 |
People who have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) are at
greater risk of getting HIV and of spreading HIV to others. People
with STIs should seek prompt treatment and avoid sexual intercourse
or practice safer sex (non-penetrative sex or sex using a condom).
|
 STI and their
link to HIV/AIDS
10 FACTS ON STIs
1. Approximately 50% of the 333 million
new STI cases per year world-wide are among young people under 25.
2. Sexually transmitted infections (STI), are infections that are
spread through sexual contact. They are spread through contact between
two people's body fluids- semen, vaginal fluid and blood.
3. Most STI are relatively easy to contract and can have serious health
consequences for young people.
4. Having an untreated STI greatly increases an individual's risk
of acquiring or transmitting HIV to his or her sexual partner.
5. Anyone who suspects that he or she might have an STI should contact
a health worker in order to be diagnosed and get treatment for the STI.
If found to have an STI, you should tell your partner. If both partners
are not treated for an STI, they will keep giving the STI back and forth
to one other.
6. People often experience few or no symptoms of an STI, so if you
are at risk, get checked. Risk factors for STI include:
Your partner has an STI. Even if you have no symptoms, your partner
may have passed the STI to you.
You have more than one partner- the more partners you have the higher
your risk.
You have had a new partner during the last three months. Your new
partner might have an STI from a previous relationship.
Your partner has other partners.
7. Some of the signs of a possible STI include:
Sores, blisters, bumps and rashes inside of the mouth or on the
genitals.
Discharge from the penis
Discharge from the vagina that has a strange colour or bad smell
Pain during sexual intercourse
Pain or itching around the genital area. q Pain or discomfort while
passing urine.
8. The best ways to avoid getting STI, including HIV are to:
Not have sexual intercourse.
Always use a condom to protect yourself.
9. Not every problem in the genital area is an STI. There are some
infections, such as candidiasis and urinary tract infections that are
not caused by sexual intercourse, but cause great discomfort in the
private parts. These infections can generally be avoided by practising
good hygiene (keeping the genital area clean).
10. The most common STI are chancroid, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital
warts, genital herpes, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.
1
| 2 | 3 | 4
| 5 | 6 | 7
| 8 | 9 | 10
|
