Infectious diseases sexually transmitted briefly. The seven most dangerous sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Everyone wants to live their life brightly and interestingly. But many do not even want to think about the consequences. A stormy and active sex life can often “give” a lot of unpleasant surprises.
Currently, scientists know more than 20 different types of STDs. If we recall the distant 70s, then our parents had information about only two diseases that are transmitted “through the bed”.
Viruses can be divided into:

• incurable
• curable

Scientists around the world are trying to create drugs and antibiotics to cure these diseases, but many remain "deadly". Nearly half of the people who get sexually ill are under the age of 30.
The seven most dangerous sexually transmitted diseases

Immunodeficiency of the body, the last, deadly stage of this disease is called AIDS. Viruses in the body can develop in a latent form, more slowly or rapidly. Tumors, multifocal infections caused by protozoan bacteria and fungi appear in the body. They may not affect a healthy person, but for an HIV-infected person they are deadly.

A healthy person has a strong immune system, a diseased body has a weakened immune system that is unable to fight infection. AIDS cannot be cured. It is possible to support the immune system with special preparations and medicines, but the cost of such treatment is very high. Ways of transmission: through unprotected intercourse, through blood and syringes, in some cases from mother to child.

An STD caused by the bacteria Triponema pallidum. A person who has syphilis does not even know about his illness for the first month. The incubation period of the virus is about 30-35 days. The disease manifests itself on the skin in the form of eczema, spots, purulent wounds. Further, it affects the internal organs, mucous membranes, nervous system and bones.

Chlamydia

To date, this is the most common disease. The causative agent of infection is the intracellular organism chlamydia. You can get this disease in several ways: unprotected intercourse (instantly), through a towel and bed linen of the patient (using secretions), during childbirth from mother to baby.

A sign of chlamydia: abundant unpleasant purulent discharge from the genital tract, cutting pain in the lower abdomen, pain and pain in the vagina may be accompanied by short-term and profuse blood discharge. Many of the patients who have had chlamydia remain infertile.

This disease can provoke and develop the following diseases: the appearance of atherosclerosis, bone destruction, pain in the spine, vascular diseases of varying complexity, diabetes, deterioration and loss of vision.

The causative agent of the disease is a dangerous microorganism gonococcus. Symptoms of the disease in men appear on the 4th day after infection. You can recognize this disease by a sharp cramp during the process of urination. The outer opening is covered with a dense film of mucus and pus. In women: on the 5th day you can see unpleasant mucus with pus in the vagina.

There is heaviness and aching pain in the lower back, lower abdomen. Many women experience intermenstrual, mild discharge and bleeding. If not treated and not examined, gonorrhea can lead to inflammation of the uterus, appendages, infertility.

Tripper can be transmitted not only sexually, but also personal items (bedding, dishes, appliances, towels, underwear, toothbrush, washcloth).

Doctors call this disease “herpes type 2”. This serious viral disease affects the entire body. The inflammatory process begins on the lips, then it goes to all other mucous places. Very often, with this disease, immunity is reduced. The disease instantly passes to the genitals, eyes, intestines, liver and even the brain. This virus does not develop rapidly, it cannot be removed from the body. Ways of transmission: through sexual intercourse, through contact with affected areas of the skin of the hands and lips.

Ureaplasmosis

Carriers are ureaplasmas. The symptoms of the disease are subtle, develop slowly, and are latent. Many carriers of this virus may not take their illness seriously. With stress, a decrease in immunity, the virus begins to “work” faster. Ureaplasma can disrupt the activity of spermatozoa.

This disease is very dangerous for pregnant women. Many doctors suggest getting rid of the fetus. The incubation period of the virus is from one to two months. Signs of a urinary infection: slight burning sensation when urinating, white or clear discharge, inflammation of the genitals, pain during sex.

Dangerous disease of all mankind. Every year, 3 million people around the world fall ill with this virus. This virus is the most resistant to the external environment. The virus persists on a dried blood stain, on a razor blade, or on a needle for up to 10 days.
At the first stage of the development of the virus, it can be compared with a mild stage of acute respiratory infections. After a couple of days, the infected person loses his appetite, there is a breakdown, lethargy, joint pain, headache, urine becomes dark in color, signs of nausea and vomiting appear.

The chronic course of the disease is characterized by: pain in the right hypochondrium, liver enlargement, skin itching, change in body cover to a more unnatural (yellow). In the chronic form of Hepatitis B, it is necessary to strictly follow all the doctor's instructions, follow a special diet, give up tobacco and alcohol.

Unprotected intercourse - 80% that infection will occur instantly. Random unprotected (oral, anal) connections entail dire consequences. Prevention of such diseases can only be a careful and protected sexual intercourse. Washing the genitals with water, interrupting sexual intercourse cannot be protection against STDs. The absence of symptoms of the disease does not mean the complete health of your partner. Trust but verify your partner.

Not only external signs, but also diseases can be inherited. Failures in the genes of ancestors lead, as a result, to consequences in the offspring. We will talk about the seven most common genetic diseases.

Hereditary properties are passed on to descendants from ancestors in the form of genes combined into blocks called chromosomes. All cells of the body, with the exception of the sex cells, have a double set of chromosomes, half of which comes from the mother, and the second part from the father. Diseases, which are caused by certain failures in the genes, are hereditary.

Myopia

Or myopia. A genetically determined disease, the essence of which is that the image is formed not on the retina, but in front of it. The most common cause of this phenomenon is considered to be an enlarged eyeball. As a rule, myopia develops during adolescence. At the same time, a person sees well near, but sees poorly at a distance.

If both parents are nearsighted, then the risk of developing myopia in their children is over 50%. If both parents have normal vision, then the probability of developing myopia is no more than 10%.

Studying myopia, the staff of the Australian National University in Canberra came to the conclusion that myopia is inherent in 30% of Caucasians and affects up to 80% of Asians, including residents of China, Japan, South Korea etc. Having collected data from more than 45 thousand people, scientists have identified 24 genes associated with myopia, and also confirmed their connection with two previously established genes. All these genes are responsible for the development of the eye, its structure, signaling in the tissues of the eye.

Down syndrome

The syndrome, named after the English physician John Down, who first described it in 1866, is a form of chromosomal mutation. Down syndrome affects all races.

The disease is a consequence of the fact that not two, but three copies of the 21st chromosome are present in the cells. Geneticists call this trisomy. In most cases, the extra chromosome is passed on to the child from the mother. It is generally accepted that the risk of having a child with Down syndrome depends on the age of the mother. However, due to the fact that, in general, they are most often given birth in youth, 80% of all children with Down syndrome are born to women under the age of 30 years.

Unlike genes, chromosomal abnormalities are random failures. And in a family there can be only one person suffering from such a disease. But even here there are exceptions: in 3-5% of cases, there are more rare - translocation forms of Down syndrome, when the child has a more complex structure of the set of chromosomes. A similar variant of the disease can be repeated in several generations of the same family.
According to the Downside Up charity foundation, about 2,500 children with Down syndrome are born in Russia every year.

Klinefelter syndrome

Another chromosomal disorder. Approximately for every 500 newborn boys, there is one with this pathology. Klinefelter's syndrome usually appears after puberty. Men suffering from this syndrome are infertile. In addition, they are characterized by gynecomastia - an increase in the mammary gland with hypertrophy of the glands and adipose tissue.

The syndrome got its name in honor of the American physician Harry Klinefelter, who first described the clinical picture of the pathology in 1942. Together with endocrinologist Fuller Albright, he found that if women normally have a pair of XX sex chromosomes, and men have XY, then with this syndrome, men have from one to three additional X chromosomes.

color blindness

Or color blindness. It is hereditary, much less often acquired. It is expressed in the inability to distinguish one or more colors.
Color blindness is associated with the X chromosome and is transmitted from the mother, the owner of the “broken” gene, to her son. Accordingly, up to 8% of men and no more than 0.4% of women suffer from color blindness. The fact is that in men, “marriage” in a single X chromosome is not compensated, since they do not have a second X chromosome, unlike women.

Hemophilia

Another disease inherited by sons from mothers. The story of the descendants of the English Queen Victoria from the Windsor dynasty is widely known. Neither she nor her parents suffered from this serious disease associated with impaired blood clotting. Presumably, the gene mutation occurred spontaneously, due to the fact that Victoria's father at the time of her conception was already 52 years old.

Children inherited the “fatal” gene from Victoria. Her son Leopold died of hemophilia at 30, and two of her five daughters, Alice and Beatrice, carried the ill-fated gene. One of the most famous descendants of Victoria who suffered from hemophilia is the son of her granddaughter, Tsarevich Alexei, the only son of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II.

cystic fibrosis

A hereditary disease that manifests itself in disruption of the external secretion glands. It is characterized by increased sweating, secretion of mucus that accumulates in the body and prevents the child from developing, and, most importantly, prevents the full functioning of the lungs. Possible death due to respiratory failure.

