African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic STD's ... - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 24 - Disparities: Racial Gaps Seen in
Chlamydia Screening
youngest women and those with insurance were slightly
more likely to be tested than the older and the uninsured.
But black women were three times as likely to be tested
as white women, and Hispanic women almost 13 times as
likely to be tested.
Chlamydia rates are higher among blacks and Hispanics,
and this could be a reason to screen them more often than
whites. But cervical cancer rates, for example, are also
higher among blacks and Hispanics, yet there is no
difference by race in screening for that disease. The
authors say the stigma attached to a sexually transmitted
infection like chlamydia may make clinicians less likely
to test white women.
The lead author, Dr. Sarah E. Wiehe, an assistant
professor of pediatrics at Indiana University, said these
differences in screening might have a significant effect on
reported rates of disease. “There is a higher prevalence of
chlamydia among certain women,” she said. “We don’t
know how much of that is driven by differences in
screening.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/health/research/01disparit
ies.html_r=1&ref=venerealdiseases
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Uganda: Sexually
Transmitted Infections in Men
By Christine Katende
23 June 2011
Daily Monitor
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are usually
associated with women, both as the victims and sources.
Men, too, however suffer from STIs, according to Dr
Joseph Ogavu Gyagenda, a senior medical officer at
Nsambya hospital. However, the presentation or
symptoms as particular STIs may be known may differ in
men.
Gyagenda says that the uncircumcised men are especially
more prone, since a lot of germs hide under the fore skin
giving chance to infections to thrive. STIs are diseases
transmitted through sexual intercourse.
There are a number of sexually transmitted diseases, with
different symptoms, and they can be spread through
different forms of sex, be it vaginal, anal and oral sex.
"The perception that if one avoids vaginal sex they will
not catch STIs is wrong; whichever way you have sex
predisposes you to these infections, as long as it is unsafe
or unprotected sex," the doctor asserts.
He explains the different STIs and how they are most
likely to present in men compared to women.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea can infect the urethra, rectum, anus, and
throat, usually appearing one to 10 days after exposure.
It is a serious infection in women that reveals itself
with a yellowish vaginal discharge and itching around
the vaginal area. Untreated, gonorrhea can lead to a
severe pelvic infection and swelling of the fallopian
tubes and ovaries.
In men, it carries symptoms that include a discharge
from the anus if the rectum is infected, a burning
sensation when passing urine and a yellow discharge
from the penis.
Syphilis
A common STI with seemingly unserious or painless
symptoms hence taking months or even years to
identify, syphilis is a bacterial infection. A woman who
has syphilis will have symptoms like skin rash that
appears on her palms and the bottom of the feet, white
patches in her mouth, nose and the vagina, a sore
throat, headaches and fever. A man with syphilis will
have symptoms like painless ulcers on the penis, a nonitchy
rash on the penis and 'unserious fever'.
The doctor however warns that despite its subtle
symptoms, this infection can become serious, whether
in men or women, if not treated. "This is a dangerous
infection and if it goes untreated, one is most likely to
get complications like a stricture, where the urethra gets
blocked, making it uneasy to pass urine," says the
doctor emphasising that this could even lead to death.
Chlamydia
Also a bacterial infection, chlamydia is, according to
Dr Gyagenda, common in people with different sex
partners. In women, it will present a vaginal discharge,
frequent urination, pain while passing urine, pain
during sexual intercourse, bleeding after having sex and
lower abdominal pains.
Among men, the doctor says that the symptoms are
more likely the same as those of gonorrhea; a burning
sensation when passing urine, discharge from the
penis and discharge from the rectum (anus).
Trichomoniasis
This infection is caused by an organism transmitted
during sexual intercourse. In both women and men,
transmission is usually through anal, oral or vaginal sex
with an infected person. Trichomoniasis is associated
Continued on page 26
-25- Traditional African Clinic October 2011