Be Informed - Be Safe      ----       Avoid High Risk Behaviour

STDs are a group of diseases that are transmitted from one person to another primarily through sexual activity and mostly affect areas around the genital region. They were earlier named 'venereal diseases' (VDs).

Since getting infected with STD is considered shameful in society, people generally avoid going to doctors. They prefer to go to Hakims, Quacks and Ayurvedic doctors who profess to be specialists of STDs (Gupt rog). The patients are generally exploited by these quacks without getting correct treatment or information about their ailment.

It is important to understand that, these diseases (STDs) are transmitted from one person to another through unprotected sexual intercourse.

There are millions of bacteria and viruses present in our bodies, some of which spread diseases. There are many routes of transmission for these diseases. For example T.B. and measles are spread through air, Cholera and Jaundice are water borne diseases.

Similarly STDs are mostly spread through sexual intercourse and hence the name - Sexually Transmitted Diseases. There are approximately twenty different STDs. In this booklet they will be described together.

It is clear that STDs do not occur by themselves. If a person is infected with STD, then the bacteria / virus of the STD can be detected in the body of the person. If the infected person has sex with another person then the bacteria / virus is transmitted to the other person. Homosexual activity (having sex with a person of the same sex) can also spread STDs.

When we talk of sexual intercourse, we mean unprotected sex, i.e. having sex without condom/Nirodh. If a condom is used properly STDs can be avoided.

A person having multi-partner sex is at higher risk of getting infected with STDs.

So far, only unsafe sex has been described as the cause of STD infection. However some STDs can be contracted through transfusion of infected blood, or from mother to child. These are Hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV. Some pregnant women, infected with Gonorrhea, can infect the eyes of the babies at birth. This is easily curable.

· Sitting together, or working together,
· Eating from the same plate,
· Through insect bites,
· Sharing toilets,
· Sharing combs, towels, and clothes,
· Masturbation,
· Kissing / embracing,
· Shaking hands.

Syphilis - Approximately 7-15 days after sex with an infected person, a white boil or ulcer appears on the penis. It is not painful, and is hard like a button. It disappears on its own (without treatment). After some time, (two months or more), a rash appears over the whole body, which is neither itchy, nor painful. At this stage the infection has spread to the whole body. This is still curable.

Gonorrhea - In this there is a burning sensation while urinating and a little dirty colored smelly pus discharge also takes place. This is easily curable.

Chancroid - In this there are multiple ulcers in a bunch, soft and painful. The ulcers look dirty. This is easily curable.

Herpes Genitalis - In this, small pimples appear on the genital organs, which are painful. This is a viral infection and difficult to cure. It may reappear several times even after treatment.

How will you know that somebody is infected with STDs? It is essential to have knowledge of the symptoms of STDs for this purpose.

Symptoms in the males:

• Pain or severe burning sensation in the penis while passing urine.
• If there is a slight inflammation in the urinary tract (tube) and a little pus comes out. The clothes may have a small stain and a drop or two of pus may come out at the start of passing urine.
• There may be a swelling of the lymph nodes in the groin on both sides of the penis. These lumps become visible and are painful. This is also called "kaudiya" in Hindi.
• A pimple, ulcer, or a rash may develop on the penis. Swelling and pain may also accompany them.
• There can be swelling and pain in the testicles and sometimes the man may not be able to have children.

Symptoms in women:

• There may be a burning sensation while urinating.
• White Discharge - In our country, there is a common complaint among women, of passing white discharge. This is very common amongst the poor village women and women living in slums. Therefore it is necessary to discuss this in some detail.
  
  It is natural to have a little white discharge. Just as a person's mouth remains a little moist, similarly the vagina remains moist. Sometimes this moisture increases a little.
  
  A discharge can be called a symptom of a disease if there is excessive discharge, or if it is yellow, thick, or smelly, or if it is accompanied with a burning or itching sensation. All these indicate that there is an infection present in the vagina, which is causing inflammation.
  
  These symptoms may indicate STD infection, though often these symptoms are due to poor hygiene. Poor women normally use dirty rags at the time of menstruation. These rags often have infections present, which reach the vagina and cause inflammation. This results in white discharge from the vagina. These women should first wash the rags with soap, then dry them in the sun. This washing the rags with soap and drying them in the sunlight kills the germs. As stated earlier, one of the reasons for white discharge can be an STD infection.
  
  
• Swelling of lymph nodes in the groin on both sides of the vagina, which is visible and painful.
• Pain in the lower abdomen - pain occurs in the lower abdominal region at intervals.
• Low back pain.
• Menses occurring at irregular intervals with either scanty or excessive bleeding.
• There can be an abortion or the child may be born with deformities.
• Sterility may also be caused.

It is essential to point out that one man or woman may not show all the symptoms given above. It is possible that one person may have only one or two symptoms. Sometimes these symptoms may disappear by themselves. This does not mean that the disease has been cured.

In case of women, it should be emphasised that sometimes they have no symptoms whatever; nevertheless they can infect their sex partners. On other occasions their symptoms are not obvious as their reproductive organs are inside their body, and an ulcer or swelling may not be obvious.

Treatment of the majority of STDs is possible. However, they can only be treated by modern allopathic medicines. Therefore, only a qualified doctor or a hospital should be approached for treatment. Please stay away from Quacks or the so-called sex specialists.

One should not lose sight of the fact that STDs spread through sexual contact. Hence it is absolutely essential that both sex partners (such as husband and wife) are treated together at the same time. Obviously if only one partner is treated, he or she will be re-infected by the other partner.

It takes one to ten days to treat STDs. The cost of medicines is roughly Rs.20/- to Rs. 200/-. In government hospitals the treatment is free. Please do not stop the treatment in-between. Take the medicines as instructed by the doctor.

You must have heard about AIDS. STDs and AIDS spread in the same manner, by unprotected sex with an infected partner. In fact AIDS is also a type of STD- the only difference being that while STDs can be treated, AIDS is incurable. Another thing should be borne in mind.

Those people, who are suffering from STDs, can get AIDS infection more easily, and spread the infection. Hence, treating STDs will reduce the risk of AIDS.

Lastly, it should not be forgotten that the methods of prevention of STDs and AIDS are the same - that is avoiding unprotected sex and proper use of condoms/nirodh.