be cured. It is very important to receive treatment when you have the disease to cut the chain of transmission and prevent it from infecting other people.

It is also very important to review the partners of affected patients, to detect cases of asymptomatic carriers, that is, individuals who have the disease but do not have symptoms, and become dangerous transmitters of it.

Vaginal Candidiasis

Vaginal yeast infection is an infection in the vagina caused by a fungus called Candida albicans. This fungus can grow in the vagina without causing infection. A vaginal infection occurs when the yeast grows too large and begins to cause symptoms.

Vaginal yeast infection can be a sexually transmitted disease, but it can occur for other reasons as well. In the vagina there are germs that do not cause disease if they are in balance. However, on certain occasions there may be an overgrowth of one of the germs, for example when antibiotics are taken for other reasons, some of the bacteria in the vagina disappear and candida can grow excessively and cause disease. Therefore it is not essential to have sexual intercourse to contract this disease.

Symptoms

Yrush causes a thick, white, curd-like discharge. It may or may not have an unpleasant odor, especially during menstruation. It can be very itchy and irritating inside and outside of the vagina. The vulva (labia) may become red and swollen and may burn or itch. This irritated and inflamed tissue is fragile. Scratching or sexual activity can cause small wounds. In very serious cases, ulcers can form in the injured tissues, although this complication is rare.

Diagnosis can be made by examination and visualization of the characteristic whitish discharge. If there are doubts, a culture can be performed.

The standard treatment for this type of infection is the application of an antifungal medicine in the form of a cream or suppository inside the vagina. Treatments are usually used for a few days (three to seven). Some people have very frequent episodes and require longer treatments.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is one of the most common STDs. It is caused by the bacterium 'Chlamydia trachomatis'. Although chlamydia usually has no or mild symptoms, there are serious complications that can occur silently and cause irreversible damage, such as infertility, before a woman is aware of the problem. In men it can cause discharge from the penis.

Every sexually active person is at risk of infection. This increases if the number of sexual partners is high. A special risk group is adolescent girls and young women who are sexually active because their cervix has not fully developed. Because chlamydia can be transmitted through oral or anal sex, it can infect various structures depending on the route of transmission.

Chlamydia causes no symptoms in nearly three out of four infected women and about half of infected men. If there are symptoms, they usually appear between one and three weeks after infection.

In women, the bacterium initially infects the cervix and urethra. The symptoms that appear are increased vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. Some women still have no signs or symptoms when the infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes; others present with abdominal pain, lumbago, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or bleeding between menstrual periods.

If left untreated, the infection can spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This occurs in up to 40% of infected women who have not received treatment. PID can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues, leading to chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and ectopic (implanted outside the uterus) pregnancy. Women infected with chlamydia are up to five times more likely to become infected with HIV if they are exposed to the virus.

Pregnant women are at greater risk of preterm labor. Also, babies can get chlamydia infections in the eyes and respiratory tract.

Since many women have no symptoms, one way to detect the infection is to have regular checkups when you have multiple sexual partners, in order to make the diagnosis even if the woman is not apparently ill.

Chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics. The most common is a single dose of azithromycin or a week of treatment with doxycycline (twice daily). All sexual partners should be examined, tested, and treated. People who have chlamydia should not have sex until they and their sexual partners have finished treatment.

Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is an STD caused by the 'Herpes Simplex' virus, generally type 2, although it can also be caused by type 1. 20% of the population has been in contact with herpes simplex virus type 2.

Direct skin-to-skin contact can transmit herpes. This includes touching, kissing, and sexual contact (vaginal, anal, and oral). The moist parts of the mouth, throat, anus, vulva, vagina, and eyes become infected very easily. The skin can become infected if it is cut, irritated, burned, has a rash, or has other lesions.

Herpes can be passed from one person to another, or from one part of one's body to another. Herpes is more easily transmitted when there are open sores. It can also be transmitted before the blisters have formed. It spreads less easily when the lesions have healed, the scabs have fallen off, and the skin has returned to normal.

It is highly unlikely that herpes is transmitted through toilet seats, swimming pools, bathtubs, hot tubs, or wet towels. An infected mother can pass the virus to her baby during or after delivery.

The first time an individual is infected it takes two to 12 days from contact to the onset of symptoms. The first days the patient notices burning, pain and redness in the genitals. Then painful vesicles appear that can evolve into ulcers, sometimes accompanied by inflammation of the local nodes. The ulcer and scab lasts about 14-21 days. Some people have general symptoms, such as malaise, fever...

Although the lesions heal, the infection persists for life. The virus remains confined to the nerves of the sacral zone, and episodically it can be reactivated, causing an outbreak of disease. It is not clear what is the cause of the outbreaks. In some patients these episodes appear in the following circumstances:

Many people don't know they have the infection. Most people who have antibodies (seropositive) periodically shed viral particles through the genital tract for years, being able to infect their sexual partners.