According to the data of the Russian branch of the American chemical and pharmaceutical corporation Abbott, the average life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis in European countries is 40 years, in Canada and the USA - 48 years, in Russia - 30 years. Famous examples include the French singer Gregory Lemarchal, who died at 23. Presumably, Frederic Chopin also suffered from cystic fibrosis, who died as a result of lung failure at the age of 39.

A disease mentioned in ancient Egyptian papyri. A characteristic symptom of migraine is episodic or regular severe attacks of headache in one side of the head. The Roman physician of Greek origin Galen, who lived in the 2nd century, called the disease hemicrania, which translates as "half of the head." From this term came the word "migraine". In the 90s. In the twentieth century, it was found that migraine is predominantly due to genetic factors. A number of genes responsible for the transmission of migraine by inheritance have been discovered.

It is the genes of the parents that transmit character traits, eye color and external similarities to the child. Also, parents endow their child with a number of genetic diseases. Now many couples who dream of having a baby seek the help of a doctor to learn about genetic diseases. It is the geneticist who has the opportunity to tell patients about their genetics and identify diseases that are inherited. In this article, you can learn about the most common diseases transmitted from parents to children.

What is genetic inheritance?

Each human gene has its own DNA. Parents' genes merge over time. One of the genes is repressed, and the second is repressive. If the father and mother have a pathological gene, then it must be passed on to the unborn baby. In the event that one parent is considered the carrier of such a gene, the risks are reduced by 2 times.

If the gene of the born baby is suppressive, then he is guaranteed to receive hereditary diseases. When the gene is suppressed, the baby is considered a carrier, and he will pass on various diseases to his future heirs. That is why situations arise when people after a couple of generations develop diseases that were previously found in their ancestors.

In fact, the risk of a baby getting a genetic disease is 5%. But the following factors can affect this percentage: poor nutrition, constant stress and living in cities with poor ecology.

There are diseases that can occur in every generation. These diseases include hypotension, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, psoriasis and diabetes. There are also diseases that can only appear after decades. Now there are more than 3,000 diseases that are inherited.

What diseases can be inherited from parents to children?

Genetic diseases that are inherited:

1. Down Syndrome. This disease manifests itself during the birth of the baby. It is characterized by disturbances in the functioning of the brain.
2. adrenogenital syndrome.
3. Cystic fibrosis. With such a disease, there is a lot of sweating and a violation of external secretion. Due to the release of a large amount of mucus, which accumulates over time, there is a slowdown in the development of the lungs. This disease can only occur in a child whose father and mother are considered carriers.
4. Color blindness is a visual impairment in determining colors. It can occur immediately at birth or appear over time. Nowadays, medicine is quite developed and doctors perform operations to improve vision.
5. Hemophilia. This disease is characterized by poor blood clotting, which is why there is a high risk of blood loss. Over time, blood can move into the internal organs, and the patient may not feel it.
6. Hypolactasia. This disease is characterized by poor tolerance to lactose found in mother's or cow's milk. As a result of drinking such milk, the baby may experience diarrhea. This disorder may present immediately at birth or over time.

This is only a small part of the diseases that parents can pass on to their children. Before the birth of a child, adults need to think in advance about the health of the unborn baby. Therefore, you must first pass the necessary examinations.

Medical genetic examination

The examination begins with a consultation with a geneticist who is interested in the pedigree. After that, the doctor examines patients for external signs, since some diseases can be determined visually.

Genetic testing can be done even during pregnancy. In this case, blood is taken from the umbilical cord for analysis.

Indications for genetic testing

This examination is not required. Particular attention should be paid to people at risk:

• people over 35;
• persons with relatives with hereditary diseases;
• close relationship of parents;
• one of the parents has a child with genetic diseases;
• women who have had miscarriages;
• persons living near factories or a place with poor ecology.

Genetic diseases that are inherited by children can cause great harm not only to the child, but to the whole family. To prevent the birth of a sick baby and find out what diseases he may get in the future, it is recommended to visit a geneticist and do a blood test for a genetic examination.

Venereal diseases(as sexually transmitted diseases have long been called) have always accompanied a person. People died from these diseases, but most often they turned into helpless invalids, bedridden and losing their minds. And the worst thing is that the sick infected their loved ones, children. The children of sick parents were born unviable, and if they survived, they could no longer have their own children. So the curse of the disease fell on the offspring.

What is the current situation with sexually transmitted diseases? The incidence of them in the country has increased among the adult population by 20, and among the youth - by 28 times. Since the beginning of the XXI century. The number of AIDS patients has increased 20-fold. Scientists believe that the real one is coming epidemic. Even children of 12-14 years old began to get sick, and becoming infected on their own, and not from sick parents.

All this makes it necessary to talk about these diseases, how they are transmitted, their first signs and ways to prevent them.

The World Health Organization has proposed that all sexually transmitted diseases be divided into two groups. The first group included 5 classic diseases familiar to mankind since ancient times: syphilis, gonorrhea, etc. The second group included 17 diseases, among them there are many whose pathogens have been identified relatively recently. This group includes AIDS and hepatitis B, i.e. diseases in which the genital organs are not affected, but the immune system, the central nervous system (AIDS) and the liver suffer.

What you need to know about the diseases of the first group? It seems to many that if the first signs of diseases are known, then when they appear, you can start drinking medicine and be cured. But this is absolutely not the case, especially with syphilis. Its symptoms are very similar to the signs of other, less dangerous diseases, and most importantly - nothing hurts with syphilis and body temperature does not rise - the leading symptom of all other infectious diseases.

Syphilis

The causative agent of the disease is a pale spirochete- a microbe that looks like a thin corkscrew. It quickly “screws” into human tissues and multiplies well there, but dies outside the human body. This explains why syphilis is transmitted only through very close contact. In about 95% of cases, this is the sexual way, and in 5% - the contact-household way.

From the moment of contact to the manifestation of the disease, a certain time passes. This period of time is called the incubation or latent period of the disease, since the disease does not manifest itself at this time. The incubation period lasts approximately one month. If during this period a person took antibiotics (for example, he had a sore throat or pneumonia, etc.), then the incubation lasts up to three, and sometimes up to six months. This is very important to know and remember. The first signs of the disease may appear no earlier than three weeks after contact with the patient, and sometimes six months later. During the incubation period, a person is not contagious, outwardly completely healthy, blood tests do not give a result.

Signs of syphilis. The first sign of syphilis is the appearance of a small abrasion, or sore, which is called a hard chancre (“chancre” in French is “sore”, and hard, because the bottom of the sore is really dense). Where does hard chancre occur? French doctors talk about it with humor: "he appears in the place that he sinned." Therefore, the chancre is most often localized on the genitals and on the perineum, but it can also be on the lips, tongue, anus. The size of the chancre is from the size of a millet seed to the size of a little finger nail. The ulcer is filled with liquid, in which a large number of pale spirochetes are found during analysis.

From the moment a hard chancre appears, a patient with syphilis becomes contagious. But, unfortunately, patients do not always notice sores, since there are no unpleasant sensations - pain, burning, itching. The syphilitic sore (hard chancre) does not bother the patient. This is the insidiousness of syphilis: nothing hurts, the sore is so small that it does not attract attention, and sexual contacts do not stop, and the patient infects everyone with whom he was close.

course of syphilis. According to its course, syphilis is divided into three periods. The primary period, or primary syphilis, begins with the appearance of a hard chancre and lasts 1.5-2 months. A week after the appearance of the chancre, the lymph glands near the sore increase. If it appeared on the genitals, then the inguinal lymph nodes increase, and if on the lips, the submandibular ones. But after all, the lymph nodes increase with any inflammation, and not just with syphilis. Therefore, this sign is not absolutely diagnostic. To confirm the diagnosis of syphilis in the primary period, studies of the substance separated from the sore and blood tests can. The first study can be done immediately after the sore forms, but since it does not hurt, rarely does anyone do it. A blood test does not confirm the diagnosis from the first days of the disease, so after a few weeks it must be repeated to be sure.

secondary period, or secondary syphilis, lasts about three to four years and begins with a rash that does not peel, does not itch. Eruptions of the secondary period are in the form of spots in the throat and light, pale pink spots on the body. Then bluish-red nodules appear on the genitals, perineum, in the inguinal folds. These rashes are highly contagious. Having existed for some time, even without treatment, they disappear, and then reappear. And so several times over the course of three or four years.

Treatment begun in the primary and secondary periods cures the sick. But you can not self-medicate: poorly selected antibiotics remove only the external manifestation of the disease, without preventing the pathogen from multiplying in the deep layers of the skin and internal organs. Thus begins the tertiary period, in which the bones, blood vessels, spinal cord and brain are affected. It lasts 10-20 years and ends with paralysis and dementia.

