STIS, RTIS, AND HIV &AIDs

📑Sexual transmitted diseases (STIs)
    Diseases which transmitted from one person to another through unprotected sexual intercourse with infected person

📑Reproductive tract infections(RTIs)
  Are diseases of the reproductive system

📑Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
State of being infected with human immunodeficiency virus without showing signs and symptoms

📑 Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
State of being infected with human immunodeficiency virus presenting of signs and symptoms

                 OVERVIEW OF
REPRODUCTIVE TRACT INFECTIONS and sexual transmitted diseases (STDs)

Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) include three types of infection:

1) sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as
        chlamydia, gonorrhea, chancroid, and human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV);

2) endogenous infections, which are caused by overgrowth of organisms normally present in the genital tract of healthy women, such as bacterial vaginosis or vulvovaginal candidiasis;

3) latrogenic infections, which are associated with improperly performed medical procedures such as unsafe abortion or poor delivery practices .

RTIs are preventable, and many are treatable as well.
The burden of untreated RTIs is especially heavy for women because these infections are often asymptomatic or the symptoms are not recognizable.

       Prevalence of RTIs
Epidemiologic data show that the incidence and prevalence of various RTIs vary greatly between countries and even between regions within a country, a reflection of the differences in the characteristics
of each pathogen (such as duration of infectivity and transmissibility)
as well as other biological, behavioral, medical, social, and economic
factors

Among pregnant women in developing countries, it is
estimated that gonorrhea rates are 10–15 times higher, chlamydia
rates are 2–3 times higher, and syphilis rates are 10–100 times higher

The risk behaviors that facilities RTIs and STDs transmission
🔰Having anal, vaginal, or oral sex without a condom;
🔰Having multiple sex partners;
🔰Having anonymous sex partners;
🔰Having sex while under the influence of drugs or alcohol can lower inhibitions and result in greater sexual risk-taking

Prevention of STIs and RTIs

📒Reducing a number of self-reported risk behaviors, including:

1.Engagement in any sexual activity
2.Frequency of sexual activity
3.Number of partners, and
4. frequency of unprotected sexual activity

_Increasing the self-reported use of protection against pregnancy and STIs
_Reducing the incidence of self-reported or clinically-documented sexually transmitted infections
📒Use protective tools eg. Condoms
📒Choose less risky sexual behaviors
Use condoms consistently and correctly;

📒Reduce the number of people with whom you have sex;
📒Limit or eliminate drug and alcohol use before and during sex;
📒Have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider and ask whether you should be tested for STDs and HIV;

📒Talk to your healthcare provider and find out if preexposure prophylaxis, or PEP, is a good option for you to prevent HIV infection.

If already have HIV, and then I get an STD, does that put my sex partner(s) at an increased risk for getting HIV?

It can. If you already have HIV, and then get another STD, it can put your HIV-negative partners at greater risk of getting HIV from you.

Your sex partners are less likely to get HIV from you if you

📔Use antiretroviral therapy (ART).  ART reduces the amount of virus (viral load) in your blood and body fluids. ART can keep you healthy for many years, and greatly reduce your chance of transmitting HIV to sex partners, if taken consistently.Choose less risky sexual behaviors.Use condoms consistently and correctly.

📔There a risk of getting HIV may also be reduced if your partner takes pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, after discussing this option with his or her healthcare provider and determining whether it is appropriate.

Will treating STDs prevent me from getting HIV?  

No. It’s not enough.  

If you get treated for an STD, this will help to prevent its complications, and prevent spreading STDs to your sex partners. Treatment for an STD other than HIV does not prevent the spread of HIV.

If you are diagnosed with an STD, talk to your doctor about ways to protect yourself and your partner(s) from getting reinfected with the same STD, or getting HIV.

Relationship between STIs/RTIs and HIV Infection and their Prevention
and Control

📔Relationship between STIs/RTIs and HIV Infection
📔 STIs/RTIs facilitate sexual acquisition and transmission of HIV
📔Other STIs/RTIs and HIV share the same major transmission routes
📔Risk behaviours for other STIs/RTIs and HIV are the same
📔Intervention of STIs/RTIs decreases HIV incidence
📔HIV can change clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of other STIs/RTIs

References
Medscape , CDC & webmed