Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinics or GUM clinics.
STIs are usually transmitted by close sexual contact. The
more sex you have with more partners, the more risk you
run of making that contact. They are most prevalent among teenagers, young
adults, and gay men. In the US, nearly two-thirds of all STIs occur in
people under 25.
Many people with an STI have no symptoms. So it's important that if you
- or your partner - have more than one sex partner, you periodically attend
a GUM clinic for a checkup.
Women are less likely to experience symptoms from STIs, so often don't
seek treatment as soon as their male counterparts, and long-term health
problems caused by STIs tend to be more severe and frequent. Some STIs
can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, which may then lead to fertility
problems. If a pregnant woman has certain STIs it is possible for the
baby to contract them before or during the delivery. This may be life-threatening.
Can STIs be treated?
Most STIs, when diagnosed early, can be treated effectively. Some, such
as certain strains of gonorrhoea, have become resistant to the antibiotics
that are commonly used to treat them and now require newer types. You
should always take the full course of medication and return to your clinic
for follow-up appointments.
Some, however, have no cure - of which HIV is the most serious. But early
diagnosis, regular check-ups, monitoring and modern combination therapy
can all help to control infections. Others, like hepatitis B, can be vaccinated
against.
The infections in alphabetical order:
A - G
Candidiasis see Thrush
Chancroid
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What is it? Chancroid is caused by a bacterium called Haemophilus ducreyi. Already