With syphilis, as with many other infectious diseases, self-healing does not occur. The disease lasts a lifetime, passing from one period to another, slowly destroying the human body. In this case, immunity is not developed. After treatment, a person can again become infected with syphilis. The success of the treatment must be confirmed by tests. The first analysis is taken immediately after the end of treatment, and then after 3, 6 and 12 months. Without such control, one cannot be sure of a cure.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea- the most common venereal disease, which used to give a vivid picture of the disease, and now almost everyone is asymptomatic. This makes the disease even more dangerous, as untreated gonorrhea becomes chronic, causing persistent infertility, inflammation of the urinary organs in men and inflammation of the appendages in women. Immunity after the illness is not produced, so re-infection is possible.

The causative agent of gonorrhea is gonococcus, a bacterium that resembles a coffee bean in shape. Gonococcus, like pale spirochete, is unstable in the external environment. It quickly dies when heated, dried, under the action of disinfectants.

Infection occurs when a microbe enters the urinary organs of a healthy person. This usually happens during sexual intercourse with a patient with acute or chronic gonorrhea, less often - in contact with the patient's things or objects (washcloth, toilet seat, sheets) on which his discharge has been preserved. The incubation, or latent, period of the disease lasts an average of three to four days, but can be shortened to one to two days or extended to two to three weeks.

Signs of gonorrhea. In men, the first signs of the disease are redness around the external opening of the urethra, slight swelling, which is accompanied by burning and itching, pain when urinating. A greenish-yellowish pus constantly flows from the opening of the urethra. Even if left untreated or self-medicated, these symptoms gradually disappear and the disease becomes chronic. An exacerbation of the disease occurs after sexual intercourse, drinking alcohol, with a weakening of the body. Patients reappear pain when urinating and discharge from the urethra. Such phenomena usually last a short time and disappear without any treatment, and the disease again takes a chronic form.

In women with gonorrhea, almost all of the urinary organs are affected. Abundant purulent discharge from the vagina appears, irritation of the external genital organs, skin of the thighs occurs. In some cases, there is heaviness in the lower abdomen, pain in the lower back during menstruation and pain during urination, but most often these symptoms are mild, so women rarely pay attention to them, and the disease becomes chronic, affecting the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.

The diagnosis is based on the results of a study of discharge from the urethra and vagina. If the patient was self-medicating or was treated without following the regimen suggested by the doctor, the results may be negative, the disease continues. Such patients continue to infect others. Therefore, it is impossible to consider gonorrhea as a mild disease.

Fungal diseases, trichomoniasis, gardnerellosis

Recently, doctors are increasingly identifying inflammation of the vagina with very similar symptoms, but caused by different microbes. Any inflammation of the mucous membrane of the vagina is called vaginitis (from the Latin vagina - vagina). The most common causative agents of vaginitis are yeast fungi, trichomonas and gardnerella. The inflammations they cause have their own characteristics, but all are characterized by common symptoms - vaginal discharge, most often with an unpleasant odor, itching and burning in the genital area and perineum, pain during intercourse.

We provide a table (Table 2) of symptoms that occur with vaginitis (according to the book of P. P. Novotnaya “Women about sexual infections”).

table 2

Symptoms that occur with vaginitis

Men rarely suffer from these diseases, but can be carriers of these pathogens. Therefore, if a woman has discovered vaginitis in herself and is cured, then everything can start all over again with the resumption of relations with a male carrier. It is necessary to be treated together, even if the pathogen is not found in a man.

With vaginitis, the inflammatory process often rises up the birth canal, causing inflammation of the mucous membranes of the uterus and its appendages, which can lead to infertility.

Chlamydia

The causative agent of the disease is a very small bacterium, which, unlike all other bacteria, reproduces inside a living cell, like a virus. Therefore, it is difficult to detect it. Chlamydia is transmitted only sexually through contact of infected sperm or vaginal secretions with the mucous membranes of a healthy person.

80% of women with chlamydia have no symptoms. Sometimes, when the inflammatory process spreads to the fallopian tubes, symptoms appear similar to those that occur with vaginitis or gonorrhea. Men infected with chlamydia may develop signs similar to those of gonorrhea, but most often they are asymptomatic.

The consequences of the disease can be infertility, ectopic pregnancy, purulent inflammation of the pelvic organs and even inflammation of the joints.

Diagnosis of chlamydia is difficult, expensive and not always effective. This disease is treated only in the stage of acute manifestations with antibiotics.

Genital herpes and genital warts (warts)

Both of these sexually transmitted diseases are caused by viruses. Both affect both men and women equally and can cause cancer, miscarriage, premature birth or stillbirth. And most importantly, in pregnant women infected with herpes, children become infected during childbirth and then suffer from pneumonia or their nervous system is affected.

Viral diseases, unlike the listed bacterial ones, cannot be treated. You can take medications that only alleviate the condition, reduce the temperature, if it is elevated, eliminate pain, but are not able to destroy the virus.

The causative agent of genital herpes is the same virus that causes the so-called cold on the lips.

Signs and course of the disease. The incubation period is four to five days. After infection, a group of small bubbles appear on the genitals, near the anus or on the perineum, which open up, turning into small sores. They are very painful. Patients feel especially severe pain and burning sensation when urinating. If the infection occurred for the first time, then, as a rule, the body temperature rises, the head and muscles hurt. The disease is acute for one to two weeks. Then outbreaks of herpes are repeated at regular intervals, but they are subjectively easier to bear. It is especially dangerous to get pregnant during the next outbreak.

The causative agent of genital warts, or genital warts, is a filterable virus.

Signs and course of the disease. The incubation period is approximately one week. A week after infection, one or more painless, soft warts form on the mucous membrane of the genital organs and adjacent areas of the skin, in the anus. They grow very quickly and can coalesce to form cauliflower-like islands. Scientists have found that the majority of cervical cancers in women and about a third of cancers in men are associated with a virus that causes genital warts. Condylomas (warts) must be removed. In most cases, after removal, they no longer occur. Many people who contract genital herpes experience feelings of guilt and despair. This condition often provokes stress in them, which, in turn, stimulates the course of the disease.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and its prevention

In 1981, reports began to appear in the United States about a new, previously unknown disease that causes serious complications and often ends in death. Most of the victims were homosexual men and drug addicts abusing intravenous injections. As a result of intensive scientific research conducted in France and the United States, it was soon established that this disease is of a viral nature. It is called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). A syndrome is a combination of signs and symptoms that characterize a specific disease or condition.

The causative agent, the AIDS virus, originally had several names, but is now called the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

HIV directly infects those cells in our body that are designed to fight a viral infection. Infection with the AIDS virus disrupts the immune mechanisms. As a result, pathogens get out of control and can cause dangerous infectious diseases. Cancer cells that were previously destroyed by the immune system are now free to spread throughout the body. In addition, the AIDS virus can infect brain cells, causing serious neurological disorders.

Signs and course of the disease. The classification of forms of manifestation of HIV infection is shown in Scheme 2.

Scheme 2

Classification of forms of manifestation of HIV infection

It must be remembered that regardless of whether an infected person shows symptoms of HIV infection or not, he can be a source of infection and is able to transmit the disease to others in any way possible.

AIDS is almost always transmitted in the following way:

Through sexual contact with an infected person;
through insufficiently sterilized medical instruments, most often these are syringe needles used by drug addicts, since in their environment it is customary to use one syringe;
when transfusing infected blood or using drugs prepared on its basis;
in a significant proportion of infected pregnant women, the virus can be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta.

There are no known cases of AIDS infection through food that was prepared or served by an infected person, through food products with whom infected people have been in contact, as well as as a result of being in close proximity to such people.

AIDS cannot be contracted by kissing, shaking hands, hugging, using a public shower, toilet, swimming pool, household items, through blood-sucking insects (HIV does not multiply in their body).

The incubation period for AIDS is very long.: from several months to 10 years. No signs of the disease appear during this period, but the person is already contagious, although he does not get sick.

There are five time periods in the development of HIV infection.

1. The period of time from the moment of HIV infection to its detection in the patient's blood in a dangerous amount for others. This period lasts only 1-3 weeks.

2. The period of time from the moment of HIV infection to the onset of rapidly developing symptoms of the disease (group 1, see Figure 2). The duration of this period is 1-8 weeks. The disease is accompanied by fever, weakness, swollen lymph nodes or is more severe, with neurological disorders.

3. The period of time from HIV infection to the time when virus-specific antibodies are detected in the blood (the most common method for diagnosing HIV infection). Usually this period is 2-3 months, but can last longer.

4. The period of time from the time you become infected with HIV to the onset of any new symptoms. The duration of this period is not precisely defined (lasts at least one week), but is often around 2 years.

5. The period of time from the moment of HIV infection to the development of AIDS.

The most important rules to follow to prevent AIDS are:

Never share injection needles and other instruments that damage the skin;
use condoms, even if it is not necessary to prevent conception;
before entering into an intimate relationship, get to know the person well;
avoid sexual contact with people who have many sexual partners and whom you may suspect of abusing intravenous injections.