Diagnosis can be made based on the patient's symptoms alone. The treatment only serves to reduce the symptoms, but it does not serve to cure. It is recommended to administer antivirals in patients with very striking symptoms, especially if they are immunocompromised. But it must be remembered that the treatment does not change the natural history of the disease, that is, it does not reduce the number of outbreaks.

Molluscum Contagiosum

Molluscum contagiosum is a skin infection caused by a virus. 'Molluscum contagiosum' is transmitted from one person to another through direct skin-to-skin contact, including sexual intercourse (anally, vaginally and orally). It may be transmitted through clothing or towels.

Molluscum causes bumps that can spread from one part of the body to another when scratched. They may go away on their own, but therapy reduces the amount of time a person has them. The treatment usually consists of medicines that are applied to the bumps or by scraping the lesions (the doctor does this with a special instrument for this). The bumps may take a couple of weeks to clear up afterwards but without treatment, molluscum contagiosum can last anywhere from six months to two years.

Papillomavirus

HPV (short for human papillomavirus) is a group of more than 80 different types of viruses, including the virus that causes warts on the hands and feet. Some of these viruses are transmitted through sexual intercourse and can cause problems such as genital warts and changes in a woman's cervix.

Papillomavirus is usually spread by direct skin-to-skin contact by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with a person who has this infection. early, if you have many sexual partners or if they are promiscuous, if the partner has a history of STDs and if condoms are not used during sexual intercourse.

Lesions caused by HPV can go unnoticed or be small warts found in or around the vagina, anus, on the cervix, or on the inner thighs. They may be raised or flat, large or small. There may be a single wart or several in the same area that may be pink, skin-colored, red, or brown. Some bumps grow together and resemble a cauliflower.

It's important to have an annual Pap smear or Pap smear starting at age 18 or when you start having sex.

HPV treatments range from acidic medicines to creams to laser therapy. With the therapy, visible warts and symptoms such as itching are eliminated, but the virus does not always disappear permanently. In some cases warts may reappear months after treatment.

Condoms offer protection that is not always complete. Sometimes they do not cover the area of ​​the scrotum (the sac that covers the testicles) of the man, which can become infected with HPV. Some warts can be so small that they can go unnoticed and skin-to-skin contact is enough for the virus to be transmitted.

Syphilis

Sexually transmitted disease caused by 'Treponema pallidum' that is acquired through direct sexual contact. It is a disease that has effective treatment, however, it continues to be a serious health problem throughout the world. For many years it was a very important disease known as 'bad French' or 'bad Spanish'.

From contagion until after two years, if treatment is not given, the disease can be contagious, so it is very important to treat it to break the epidemiological chain. The risk of contagion after a relationship with an infected person ranges from 10-60% for each sexual relationship. It is believed that one in three people exposed to an individual with early syphilis becomes infected. Other factors that can influence contagion are the number of exposures, the modality of sexual activity, the lesions that the infected partner has.

Primary Syphilis

The primary stage of syphilis is usually marked by the development of a single sore (called a chancre), but multiple sores may develop. The chancre is firm, round, small, and painless. It appears at the site where syphilis entered the body (inoculation point). The time between infection with syphilis and the appearance of the first symptom can vary from 10 to 90 days (with an average of 21 days). The chancre lasts three to six weeks and goes away even without treatment. However, if the proper medication is not administered, the infection progresses to the secondary phase.

Secondary phase

The secondary phase is characterized by skin irritations and lesions on the mucous membranes. This phase usually begins with the appearance of an irritation in one or more areas of the body. The lesions associated with secondary syphilis may appear while the chancre is healing or several weeks later. The most characteristic can take the appearance of wrinkled, red or reddish-brown spots, both on the palms of the hands and on the soles of the feet. However, different-looking lesions can also appear on other parts of the body, which may be fleeting or so minor that they go unnoticed.

In addition, other symptoms may occur during the secondary phase, including fever, swollen glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headache, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue. The signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis will clear up with or without treatment within a few weeks, but the infection will progress to latent and tertiary disease if no treatment is given.

Tertiary phase

The latent (hidden) phase of syphilis begins with the disappearance of the symptoms of the secondary phase. Without treatment, the infected person will continue to have syphilis even if they have no signs or symptoms. The infection remains in the body. Its presence can be detected with blood tests. During this phase the individual has less risk of infecting their sexual partners.

In the tertiary stage, syphilis can damage internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. Internal injuries can appear many years later. Signs and symptoms of tertiary stage syphilis include difficulty coordinating movements, paralysis, numbness, blindness, and dementia. These injuries can be serious enough to cause death.

Syphilis can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy. It is congenital syphilis. The primary and secondary phase is the one with the highest risk of transmission to the baby. In many centers, all pregnant women are routinely tested for syphilis in order to provide treatment if necessary. Children born with congenital syphilis have malformations in their teeth, face, bones...

