Raise your hand if the only sex-ed you got was the line, “Don’t let a boy touch you or you’ll get pregnant,” or “Don’t touch a girl or else she’ll get pregnant”.
Raise the other hand if most of what you know about STIs came from gossip or some friend of a friend who seems to know it all, but in reality knows nothing at all.
If we’re being honest, for most of us, our sex-ed growing up was non-existent or surrounded by shame and silence. Our teachers skipped the details, and parents changed the topic. Now that we’re a bit older, the knowledge gap is showing! People are out there catching feelings and infections, too, like a two-for-one deal.
So, we’re taking you back to the class on STIs you should have had, from what they are, how you can get them, and how to protect yourself.
What Are STIs?
STIs stand for Sexually Transmitted Infections, and just as the name implies, they are infections you can get from sexual activity. They have different categories:
- Bacterial: The common STIs in this category include Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, and Syphilis. They can be cured with antibiotics if caught early.
- Viral: HIV, Herpes, Hepatitis B, and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) belong to this category. Some of these viral STIs, like HIV, herpes, and hepatitis B, are lifelong, but can be managed with the right treatment. HPV often clears on its own but some strains can persist and go ahead to cause cervical cancer.
- Parasitic: You might not know these exist, but they do. They include Trichomoniasis, pubic lice, and even scabies.
How Do STIs Spread?
This is the part they don’t tell most of us in school. Whether it’s your first time or your 100th time having sex, whether it’s vaginal penetration or just oral sex, these infections do not care. If you’re not being safe, then the risk of getting one is very real.
Before we proceed, let’s set the record straight. You can’t catch STIs from toilet seats or sitting next to someone who has it. These are lies that need to be buried 6 feet underground. The actual ways you can get STIs are from:
- Unprotected vaginal or anal sex: This is one of the most obvious routes. During sex, semen and vaginal secretions can carry these infections. Anal sex even carries a higher risk of some infections, like HIV, because the lining of the rectum is thin and can tear easily with repeated friction during sex.
- Oral sex: If this one shocked you, we’re not surprised. STIs like herpes, gonorrhoea, syphilis, or even chlamydia, can spread from oral sex, that is, mouth to genital contact and, yes, mouth to anus contact.
- Skin-to-skin contact: We’re not talking about handshakes or hugs with a friend, but intimate or sexual skin contact. Infections like herpes, HPV (genital warts), and syphilis (if there are sores and rashes) sometimes need contact with the infected area to spread. So, even if you use a condom and the infected area isn’t covered, you can still get exposed to it.
- Blood and body fluids: STIs like HIV and hepatitis B can spread by sharing needles or razors.
- During pregnancy and childbirth: Some STIs like HIV, syphilis, or gonorrhoea can pass from a mother to her baby either during pregnancy or delivery, or (in the case of HIV, if not counselled and monitored properly) through breastfeeding.
Sneaky Symptoms of STIs
One of the biggest misconceptions about STIs is that they always come with loud and dramatic symptoms. Wrong! Many of them are quiet troublemakers silently causing damage, and before you even know they exist, you might have spread it to one…or 10 people. This is why regular testing is very important, because not everyone has symptoms.
Some of the common but sneaky symptoms of STIs to be on the watch out for include:
- Unusual discharge from the vagina or penis: If something looks, feels, or smells off, do not ignore it.
- Sores, blisters, or warts near your vagina, penis, mouth, or anus.
- Swelling, irritation, or itching near your vagina or penis.
- Pain when you’re urinating or during sex.
- Bleeding when you’re not on your period.
Complications of STIs
Ignoring STIs and thinking they would go away on their own is one of the worst mistakes you can make. They can cause a lot of complications, including:
- Increased risk of HIV: Having other untreated STIs with open sores makes it easier to transmit or get HIV.
- Infertility: Untreated infections can lead to a condition known as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in women, which damages the fallopian tubes and ovaries and makes it difficult to conceive. Don’t think men are excluded from this because untreated or poorly treated STIs can mess with the testicles and sperm health.
- Pregnancy complications can occur from STIs, including miscarriages, premature births, or even life-threatening illnesses in the newborn.
- Poorly treated or untreated STIs can leave you with chronic or longstanding pain in your abdomen or pelvic area that just won’t quit.
- Organ damage: Syphilis in the late stages can cause widespread damage to your organs, including your brain, heart, and nerves. HIV can also weaken your immune system over time and progress to AIDS if not well-treated.
Prevention
If your plan for not getting STIs is a daily dose of “God Forbid!”, we’d love to break it to you that it is not a solid prevention strategy. Here are actual things you can do to prevent yourself from having STIs:
- Condoms and dental dams are your go-to. They are like bouncers that prevent the uninvited guests. Although skin-to-skin infections like herpes or HPV can still sneak through, they at least slash the odds for most STIs. Want to learn more? Take this program on Safe Sex.
- Get tested regularly with your partner if you’re sexually active and don’t wait for symptoms.
- Limit the sharing of sharp objects.
- Vaccinations exist! There are HPV vaccines that protect against certain strains of HPV, including those that cause genital warts and cervical cancer. Hepatitis B also has a vaccine. Don’t snooze on this.
- If you’re pregnant, don’t just sit at home. Go for your antenatal check-ups and get screened and monitored by your doctors. Early treatment reduces the risk of passing infections to the baby.
The Wrap-Up
Moral of the story? STIs are the sneaky bad guys nobody really warned us about back in secondary school. They break in, cause a whole lot of chaos, and disturb your peace of mind. So, stay sharp and stay safe.
Read Next: Real Talk, No Shame: We Answered Questions on Sex & Reproductive Health