Currently, more than 20 sexually transmitted diseases are known, and 8 of them can be fatal. These are HIV / AIDS, hepatitis B and C, genital warts (human papillomavirus), chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea and syphilis.

The best way to avoid venereal disease- lead an orderly sex life. The threat of AIDS has forced many people in recent years to take a fresh look at such old concepts as abstinence and faithful conjugal love. Preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases is extremely important, and each of us should take care of it.

It is possible to find out if you have contracted AIDS only 3 months after contact with an HIV-infected person. If the first analysis was negative, you need to repeat it after 3 months. If the second analysis is also negative, then you can be sure that infection has not occurred.

If you feel some kind of trouble, then it is better not to sit at home thinking about the symptoms, but go to the doctor and be examined.

You don't have to risk your health. The most important thing is to heal! Get tested, take medication and save lives (your own, your partner's, unborn children) in this way.

Do not rely too much on optimistic information from books and magazines, especially if they came out six months or a year ago. Diseases surprisingly quickly adapt to drugs, change, mutate. The best sources of information are medical institutes, their libraries, your local STI dispensary. If you have any questions regarding your health, please contact your doctor, antenatal clinic, adolescent center or dermatological and venereal dispensary. The survey can be anonymous if you wish. Treatment is usually simple, and you are provided with complete secrecy.

Any person can and should protect himself from venereal diseases. Avoid dangerous sex, especially partners with a high risk of infection. It is highly likely that you can contract a sexually transmitted disease, for example, from a person who abuses intravenous injections, or from a person who has such a partner. Any boyfriend or girlfriend you don't know well should be considered a high-risk partner, even if they appear perfectly healthy.

Certainly, the best way to protect yourself is complete abstinence.

A new disease, the most terrible of those that are sexually transmitted - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, has forced many, both young and adults, to seriously reconsider their lifestyle. The most important misconception about sexually transmitted diseases is the belief that respectable, respectable people do not have such sores. Now, of course, we know that there are no age or other obstacles for these diseases.

Here is a humorous quote from Dee Snyder's book (every joke has some truth): "Now I'm ready to swear that the word" abstinence "has become your favorite word, and yet I have not yet reported to you about all the existing venereal diseases, whose names alone make me itch. But I will tell you even more deadly news: there is no immunity from venereal diseases, that is, it is not at all like measles, which, having been ill, you will no longer get sick. And if you suspect that you have become the heir of some sick person, immediately go to the doctor and start praying - immediately!”

Health services make a lot of efforts to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, to combat them, but the most important role in this matter belongs to each individual person. Each of us has a duty to take all possible measures to prevent these infections, to know their symptoms, to seek prompt medical attention if these symptoms develop, and to warn recent sexual partners of the possibility of infection.

Criminal liability for contracting a venereal disease

The causes of this crime are usually sexual promiscuity, selfishness, vagrancy, etc. Its danger lies in the fact that it encroaches on the health of citizens.

Medicine under the infection of a venereal disease understands the transmission of its pathogens through sexual intercourse, either by domestic or congenital means.

Mandatory sign of this crime- criminal consequences in the form of infection of the victim with a venereal disease: syphilis, gonorrhea, inguinal lymphogranulomatosis, soft chancre, chlamydia, etc. In this case, infection with a venereal disease can be the result of direct or indirect intent, as well as negligence in the form of frivolity.

direct intent takes place in cases where the perpetrator knew that he was ill with a venereal disease, foresaw the possibility or inevitability of infecting someone with this disease and desired the onset of these consequences (illness) or consciously allowed them (for example, satisfying sexual lust, the perpetrator is indifferent to the possible infection of the victim with a venereal disease). This crime is committed with criminal frivolity if the perpetrator, realizing that he has a venereal disease, foresaw the possibility of infecting another, but without sufficient grounds, presumptuously counted on preventing this consequence (for example, with the help of protective means during sexual intercourse, etc.) .

Article 121 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Infection with a venereal disease" states:

1. Infection of another person with a venereal disease by a person who knew that he had this disease, shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of up to 200 thousand rubles or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of up to 18 months, or by corrective labor for a term of one to two years. years, or arrest for a term of three to six months.

2. The same act committed against two or more persons, or against a known minor, shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of up to 300 thousand roubles, or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of up to two years, or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to two years. years.

Responsibility for HIV infection

Infection with the HIV virus is the most dangerous, since this disease is largely unknown and practically incurable: all registered cases of the disease were fatal.

This crime occurs from the moment another person is exposed to the risk of infection, regardless of the infection itself. For example, the very facts of sexual intercourse of an HIV-infected person with a healthy person without protective (contraceptive) means, as well as providing an infected person with his used syringe for an injection, are recognized as a criminal act.

The subject of such a crime may be a sane person who has reached the age of 16, infected with the HIV virus. It is not at all necessary that the subject be sick, it is enough to establish that he was infected: HIV infection is transmitted not only from patients, but also from those who are infected, but still remain practically healthy for some time.

The subject of such a crime can also be doctors or nurses who put others at risk of contracting HIV infection as a result of non-observance of precautionary rules (during an operation, blood transfusion, injection).

Article 122 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Infection with HIV infection” states:

1. Knowingly placing another person at risk of contracting HIV infection shall be punishable by restraint of liberty for a term of up to three years, or by arrest for a term of three to six months, or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to one year.

2. Infecting another person with HIV infection by a person who knew that he had this disease is punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to five years.

3. The act provided for by paragraph two of this article, committed against two or more persons, or against a known minor, shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to eight years.

4. Infection of another person with HIV infection as a result of the person's improper performance of his professional duties shall be punishable by imprisonment for up to five years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years.

Questions and tasks

1. What groups does the World Health Organization classify as sexually transmitted diseases? How are these groups different?

2. List the signs of infection with syphilis.

3. How does syphilis develop and proceed?

4. Under what conditions can syphilis treatment be successful?

5. Why is gonorrhea dangerous and what are its consequences?

6. What are the signs of infection with gonorrhea?

7. What symptoms indicate infection with vaginitis?

8. Why is chlamydia dangerous?

9. What are the ways in which AIDS is transmitted?

10. What are the most common signs of AIDS infection?

11. What sexually transmitted diseases can be fatal?

Task 11

Formulate rules of conduct that will help you avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Task 12

Make a detailed table in which indicate the names of sexually transmitted diseases, their signs, consequences, methods of prevention and treatment.

However, many STIs significantly increase the risk of HIV transmission, and some are especially dangerous for HIV-positive people. This article gives short info about some STIs.

Syphilis

Syphilis in our time is an infection that can be cured completely, unless, of course, the correct diagnosis has been made. It begins with a single, painless sore (chancre) that forms at the site of infection. However, the chancre can be in an inconspicuous place, such as inside the vagina, and sometimes it goes unnoticed. Upon contact with a chancre, syphilis is easily transmitted to another partner.

Infection can be detected by a special blood test after 3-4 weeks, it can also be detected in the fluid of ulcers and cerebrospinal fluid. Syphilis is successfully treated with antibiotics, but untreated syphilis can lead to damage to the nervous system and other systems and organs of the body. However, the damage from syphilis usually cannot be repaired.

Even without treatment, the chancre disappears on its own after about three weeks. After this, the patient develops secondary syphilis, which is often, although not always, accompanied by a specific rash. Without treatment, the rash remains for up to 4-6 weeks and goes away on its own.

For people with HIV, syphilis is especially dangerous because infections affect each other.

Syphilis leads to growth viral load HIV and decreased immune status. Also, for people with a much higher risk of neurosyphilis - damage to the nervous system, so syphilis is sometimes referred to as HIV-associated opportunistic infections. In addition, syphilis is more difficult to treat in HIV-positive people.

The presence of syphilis in either partner increases the risk of HIV transmission by two to five times. Also, if a person already has syphilis, there is a risk of re-infection, which can worsen the course of the disease. If a person is sexually active, he is recommended to be tested for syphilis every 6 months, this is especially important for. A syphilis test is also recommended for all people who have had unprotected sex. Syphilis can be dangerous in itself, but treating and diagnosing this infection also helps prevent HIV in the population.

Diagnosing and treating syphilis is especially difficult for people with HIV.

However, without treatment, the causative agent of syphilis - spirochete - will remain in the body, which can lead to deformities, brain damage and death. The phases of syphilis may be subtle or overlap, and they do not always follow the same pattern, so diagnosis based on symptoms alone is not possible. Usually, the first symptoms include the formation of a painless chancre after 3 weeks or more, which lasts up to 6 weeks and then disappears. Often the first phase of syphilis is accompanied by an increase in lymph nodes. The secondary phase of syphilis may be accompanied by a rash that often appears on the palms and soles of the feet. Other symptoms may include fever, fatigue, sore throat, hair loss, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, and muscle pain.

