Paying the price

It's a fact that you have to pay a price to enjoy all the good things in life, whether it's chocolate, french fries, a chilled beer and yes, even sex. The difference is that while chocolates, french fries and beer usually take their toll when indulged in excess, it takes just one unprotected sexual encounter to make a baby or get a disease. And we're not just talking about AIDS. There are other diseases that are transmitted through sexual contact that cannot be ignored. Contracting a sexually transmitted disease is embarrassing as well as being uncomfortable and even painful.
 

What are STDs?

Sexually transmitted diseases, STDs for short, are "infections transmitted from one person to another during intercourse or other intimate contact." AIDS is the big daddy of them all, but that's not the only one. There are others which you must have heard of like genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia and hepatitis-B. 

People often labour under the misconception that STDs are something that affects the poorer classes. The fact is that STDs can affect men and women from all backgrounds. It's just a question of who's having unprotected sex and sex with multiple partners. Often people who have contracted STDs show no symptoms, but as long as they are infected they can pass the disease on to their sexual partners. It's not just adults who get affected. Mothers infected with a STD can pass on the disease to a baby before, during or immediately after birth. While some of these infections in newborns can be treated, others can have serious repercussions causing a baby to become permanently disabled or even to die. 
 

Warning signs

Here are some indications that you might have contracted a STD and it's time you went for a check-up to the doctor. 

In the case of women, look out for the following signs: 

• Unusual discharge from the vagina 
• Pain, burning or itching around the vagina 
• Pain in the pelvic area or abdomen, sometimes with fever or chills 
• Bleeding other than your usual period 
• Sores or blisters on the genitals or in the mouth 

In the case of men, the following symptoms could indicate that they have contracted a STD: 

• Discharge from the end of the penis 
• Pain or burning when urinating 
• Swelling around the groin 
• Sores or blisters on the genitals or in the mouth 
• Flu-like symptoms such as fever chills, aches in the joints or muscles