The treatment of syphilis is done with penicillin, in a single dose injected intramuscularly. For allergic patients other antibiotics such as doxycycline, tetracycline, erythromycin or ceftriaxone can be used. When syphilis is already in the late phase, the doses are repeated three times.

Trichomonas

Trichomoniasis is caused by a single-celled parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. In men, the parasite lives and multiplies but rarely causes symptoms. Therefore, women are often repeatedly infected by their sexual partners because they do not know that they are infected. A woman may not know she has trichomoniasis for days or months because the parasite can live in her body without causing any symptoms.

But then the parasite suddenly multiplies and causes very unpleasant symptoms. It affects a woman's vagina, urethra, and bladder. Since the parasite lives in both men and women, both sexual partners need treatment.

If a woman has sex with more than one partner, her chances of getting trichomoniasis are much higher. Very rarely the parasite can be transmitted through wet towels, washcloths or bathing suits.

Symptoms of the infection are a foul-smelling, fishy, ​​or yellow, gray, or green frothy vaginal discharge. The vagina may be red and sore, burning, and itchy. It can be painful to urinate or have sex. However, some women can have trichomoniasis without having any symptoms.

Treatment is done with an antibiotic and both the affected woman and her sexual partner(s) should be treated. Sexual intercourse should be avoided during treatment, until it is finished and it is considered that you are completely cured.

Urethritis

This is the most common STD syndrome. Depending on the germ that produces them, they are divided into gonococcal and non-gonococcal urethritis (produced by chlamydia, ureaplasma, mycoplasma, trichomonas, herpes, fungi).

Symptoms are: urethral discharge, dysuria (discomfort when urinating) and itching. Contagion appears two to six days after exposure in gonococcal urethritis, or between one and five weeks in nongonococcal urethritis.

To make the diagnosis, the symptoms must be assessed and a sample of the discharge must be taken and analyzed under a microscope to see the presence of leukocytes. Treatment is done with antibiotics and a single dose can be effective.

Sexual partners (all those who have had intercourse with those affected in the 60 days prior to diagnosis) should be treated with the same treatment as the affected person after having examined them. Sexual abstinence should be indicated up to a week after taking the treatment.

Since the mode of infection is the same when an STD is diagnosed, others such as HIV or hepatitis B must be ruled out.

After treatment, patients should be examined to confirm cure. Some individuals have symptoms again after therapy. This may be because the treatment has been carried out incorrectly, because the partner continues to be infected and the patient is reinfected, or because the responsible germ is resistant to the treatment carried out.

Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the name given to a disease in which the normal bacterial balance in the vagina is disturbed and certain bacteria overgrow in its place. . Sometimes it is accompanied by vaginal discharge, odor, pain, itching, or burning. It is the infection that occurs only in women and more frequently in those of childbearing age.

The cause of BV is not fully understood, although it is associated with an imbalance of bacteria found in a woman's vagina. Normally, most of the bacteria in the vagina are good, but there are also a few that are harmful if they grow in excess. BV occurs when there is an increased number of harmful microorganisms.

Not much is known about how women get it. Some activities or behaviors upset the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina and put a woman at greater risk:

The role of sexual activity in the development of BV is not clear. However, women who have never had sexual intercourse are very rarely affected. It is not spread by contact with toilets, lingerie, swimming pools or by touching objects.

Symptoms

The most normal thing is the presence of abnormal vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor. Some women report feeling a strong fishy odor, especially after having sex. If present, vaginal discharge is usually white or gray and may also be clear. There may also be burning when urinating or itching on the outside of the vagina, or both.

In most cases, BV causes no complications. However, it can expose you to serious risks, such as:

Diagnosis is made with a gynecological examination and culture. All women with BV symptoms should be treated so that complications such as inflammatory bowel disease are avoided. Usually, it is not necessary to treat the male sexual partner. However, BV can be transmitted between female sexual partners.

Treatment is particularly important in pregnant women. Any woman who has had a preterm birth or a low birth weight baby should be tested for BV, regardless of symptoms, and should receive treatment.

BV is treated with antibiotics prescribed by a health care provider. Two different antibiotics are recommended: metronidazole and clindamycin. Any of them can be used in both pregnant and non-pregnant women, but different doses are recommended. Women with BV who are also HIV positive should receive the same treatment as HIV negative women.

HIV

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which belongs to the retrovirus family, is responsible for AIDS, an infectious disease that affects an estimated 40 million people worldwide. world.

The AIDS virus is present in blood and fluids, such as saliva, semen, or secretions. When any of them comes into contact with the bloodstream of a healthy subject, contagion occurs.

Infection of a human being with HIV sets in motion a process of destruction of the entire defense system known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS. This destruction of the patient's defenses is slow - it takes months or years - but inexorable. If left untreated, the individual dies as a result of multiple diseases that attack an organism weakened by the virus and therefore unable to defend itself.