Syphilis is transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex, as well as from mother to child, in very rare cases, transmission is possible by kissing (in the presence of mouth ulcers). Most often, syphilis is transmitted through contact with the chancre and the fluid it secretes. At any stage of syphilis, it can be passed from mother to child, which can lead to fetal death and birth defects in the child. Therefore, women are advised to be tested for syphilis at the beginning, as well as during pregnancy, and to receive special treatment to prevent the infection from affecting the fetus.

Chlamydia

Rarely, chlamydia leads to Reiter's syndrome, especially in young men, which leads to eye infections, urethritis, and arthritis. Chlamydia symptoms include:

• Discharge from the penis or vagina.
• Pain when urinating.
• Excessive menstrual bleeding.
• Pain during vaginal intercourse in women.
• Bleeding between periods or after intercourse.
• Abdominal pain, nausea or fever.
• Inflammation of the cervix or intestines.
• Swelling and pain of testicles.

However, 75% of women with chlamydia have no symptoms. Often women learn about the infection when it is found in a partner, or when they go to the doctor about infertility.

Symptoms can last from 7 to 20 days. In men, chlamydia usually causes symptoms of a urethral infection. Only one in four men has no symptoms.

Chlamydia is transmitted through vaginal and anal sex and from mother to child. In very rare cases, it can be passed from hand to eye if there was semen or vaginal discharge on the hand. Like many STIs, chlamydia increases the risk of HIV transmission through unprotected sex.

Condoms are very effective in preventing chlamydia. Chlamydia is sometimes confused with gonorrhea and other diseases. For a correct diagnosis, a mucosal smear or urine test is needed. Chlamydia can be completely cured with a course of antibiotics.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a virus transmitted through body fluids. Like HIV, it is an incurable infection. CMV is very often transmitted sexually. CMV usually does not manifest itself in the body and is dangerous only during pregnancy, as it can be transmitted to the fetus, as well as in immunodeficiency. In the AIDS stage, this infection can lead to very serious illnesses.

CMV infection in the vast majority of cases is completely asymptomatic. However, retransmission of the virus, as is often the case, can cause viral reactivation and painful symptoms.

Manifestations of CMV infection, including those with a very low immune status, may include:

• Enlarged lymph nodes, chronic fatigue, weakness, fever (CMV is one of the causes of mononucleosis).
• Problems with the digestive system: nausea, vomiting, chronic diarrhea.
• Visual impairment.

CMV is found in saliva, semen, blood, cervical and vaginal secretions, urine and breast milk. It can be transmitted through kissing and close domestic contact, from mother to child, and blood transfusions. However, it is most commonly transmitted through vaginal, anal, and oral sex.

CMV is diagnosed by a special blood test. This test is recommended for all people with HIV and for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Condoms protect against CMV during vaginal, anal, and oral sex, but there may be risks in other situations.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is also a very common STI. It is caused by a bacterium that can lead to infertility, arthritis, and heart problems. In women, gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease. During pregnancy, gonorrhea can lead to miscarriage and death of the fetus.

Gonorrhea may be asymptomatic. Symptoms in women include:

• Frequent, sometimes painful urination.
• Menstrual disorders, pain in the lower abdomen.
• Pain during sex.
• Yellow or yellow-green vaginal discharge.
• Swelling or hardening of the vulva.
• Arthritis.

Symptoms in men include discharge from the penis and pain during urination. Symptoms may appear 1-14 days after transmission. In 80% of women and 10% of men, gonorrhea is completely asymptomatic.

Gonorrhea is transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex. It can be determined by examining a swab from the vagina, urethra, rectum, or throat. Often with gonorrhea, chlamydia is also present, and both infections must be treated at once.

Condoms are very effective in preventing gonorrhea. Like many other STIs, gonorrhea multiplies the risk of HIV transmission through unprotected sex. Gonorrhea is easily cured with antibiotics.

Hepatitis B"

Hepatitis B is easily transmitted through sexual contact, but it can be prevented by vaccination. Without treatment within the first hour after birth, 90% of babies born to mothers with hepatitis B also have the virus. Hepatitis B is much more easily transmitted to people with HIV, and it also leads to more severe consequences with HIV infection. All sexually active people, including those who are HIV positive, are recommended to be vaccinated against hepatitis B.

Hepatitis can go completely unnoticed. However, some people in the first four weeks after transmission may experience: severe fatigue, headache, fever, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, yellowing of the skin and/or whites of the eyes (“jaundice” ).

Hepatitis B is transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex, and it is also often transmitted through the use of non-sterile syringes.

Hepatitis B is diagnosed with a blood test. For most people, the virus disappears from the body on its own within the first 4-8 weeks. However, in 20-30%, the infection becomes chronic, that is, it remains for life.

Condoms provide adequate protection against hepatitis B during sex, but vaccination is recommended for greater protection.

Herpes

Two viruses cause cold sores - herpes-1, which usually causes "cold sores", and herpes-2, which is usually associated only with genital herpes. Both viruses are sexually transmitted. During pregnancy, herpes is associated with a risk of miscarriage, and activation of the infection during pregnancy can be dangerous for the fetus.

Most often, herpes is transmitted when a partner has herpes sores. Like many other viruses, herpes remains in the body for life and is an incurable infection.

Herpes causes a rash with specific blisters, usually very painful, that can appear on the genitals, inside the vagina, on the cervix, in the anus, on the buttocks, on the mouth, or elsewhere. Manifestations of herpes can be accompanied by pain and itching in the affected area, burning during urination, swollen lymph nodes in the groin, fever, headache and general malaise.

Herpes can be asymptomatic for a very long time, the first manifestations of herpes may appear several years after transmission. It is necessary to follow strict hygiene when a herpes rash appears, wash your hands thoroughly after touching the sore, especially avoid touching your eyes. Manifestations of herpes become more frequent with a decrease in the work of the immune system. Therefore, in people with HIV with a low immune status, herpes is most severe, painful, less treatable and can take serious forms.

Herpes is transmitted through sexual contact, including touching. With unprotected oral sex, herpes can be transmitted from the mouth to the genitals. Herpes is usually transmitted by mucosal contact with sores, but there is also a risk immediately before they appear. Sometimes herpes is transmitted even in the absence of external manifestations. The presence of genital herpes increases the risk of HIV transmission during unprotected sex by 4-6 times.

Herpes rashes can be confused with other infections and diseases, so it is necessary to have them examined by a doctor. While there is no way to cure herpes, there is a cure for its symptoms. The drugs acyclovir and valaciclovir are prescribed to control symptoms and prevent new manifestations.

Condoms significantly reduce the risk of herpes transmission, but do not completely eliminate it. Partners are advised to refrain from sexual activity when sores appear until they disappear completely. Also, small doses of anti-herpes drugs prescribed by a doctor can reduce the risk of herpes transmission.

HPV and genital warts

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is very easily transmitted sexually. There are over 60 types of HPV. Some of them lead to the formation of genital warts - genital warts, others are completely asymptomatic. Some HPVs that do not cause symptoms are associated with an increased risk of cervical and anal cancer. In people with HIV, the effects of HPV may be more pronounced due to a weakened immune system. In particular, they are more likely to have genital warts, and for HIV-positive women, the risk of cervical cancer is much higher.

Genital warts can form on the genitals, in the anus, and rarely in the throat. They are usually painless, sometimes itchy, and often look like miniature cauliflower. Untreated, genital warts can be uncomfortable. They develop faster during pregnancy, the transmission of other infections, with a decrease in the immune status.

HPV is easily transmitted through vaginal and anal sex. Rarely, HPV is passed from mother to child during childbirth. HPV is diagnosed by examining a tissue sample. To prevent oncological diseases associated with HPV, a cytological analysis of smears of the cervical mucosa (Pap smears) is done, as well as a coloscopy.

HPV is an incurable infection. However, early diagnosis and treatment can prevent cervical cancer. Genital warts may reappear, but they can be removed surgically - conventional surgery, laser surgery, or cryosurgery. There are also special external remedies for reducing genital warts. Condoms reduce the risk of HPV transmission, but do not eliminate the risk of transmission. Recently, a vaccine has been developed to prevent HPV strains associated with cancer and genital warts.

Ureaplasmosis

Ureaplasmosis is a disease caused by ureaplasma (Ureaplasma urealyticum). Ureaplasma, refers to intracellular microbes, like mycoplasma.

Ureaplasmas are small microorganisms with a diameter of about 0.3 microns. In men, the disease affects the urethra and prostate gland. When examining patients with chronic inflammatory diseases (colpitis, cervicitis, endometritis, adnexitis), ureaplasmas are often isolated. They are sometimes found in practically healthy people. Therefore, it is believed that ureaplasmas can show pathogenic activity or cause their carriage without the manifestation of pathological processes. The pathological properties of ureaplasmas are manifested under certain conditions of the body, when resistance decreases - after operations, during inflammation, common diseases or their exacerbations.

