Emerging Infectious Diseases

Sexually transmitted infectious diseases

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred as venereal diseases (VD), are infections that are generally disseminated by sex, especially vaginal coition, anal sex or oral sex. Most STIs originally do not cause symptoms. This leads to a greater risk of transferring the disease on to others. Expression and evidences of disease may include vaginal discharge, penile discharge, ulcers on or around the genitals, and pelvic pain. STIs attained before or during birth may result in poor fallout for the baby. Some STIs may cause problems with the capacity to conceive. More than 100 different microbial pathogen can cause STIs. Bacterial STIs include chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis among others. Viral STIs include genital herpes, HIV/AIDS, and genital warts among others. Parasitic STIs comprises trichomoniasis among others. While usually spread by sex, some of them can also be spread by non-sexual influence with infected blood and tissues, breastfeeding, or during childbirth. STI assay tests are easily available in the developed world. Most STIs are amenable. Of the most common infections, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, are curable, while herpes, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, and HPV are treatable but not curable. Refusal to certain antibiotics is developing among some strains such as gonorrhea. Not all STIs are emblematic, and symptoms may not appear rapidly after infection. In some cases, a disease can be without any expression, which leaves higher chances of transmission of the disease on to others. Depending on the infection, some untreated STIs can lead to infertility, chronic pain or even death. The occurrence of an STI in prepubescent children may indicate sexual exploitation.