Sexually transmitted infections are also known as venereal diseases. It is imperative to note that various sexually transmitted infections can spread from mother to infant, blood transfusions, breastfeeding, and though unsterilized needles. Nonetheless, the genital areas are commonly warm and moist environments, perfect for the growth of bacteria, viruses, and yeasts. Individuals convey microorganisms, which inhabit the mucous membranes and the skin where the infectious organisms move in blood, vaginal secretions, or semen during sexual contact (Gao et al., 2016). For this reason, prevention of STDs is an imperative healthcare strategy for enhancing reproductive health. Research reveals that sexually transmitted diseases remain a paramount health issue in most countries and especially America even though they are mainly preventable. The challenge is unknown by the healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and the public. Sexually transmitted infections can cause numerous detrimental, expensive and irreparable health complications such as infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, reproduction health issues such as cervical cancer, and transmission of HIV difficulties connected to pregnancy such as infection to the fetus or ectopic pregnancies,
Why is Prevention of STDs Essential?
Americans have not succeeded in addressing issues related to sexually transmitted diseases, leading to a high prevalence rate and the health and economic effects are massive. Nonetheless, the use of accessible information and interventions can significantly have a considerable impact on the prevalence and incidence of STDs. Prevention of STDs is essential because most of these ailments are hardly diagnosed, which leads to permanent health outcomes, particularly for reproductive women. On the contrary, there are the majority of active biomedical and behavioral interventions that are available. Although there have not been thorough evaluations of the effects of most strategies and interventions on health outcomes, there is a significant reason to assume they can to have a considerable impact on the danger of spreading and contaminating STDs (Oster et al., 2016). To prevent this, the government needs to implement some of these interventions and strategies more extensively. However, the only hundred percent efficient ways to avert the transmission of sexually transmitted infections is abstinence. For individuals that are sexually active use consistent and proper use of condoms is very useful in preventing these ailments.
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Factors that Cause the Spread of STDs
It is imperative to understand that sexually transmitted infections are behavior-connected ailments, which result mostly from unprotected sex. Therefore, social, biological, and behavioral factors significantly contribute to the possibility of acquiring STDs. For instance, microenvironments such as immunologic, microbiological, and hormonal factors influence a person's vulnerability and transmission for sexually transmitted diseases (Kimberlin et al., 2015). The microenvironments factors are mostly determined by sexual practices, health behaviors, and substance use of a person. On the contrary, health behaviors are significantly influenced by epidemiological and socioeconomic factors.
Challenges faced in Prevention of STDs
One of the major difficulties that is hugely faced in the United States while preventing the spread of STDs are that most states do not address on time the system-level barriers when treating partners of infected patients. Therefore, there is a lack of implementation of accelerated partner therapy when treating sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea and Chlamydia.
Lack of improved data collection on behavioral and demographical variables like sex of an infected person, which hinders the prevention efforts of STDs. Lastly, most states do not implement innovative communication strategies that are efficient in handling issues of health inequalities.
References
Gao, D., Lou, Y., He, D., Porco, T. C., Kuang, Y., Chowell, G., & Ruan, S. (2016). Prevention and control of Zika as a mosquito-borne and sexually transmitted disease: a mathematical modeling analysis. Scientific Reports, 17 (6): 28070. doi: 10.1038/srep28070 .
Kimberlin, D. W., Brady, M. T., Jackson, M. A., & Long, S. S. (2015). Red book, (2015): 2015 report of the committee on infectious diseases . New York, NY: American Academy of Pediatrics.
Oster, A. M., Brooks, J. T., Stryker, J. E., Kachur, R. E., Mead, P., Pesik, N. T., & Petersen, L. R. (2016). Interim guidelines for prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus— the United States, 2016. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Rep, 2 ;65(5):120-1. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6505e1.