Very often, ureaplasmosis occurs together with mycoplasmosis. Both of these pathogens (ureaplasma and mycoplasma), occupying an intermediate position between viruses and bacteria, belong to intracellular microbes and are sexually transmitted.

Often, ureaplasma infection occurs in people suffering from trichomoniasis and / or gonorrhea.

Most often, young people who often change sexual partners are infected with ureaplasma.

Infection and symptoms

Infection with ureaplasmosis (mycoplasmosis) occurs sexually. The incubation period can last from 2-4 weeks. The onset of the disease can go completely unnoticed, and symptoms of urethritis may appear. In men, ureaplasma urethritis is often accompanied by balanoposthitis. The patient may complain of discharge from the urethra in the morning, burning during urination, he has an increased body temperature and worsened general condition.

Sometimes unpleasant symptoms go away on their own, without any treatment. Some people may subsequently experience recurrences of such symptoms, while others do not, but the reasons for this have not yet been clarified. Therefore, ureaplasmosis continues to be one of the most incomprehensible and mysterious diseases for doctors.

Consequences

Despite the fact that often ureaplasmosis is asymptomatic, if left untreated, it can cause the following diseases:

• Inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs
• Bladder and kidney stones.
• Infertility.
• Prostatitis

Diagnostics

The main diagnostic methods are cultural research methods. Usually, several methods are used to obtain more accurate results:

• Cultural (bacteriological) method
• Determination of mycoplasma antigens by RIF or ELISA
• Serological method
• Genetic probe method
• Activated particle method
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method

Treatment

Treatment of ureaplasmosis is prescribed only by a doctor, taking into account the characteristics of the biology of the pathogen and antibiotic resistance of strains.

Treatment includes not only the use of antibacterial drugs, physiotherapy, instillations, but also lifestyle correction: dieting, avoiding alcohol, and not having sex during treatment.

For the purpose of adequate treatment of ureaplasmosis, it is necessary to know about the clinical manifestations of inflammatory processes, the results of a comprehensive microbiological examination. This will allow you to choose the necessary drug that can suppress the infection.

Prevention

The main methods of preventing upeaplasmosis are the use of condoms and preventive laboratory examination.

Genital herpes

Herpes is an infectious disease caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).

Herpes is the most common viral infection. About 90% of people on earth are infected with herpes. However, only 5% of those infected show symptoms of the disease, in the rest it proceeds without clinical manifestations.

In total, there are 8 types of the Herpes virus, the most common: type I, which affects the face, lips, torso, and type II (genital) - affects the genitourinary system. These types of herpes are also called "upper" and "lower".

In our article, we will talk about genital herpes, that is, the second type of herpes, but recently there has been evidence that type I HSV can also cause damage to the genitals, and vice versa, genital herpes can affect the lips, face and torso.

So, herpes affects the entire body and, starting once on the lips, it can gradually move to other mucous membranes, including the genitals. It affects the skin and mucous membranes, eyes, and with a sharp decrease in immunity, it also affects the liver, intestines and even the brain. In most patients, the herpes virus in an inactive state can exist throughout life, exacerbating only from time to time, especially often this occurs against the background of other diseases, in the hot season (if a resident of the north comes to rest to the warm sea), under unfavorable environmental conditions, hypothermia, overwork, etc.

Herpes-like viruses are called opportunistic. With primary infection, symptoms appear 5-7 days after infection in the form of limited reddening of the skin and the formation of vesicles with transparent contents in this place. Then the bubbles burst, and ulcers appear in their place, which, merging, can form quite extensive wound surfaces. In place of the ulcers, a crust is formed, under which the ulcerative surface heals completely without leaving scars. Local lymph nodes are often enlarged due to ongoing inflammation. If the disease develops in the mouth area, then a familiar picture of the so-called fever is formed, often accompanied by an acute respiratory disease.

In some patients, due to the reduced resistance of the body, sores may appear on the palate, the inner surface of the cheeks, tongue, and tonsils. If the virus has moved to the eyes, then conjunctivitis appears, and sometimes even keratitis (more often in one eye) - inflammation, swelling, pus. In severe cases, there are branching ulcers on the cornea that heal with scarring, which can eventually lead to blindness.

Genital herpes is usually more "evil" than the first type virus and rarely moves up. A far advanced disease leads to the formation of extensive superficial ulcers, primarily on the mucous membrane of the genital organs (the same “fever”, only of a different localization), damage to the testicles and prostate. At the same time, local lymph nodes swell, urination disorders may occur, pain is often noted, especially when urinating.

Often, herpes leads to the appearance of clusters of genital warts, similar to rounded warts, which, growing, take on the appearance of cauliflower and are localized in the genital area, perineum and anus.

Treatment of genital herpes, like herpes in general, presents significant difficulties, and some doctors even believe that it is impossible to cure herpes at all - the most you can count on is to heal the disease so that there are no clinical manifestations for at least a few years.

Signs of illness

Herpes appears on the external genitalia and is accompanied by itching and other unpleasant sensations. Often the temperature rises, there is a headache and muscle pain that lasts for several days, and then disappears. After 3-45 days, bubbles with a clear liquid form at the site of the rash, gradually merging into clusters, which turn into painful sores on the second or third day, healing approximately on the seventh or eighth day. Then the bubbles merge into large bubbles, open, ulcerate and crust, after which normalization gradually occurs. appearance skin. However, ulcers on the mucosa are also deeper. In total, it takes about three weeks from redness to healing. In this case, the inguinal lymph nodes may increase, sometimes the temperature rises, headaches begin, the so-called herpetic cystitis manifests itself - frequent and painful urination.

In men, the disease mainly manifests itself in the form of a rash on the glans penis and on the foreskin. The consequence of the disease can also be infectious prostatitis, causing pain in the perineum and difficulty urinating.

The disease most often has a paroxysmal character: after the sores have passed, a period of so-called “imaginary well-being” begins, which after a certain time (several weeks or years!) Is replaced by a new exacerbation. This is due to the fact that during the latent period, the virus seems to sleep in the cells of the nervous system, until under the influence of a number of environmental factors (sometimes even simple mechanical irritation of the genitals) it leaves its refuge - nerve cells - and moves along the nerve endings to various sections of the male genitals.

Diagnosis of herpes

Considering that the symptoms of herpes can be similar to those of other sexually transmitted infections, one of the main tasks is to identify the disease. For the diagnosis of HSV, the following research methods are used:

• virological methods for the detection and identification of herpes simplex viruses
• polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
• detection of HSV antigens
• registration of the immune response to HSV
• cytomorphological methods
• assessment of the immune status

The presence of HSV antigens in biological material is determined using serological methods:

• neutralization reactions (RN)
• enzyme immunoassay (ELISA)
• radioimmunoassay (RIA)
• complement fixation reactions (CFRs)
• passive hemagglucination reactions (RPHA)

For this purpose, the method of immunofluorescence microscopy (IF) can also be used, this method is also used to diagnose diseases caused by HSV.

Why is herpes dangerous?

At the European School of Oncology held in December 1998 at the Blokhin Cancer Institute of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, all leading domestic and foreign experts agreed that herpes is a significant threat to human health. British scientists have proven that this common ailment can provoke prostate cancer in men.

Why you should definitely consult a doctor when infected with herpes

Indeed, if it is almost impossible to get rid of herpes, once having got it, then it would seem that there is nothing to go to the doctor without special need. However, this is not the case at all. You should consult a doctor as soon as possible, first of all, because the sooner you start treatment, the easier the disease will proceed and the fewer relapses will follow. Therefore, in case of any suspicion, immediately contact a dermatovenereologist or urologist.

Prevention

Prevention of genital herpes is reduced to the use of condoms during casual sexual intercourse.

If you have genital herpes (even if you currently have no symptoms), you should warn your sexual partner and have sex with a condom. Remember that infection is possible even in the absence of rashes.

human papillomavirus

Papillomavirus infection (PVI, viral warts, genital warts, venereal condylomatosis) is a group of viral infectious diseases characterized by the development of papillomatous formations on the skin and mucous membranes, chronic relapsing course, widespread, high contagiousness.

Manifestations of human papillomavirus infection (PVI, HPV) have been known to physicians for a long time. They are described by doctors Ancient Greece called "condylomas". Hippocrates also called them "genital warts".

Genital warts (PVI of the genitals) refers to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs, STIs), as well as contact-household. Infection usually occurs through sexual contact in the vagina, rectum, less often through oral sexual contact. Self-propagation of genital warts is possible with the emergence of new foci outside the zone of primary formation. In 50-70% of children born to infected mothers, vertical transmission of the virus occurs.

Human susceptibility to papillomaviruses is high, the disease is ubiquitous. Incubation period: 1 to 5 months. Transmission of HPV to a sexual partner occurs in 46-67% of cases. It is also possible that HPV is transmitted from parents to children and within children's groups.

