Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are contracted through oral, vaginal, or anal sex. STDs are widespread, especially among the youth. Studies show that about 20 million new cases are recorded yearly in the US, and about 50% of these individuals are between 15 and 24 years old (Sieving et al., 2019). Most STDs are curable, and those that are not, are easily managed with medical treatment. An example of an incurable STD is HIV, while an example of a curable one is chlamydia.
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a sexually-transmitted virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV can also be transmitted through blood transfusions. The typical clinical manifestations of HIV are prolonged swelling of the lymph nodes and glands, recurring fever, diarrhea lasting more than a week, and excessive perspiration. Chlamydia is an STD that primarily causes symptoms in women (Kreisel et al., 2021). The typical clinical manifestations of chlamydia are genital pain and discharge from the vagina or penis.
HIV is caused by a retrovirus, which functions oppositely to human cells. Viruses cause health deterioration by inserting abnormal instructions in the cell DNA replication process. Retroviruses cause even more significant damage since the instructions inserted work antagonistically with the normal human cell patterns. Chlamydia, on the other hand, is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, which is a bacterium. The bacteria invade the cells and replicate, which precipitates immune reactions that cause the manifestation of the clinical symptoms.
The HIV retrovirus invades CD4+ cells and migrates into the nucleus, where it utilizes its reverse transcriptase enzyme to transform its RNA genome into a DNA genome (Tutar & Yücel, 2021). The HIV’s DNA copy is replicated in the nucleus, infecting the entire cell, after which the HIV migrates to another cell. Therefore, the reason why HIV is so hard to cure is that it resides in the nucleus, which is a stable reservoir where it goes undetected by the immune system and the medication administered. Additionally, HIV primarily affects the CD4+ cells, which weakens the immune system.
Chlamydia can be treated using antibiotics like Doxycycline and Azithromycin. There is no recurrent manifestation of the symptoms after successful treatment unless an individual contracts the disease again. Incurable STDs like HIV were almost always contagious, but recent medical advancements have changed that. Studies indicate that taking HIV drugs that make the viral load undetectable lowers the chances of transmitting it to another individual, even through unprotected sexual contact (Eriksen et al., 2021). Therefore, a person infected with HIV would not always be listed as contagious.
One strategy for preventing the contraction of HIV is through abstinence when an individual is unmarried. Married individuals should be faithful to their partners since the disease can easily be spread and contacted by having multiple sexual partners. Individuals should also practice safe and protected sex, using condoms to prevent skin-to-skin contact and mixing body fluids that may contain the virus. Finally, individuals can also take advantage of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which prevent the contraction of the disease.
In summary, HIV is an incurable viral STD which presents flu-like and causes AIDS after a long period. HIV is easily managed using modern medicine but can be prevented entirely through abstinence or by practicing safe and protected sex. Chlamydia is a bacterial STD that primarily manifests symptoms in women. Chlamydia is easily treated using antibiotics, which eliminate the disease and its symptoms. In general, being informed about sexually transmitted diseases can help people take preventative measures to reduce their risk of infection.
References
Eriksen, J., Albert, J., Axelsson, M., Berglund, T., Brännström, J., Gaines, H., & Tegnell, A. (2021). Contagiousness in treated HIV-1 infection. Infectious Diseases, 53(1), 1-8. Web.
Kreisel, K. M., Weston, E. J., Cyr, S. B. S., & Spicknall, I. H. (2021). Estimates of the prevalence and incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea among US men and women, 2018. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 48(4), 222-231. Web.
Sieving, R. E., O’Brien, J. R. G., Saftner, M. A., & Argo, T. A. (2019). Sexually transmitted diseases among US adolescents and young adults: patterns, clinical considerations, and prevention. Nursing Clinics, 54(2), 207-225. Web.
Tutar, S., & Yücel, Y. (2021). Decoding Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Research & Reviews in Health Sciences-II