What complications can sexually transmitted infections lead to if they are not treated in time?

“Life is like a fatal sexually transmitted disease ,” DIRECTOR Krzysztof Zanussi was depressing with a film with that title a quarter of a century ago. Even then, venereologists urged people not to get carried away by the moral suffering of the main character, but to be more careful about their own love affairs. But not everyone listened to them. The result of promiscuity of sexual partners is as follows: more than 1 million cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur every day in the world. Are there many Belarusians among the sick? How to find out if you are in these statistics? The expert was asked about this and much more.

Anonymously. But not always

- In our country in recent years there has been a downward trend in the incidence of STIs. An important role in this was played by improving the quality of diagnostics, examining risk groups, donors, pregnant women, and patients undergoing inpatient treatment in healthcare institutions. If you still have doubts, consult a doctor: STIs can only be confirmed or refuted on the basis of laboratory tests. Are you shy? Then go to one of the anonymous examination rooms that operate in our country,” says Vladimir Yaromich, HEAD of the outpatient dermatovenereology department No. 4 of the MINSK City Clinical Center for Dermatovenereology. - There is one in our center where you can undergo examination for a fee without presenting a passport.

The patient's diagnosis and subsequent treatment remain a mystery.

The DOCTOR warns: the presence of such infections can lead to infertility (in both men and women), adverse pregnancy outcomes (miscarriages, premature birth, fetal abnormalities), as well as sexual disorders. But if suddenly tests show that you have syphilis - one of the sexually transmitted diseases - the anonymity ends there. it turns out that such a disease is dealt with only in the accounting rooms of specialized medical institutions, since it requires serious treatment.

- Depending on many factors, the patient's complications can be very serious. Of course, the disease can proceed unnoticed, latently, but when it becomes active, its development process grows like an avalanche. After 3-9 months, the patient’s condition worsens, even to the point of death, the interlocutor explains and clarifies that in case of serious complications, treatment will not help.

Among those infected with STIs in the capital, people aged 20 to 40 years make up 60-80%. With the exception of syphilis, which in the time of Ivan the Terrible was called the “Polish”, “German”, “French” disease - apparently, taking into account the emancipated morals of foreigners who came from abroad to work. Almost 80% of Minsk residents infected with syphilis are people over 40 years old.

- Since 2020, diagnostic methods have been updated. New screening systems have helped to detect hidden forms of this and other diseases caused by STIs, which do not reveal themselves by any symptoms and are now revealed in blood tests, the expert notes. - During the covid-19 pandemic , a large number of sick people passed through hospital inpatient units. All those admitted to hospitals had their blood taken for tests, including for syphilis, which was also found in those who were carriers of it in a latent form. Since these people had not previously filed any complaints, there was a noticeable increase in the number of cases. In Minsk alone, their number increased 3 times.

Among sexually transmitted infections, trichomoniasis, chlamydia, and mycoplasmosis are most often detected. To treat them, according to Vladimir Yaromich, effective medicines are sufficient. Most often, one course of antibiotic treatment according to existing regimens is enough. Moreover, most STIs are asymptomatic or with minor symptoms, as a result of which the disease may remain undetected.

The expert notes that if a person has a sexually transmitted infection in the body, the risk of contracting HIV infection increases many times over. Such cases occur in all age groups.

Who is at risk?

At risk are young people who frequently change sexual partners and do not have the opportunity (or desire) to be tested for STIs and treated. Modern youth begin to be sexually active at the age of 15-16 and by the age of 25 they can collect a whole bunch of diseases.

“The concomitant use of ALCOHOL and drugs does not contribute to the formation of intelligibility in sexual relations,” says a dermatovenerologist. - Also at risk are women who provide sex services, which is prohibited in our country. Men who prefer same-sex sex (that is, with men). This also includes women suffering from inflammatory diseases of the genital organs, especially recurrent ones.

Every year, more than 340 million people aged 15-49 years around the world are infected with STIs, and every sixth person suffers from some kind of sexually transmitted disease, according to WHO statistics. Our expert reminds:

- All infections that can be transmitted through sexual contact are conventionally divided into curable and incurable. Most, of course, are cured. Spontaneous recovery from diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis or trichomoniasis is impossible. When re-infected, a completely cured person becomes ill again. It is also impossible to completely cure viral infections such as HIV infection, genital herpes, and human papillomavirus infection.

In turn, Vladimir Yaromich, who has been working in the field of dermatovenerology since 1996, advises patients who are sexually active or in risk areas to undergo preventive examinations and periodically get tested for common STIs.

Tatiana MEDVEDEVA,
newspaper "7 days".