Risk factors for the development of genital warts

• sexual behavior (early onset of sexual activity, frequent change of partners, ignoring the use of barrier contraception)
• the presence of partners who had contact with an HPV carrier woman with cervical cancer
• sexually transmitted diseases (chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes trichomoniasis, thrush, etc.)
• internal factors (avitaminosis, decreased immunity, stress)
• violation of the normal microflora of the vagina
• pregnancy

Ways of development and distribution

HPV is conditionally divided into oncogenic and non-oncogenic. Different types of HPV cause or are involved in the development of:

• cervical dysplasia (62%)
• preinvasive and invasive cervical cancer (38%)
• genital warts, urinary tract (51%)
• 10% of clinically healthy women are carriers of HPV
• 85% of patients with typical genital warts of the external genital organs during the examination revealed additional foci of HPV infection of the vagina and cervix in severe and mild forms.

These data allow us to consider patients with papillomavirus infections of the genital tract as a group high risk occurrence of intraepithelial carcinoma of the cervix.

Development of the disease

The human papillomavirus lives in the skin and mucous membranes of the genital organs. The amount of the virus is in a clear relationship with the state of immunity of the skin and mucous membranes - the higher the activity of the immune system, the less virus is contained in them. In order for the virus to manifest itself as any symptoms, a certain amount of it must accumulate. And this is possible only if local immunity is reduced.

Manifestations of papillomavirus infection

Having accumulated in large quantities on a site of skin or mucous membrane, the papillomavirus changes the function of epithelial cells. As a result, they begin to divide uncontrollably, which leads to the growth of the skin area and the appearance of genital warts. As a rule, genital warts appear simultaneously. Most often, several genital warts appear at once, sometimes many, up to several dozen. Less common are cases in which warts appear gradually over several days. And fortunately, there are very rare cases when genital warts appear constantly from day to day.

In men, genital warts most often appear on the coronal sulcus of the penis and frenulum, less often on the head, body of the penis, lips of the external opening of the urethra. The appearance of warts in the urethra itself is very unpleasant. This is usually manifested by difficulty urinating, changing the shape of the urine stream, spraying it. As a rule, warts of medium and large sizes are easy to feel in the urethra in both men and women.

In women, condylomas appear most often on the external genital organs in the labia minora, less often on the labia majora, in the vagina, on the cervix, in the urethra, perineum and anus. Extremely rare genital warts in the oral cavity, throat.

Clinical manifestations depend on the type of virus and the localization of the formations. Condylomas of the vulva and vagina, usually with a wide or thin base, resembling cauliflower or cockscombs, on the eyelids, neck - in the form of filamentous outgrowths. In common and plantar warts, thickening and excessive keratinization of the surface layers of cells are expressed. Pointed papillomas of the ano-genital region are usually soft, lobulated, abundantly vascularized, pedunculated. It is known that with chronic mechanical irritation (friction), warts can reach 3-5 cm in diameter.

Exophytic (external) form- genital warts - are the most specific manifestation. In addition to traditional target organs, which are the skin and mucous membranes of the anal and urogenital region, HPV is found in the upper respiratory tract, conjunctiva of the eyes, oral mucosa, esophagus, and rectum. Genital warts affect mainly the places of greatest maceration. Typical localization of warts: labia, vagina, cervix, urethra, clitoris, anus, etc.

Endophytic (internal) form- are divided into flat, inverted and atypical, which are usually referred to by the general term flat warts. Flat condylomas are located in the thickness of the epithelium of the mucous membrane, are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, most often affect the mucous membrane of the vagina and cervix. In 50% of cases, flat warts are combined with dysplasia of varying degrees, and in 5% of cases - with preinvasive carcinoma. Malignancy of flat condyloma with signs of atypia to the degree of intraepithelial cancer occurs in 4-10% of cases within two years.

There are four most possible ways of developing the process:

• Regression of warts (15-17%), especially developed during pregnancy
• More or less long process stabilization
• Intensive growth necessitating radical intervention
• Malignancy in 5% of cases within five years

Diagnosis of HPV infection

Evidence of HPV infection is:

• manifestations of HPV infection (genital warts)
• results cytological examination(study of the nature of cells under a microscope), indicating cervical dysplasia
• HPV detection by PCR (see details below)
• detection of antibodies to HPV in the blood (used for scientific purposes only)

Despite the high sensitivity of PCR, it is not always possible to detect the virus in asymptomatic HPV infection. This is due to the features of this infection:

• HPV infection can remain dormant indefinitely. In this case, the virus is located in the depths of the skin and mucous membranes, but is not released to the surface. In this state, it is difficult to detect by PCR.
• HPV infection in most cases affects large areas of the skin, including the skin of the genitals, the pubis, and the skin around the anus. At the same time, in the absence of symptoms, it is not entirely clear which area of ​​the skin will be more reliable.

In this regard, the results of one study are interesting. Women who had previously had manifestations of HPV infection were examined weekly for several months for HPV by PCR. At the same time, in most women, the virus was not detected at every examination.

Therefore, a negative PCR result does not rule out HPV infection.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmitted infection. According to some reports, up to 51% of men suffer from chlamydia. A person does not have a natural immunity to chlamydial infection and there is no acquired immunity even after the disease and its complete cure. With casual sexual intercourse, chlamydia is found in 70% of men, although a single contact with a patient does not always lead to infection of a partner.

The development cycle of chlamydia is equal to two days. But these microorganisms in their reticular form are very sensitive to antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, and in the infectious form - to high temperature and ultraviolet rays, phenol, lysol, silver nitrate, iodine and hydrogen peroxide. At 100°C (when boiled), chlamydia loses its potency in just a minute. But on cotton fabrics, chlamydia lasts up to two days. The optimal conditions for them will be low temperature(at minus 20-70°C they live for 8-10 months!).

Chlamydia is transmitted not only sexually, but also through hands and underwear infected with chlamydia. Children can become infected with chlamydia when passing through an infected birth canal, as well as in utero - this is what leads to a chronic eye disease in children - trachoma.

Diseases associated with chlamydia

Let's look at what other diseases of chlamydia can lead to in men. First, it is, of course, urethritis with its unbearable frequent urge to urinate, itching, pain in the urethra and purulent discharge. Secondly, it is dangerous for a man at any age prostatitis. Thirdly, inflammation of the testicles (vesiculitis), in which a man experiences a feeling of fullness in the perineum, pain that radiates to the sacral and inguinal regions and the testicle. Fourth, epididymitis is an inflammation of the vas deferens and cord, when the testicle increases in size, and the skin of the scrotum turns red and swells.

Complications of chlamydia

Alas, in a third of patients with chlamydial infection is completely asymptomatic. And during this time, a person can not only become a source of infection, but various complications also occur in his body, which he sometimes does not suspect.

In men who have sex with men, most often chlamydia "settle" in the rectum, causing inflammation (proctitis) or in the throat (pharyngitis). Sometimes the kidneys (pyelonephritis), eyes or lungs become victims of chlamydia.

Reiter's disease

This is a complex disease characterized by the fact that a person simultaneously develops arthritis, conjunctivitis and urethritis. Sometimes inflammation of the skin and other mucous membranes also joins them. This disease is also caused by chlamydia. This is the scourge of young, strong, capable men and women who do not even suspect that it is possible to get sick like that.

Reiter's disease can develop in those patients with chlamydia, in whose blood there is a so-called histocompatibility antigen, which is inherited. It is present in 70-90% of patients. The role of this antigen in the body has not been fully elucidated, but it has been found that its carriers are 40 times more likely to develop seronegative arthritis, which includes Reiter's disease, than other people.

How does Reiter's disease manifest itself? First, diarrhea (loose stools) appears, after one to two weeks urethritis develops with its mild manifestations, then, after another couple of weeks, the process sharply escalates, the temperature rises to 38 ° C and joint pains begin, mainly in the joints of the toes, knees , in the ankle and small joints. The skin over the affected joints turns red, thickens, the mobility of the joint is limited. Sometimes dangerous eye lesions develop, such as uveitis and iridocyclitis, which can lead to blindness. In general, all organs and tissues can be affected.

Chlamydia treatment

In the treatment of chlamydia, one should not forget that, in addition to killing chlamydia, it is also necessary to increase the resistance of the sick organism. Treatment can only be carried out by a doctor, since only he can prescribe the correct general treatment complex, together with immunomodulators and local remedies.

In addition, treatment should be carried out by both partners at the same time. Sexual life during treatment should be stopped, as well as alcohol and spicy food, you should refrain from excessive physical and mental stress. Chlamydia is a complex disease and requires individual treatment.

Prevention of chlamydia

Using a condom during sexual intercourse is the best way to prevent chlamydia infection.

Trichomoniasis (trichomoniasis)

Trichomoniasis is a widespread infectious disease caused by Trichomonas vaginalis (Trichomonas vaginalis). The causative agent of trichomoniasis was first discovered in women. However, men are also vulnerable to this sexually transmitted infection. According to the World Health Organization, more than 250 million patients with trichomoniasis are registered annually in the world.

Transmission routes

Trichomonas can live and multiply only in the human body. Outside the human body, the pathogen quickly dies, when dried - in a few seconds, and when heated above 40 ° - instantly. However, in a humid environment, Trichomonas can exist for up to 5 hours, which explains the possibility of infection in the domestic way, when using a common towel, linen, washcloth or toilet bowl.

In the vast majority of cases, infection with trichomoniasis occurs sexually. Often, in addition to trichomoniasis, testing reveals one or more other sexually transmitted infections. It can be: gonorrhea, chlamydia, mycoplasmosis, etc.

Symptoms

In men, symptoms of trichomoniasis are most often absent, so the disease is usually diagnosed in the later stages in a chronic form and in combination with other infections. Sometimes after the incubation period (1-4 weeks) the following symptoms may be observed: watery whitish discharge from the penis (leaving stains on linen), pain or burning sensation when urinating, with damage to the prostate - symptoms of prostatitis.

Complications

Previously, the danger of this disease was underestimated. It has now been proven that trichomoniasis in men leads to damage to the urethra, scrotum and prostate. Often prostatitis in men is a consequence of the presence of trichomoniasis. Trichomonas prostatitis is characterized by little or asymptomatic as a result, prostate damage is found in 53.1% of patients who consider themselves healthy. Due to the asymptomatic course of prostatitis, inflammation of the urethra periodically occurs, which seems inexplicable and unexpected.

Diagnostics

In the diagnosis of trichomoniasis, a common smear is used. In men, the discharge from the urethra and the secret of the prostate gland are examined. The result of a common smear is confirmed by more accurate research methods - PIF, PCR or seeding.

Treatment

Treatment of trichomoniasis should be complex and individual, it comes down to the appointment of antitrichomoniasis drugs for oral administration. In some cases, treatment is prescribed that supplements antitrichomonas drugs (immunotherapy, general strengthening drugs, prostate massage, urethral instillations, physiotherapy, etc.). Self-medication is contraindicated.

It is very important to tell your sexual partners about the disease, even if nothing bothers them, and to convince them to undergo examination and treatment. After all, asymptomatic course does not reduce the risk of complications.

Prevention

Gonorrhea (clapper)

Gonorrhea is a classic sexually transmitted infection. The causative agent of the disease is gonococcus (Neisseria gonorrhoeae).

With this disease, damage to the urethra (urethra), rectum, pharynx and eyes is possible.

gonorrhea infection

In men who have sex with men, the majority of gonorrhea infections occur through unprotected anal and oral sex.

Domestic transmission is extremely rare. This is due to two reasons:

1. Gonococcus quickly dies outside the human body.
2. For infection, it is necessary that a sufficient number of gonococci enter the body.

The household method of infection cannot provide the required amount of gonococci. Therefore, toilet seats, swimming pools, baths, shared utensils and towels cannot be the cause of infection.

The probability of infection through unprotected anal contact with a patient with gonorrhea is about 50%.

Oral sex is less likely to be infected. However, given the prevalence of asymptomatic gonococcal pharyngitis among sex workers, unprotected oral sex with a casual partner can easily lead to infection.

The incubation period for gonorrhea in men is usually 2 to 5 days.

Symptoms of gonorrhea in men:

• Pain when urinating and/or yellowish-white discharge from the urethra.
• Gonococcal pharyngitis (throat lesion) is often asymptomatic. Sometimes it manifests itself as a sore throat.
• Gonococcal proctitis (an infection of the rectum) is usually asymptomatic. There may be pain in the rectum, itching and discharge from the rectum.
• Gonococcal pharyngitis and gonococcal proctitis occur predominantly in men who have sex with men and women.

Complications of gonorrhea

In men, the most common complication is inflammation of the epididymis - epididymitis. When gonococci enter the eyes, gonococcal conjunctivitis occurs.

With the spread of gonococci to other organs, a disseminated gonococcal infection occurs. This affects the joints, skin, brain, heart and liver.

Diagnosis of gonorrhea

Symptoms alone are not enough to diagnose gonorrhea. Confirmation of the diagnosis by laboratory methods is necessary.

Diagnosis of acute gonorrhea in men is usually based on the results of a total smear. In chronic gonorrhea in men, more accurate research methods are needed - PCR or seeding.

gonorrhea treatment

Gonorrhea is a very common infection. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is self-medication. Until now, many are embarrassed to seek professional help in specialized institutions and prefer to treat gonorrhea and many other STIs with penicillin antibiotics at home. Such “treatment” often fails and leads to serious complications and health consequences. Therefore, for the treatment of any STI, contact a specialist who can choose the most effective treatment regimen for you.

Considering that in 30% of cases gonorrhea is combined with chlamydia, treatment should include: a drug active against gonococci and a drug active against chlamydia.

It is very important to tell your sexual partners about the disease, even if nothing bothers them, and to convince them to undergo examination and treatment. After all, asymptomatic course does not reduce the risk of complications.

If you are cured and your sexual partner is not, you can easily get re-infected.

Prevention of gonorrhea

Not having sex or using a condom every time you have sex.

Syphilis

Syphilis is classified as a classic sexually transmitted infection. The causative agent is pale treponema (Treponema pallidum). Syphilis is characterized by a slow progressive course. In the later stages, it can lead to severe damage to the nervous system, internal organs and death.

Syphilis infection

In men who have sex with men, the majority of syphilis infections occur through unprotected anal and oral sex.

The most contagious patients with primary syphilis (with ulcers on the genitals, in the mouth or in the rectum).

Domestic infection with syphilis is extremely rare. Most of the cases that are associated with household infection are in fact unproven cases of sexual infection. This is due to the fact that pale treponema (Treponema pallidum) quickly dies outside the human body. The probability of infection with a single sexual contact with a patient with syphilis is about 30%.

incubation period for syphilis

The incubation period for syphilis is usually 3-4 weeks (2 to 6 weeks).

Symptoms of syphilis

The symptoms of syphilis are very varied. They change depending on the stage of the disease.

There are three stages of syphilis:

1. primary syphilis. Occurs after the end of the incubation period. At the site of penetration of the pathogen into the body (genital organs, oral or rectal mucosa), a painless ulcer with a dense base (hard chancre) occurs. 1-2 weeks after the onset of the ulcer, the nearest lymph nodes increase (if the ulcer is localized in the mouth, the submandibular ones increase, and if the genital organs are affected, the inguinal ones). The ulcer (hard chancre) heals on its own within 3-6 weeks. after occurrence.
2. Secondary syphilis. It starts 4-10 weeks after the appearance of the ulcer (2-4 months after infection). It is characterized by a symmetrical, pale rash all over the body, including the palms and soles. The onset of a rash is often accompanied by headache, malaise, fever (as with the flu). Lymph nodes are enlarged throughout the body. Secondary syphilis occurs in the form of alternating exacerbations and remissions (asymptomatic periods). In this case, hair loss on the head is possible, as well as the appearance of flesh-colored growths on the genitals and in the anus (condylomas lata).
3. Tertiary syphilis. Occurs in the absence of treatment many years after infection. This affects the nervous system (including the brain and spinal cord), bones and internal organs (including the heart, liver, etc.). Tertiary syphilis is the last stage in the development of the disease and is fatal.

Diagnosis of syphilis

Diagnosis is based on blood tests for syphilis. There are many types of blood tests for syphilis. They are divided into two groups - non-treponemal (RPR, RW with cardiolipin antigen) and treponemal (RIF, RIBT, RW with treponemal antigen).

For mass examinations (in hospitals, clinics), non-treponemal blood tests are used. In some cases, they can be false positive, that is, be positive in the absence of syphilis. Therefore, a positive result of non-treponemal blood tests is necessarily confirmed by treponemal blood tests.

To assess the effectiveness of treatment, quantitative non-treponemal blood tests (for example, RW with cardiolipin antigen) are used. Treponemal blood tests remain positive after suffering syphilis for life. Therefore, treponemal blood tests (such as RIF, RIBT, RPHA) are NOT used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.

Treatment of syphilis

Treatment of syphilis should be comprehensive and individual. Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment for syphilis. In some cases, treatment is prescribed that supplements antibiotics (immunotherapy, restorative drugs, physiotherapy, etc.).

Until now, many are embarrassed to seek professional help in specialized institutions and prefer to treat syphilis and many other STIs with antibiotics at home. Such “treatment” often fails and leads to serious complications and health consequences. Therefore, for the treatment of any STI, contact a specialist who can choose the most effective treatment regimen for you.

If you are cured and your sexual partner is not, you can easily get re-infected.

It is very important to tell your sexual partners about the disease, even if nothing bothers them, and to convince them to undergo examination and treatment. After all, asymptomatic course does not reduce the risk of complications.

Prevention of syphilis

Not having sex or using a condom every time you have sex.