Gynaecologists on Friday advised women to regularly go for medical checkup and treat Sexually Transmitted Infections and Diseases (STIs and STDs) to prevent infertility and death .
The experts, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said most common STIs that affect women are Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Genital herpes and HIV/AIDS.
According to them, young women between the ages of 19 and 24 are more prone to these infections because they are sexually active and productive.
Dr Uzoma Nwosu, a Lagos-based Consultant Gynaecologist, said that untreated STDs in women could damage the uterus and also cause ectopic pregnancy.
“The potential health complications of STDs for women include Infertility, Ectopic Pregnancy, Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases (PID), Infection of Newborns, Heart Disease and Brain Function and even Cervical Cancer.
“It is estimated that about two out of five women who are not treated for chlamydia infection degenerate to PID which can lead to pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility,” he said.
According to Nwosu, pregnant women with untreated syphilis, herpes virus, hepatitis B or HIV may pass these infections on to their babies.
“These can cause premature birth, stillbirth, death soon after birth, some birth defects and in the case of HIV, lifetime infection.’’
He said that untreated STIs could also lead to cardiovascular and neurological problems and sometimes, even death.
Another gynaecologist, Dr Philip Ogbole of the Mount Royal Clinics, said that the rate of STIs in the country was high and tasked women to take responsibility for their health.
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that more than one million people acquire an STI every day.
“An estimated 500 million people become ill with one of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis, annually.
“More than 530 million people have the virus that causes genital herpes (HSV2) and more than 290 million women have a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
“You can imagine how high these figures even when brought down to Nigeria,’’ he quoted the WHO as saying.
“In America, where there are accurate documentation of data and statistics, data shows that the rate of most of these infections was more than two and half times the rate among men.’’
Ogbole said that most STIs had no obvious symptoms.
“A person can have an STI without having obvious symptoms of disease, and many people with these conditions are also not diagnosed.
“This poses a huge challenge in arresting the spread of the diseases as well as in stemming the harmful effects of these conditions.
“However, the most common symptoms of these STIs are painful urination and vaginal discharge in women and for men.
“The other is discharge from the penis ranging from clear and white to greenish or yellowish discharge,’’ Ogbole said.
The gynaecologist said that other symptoms could include pains during sexual intercourse, strong vaginal odour, itching or irritation, as well as lower abdominal pain.
Ogbole urged women to take their health seriously and ensure proper treatment at all times.
“ Women should always be the ones at the fore front of protecting themselves.
“The best way to prevent the transmission of STIs is to abstain from all forms of sex.
“One can also reduce the risk of contracting STD by using a new latex condom every time during sex.
“It is also imperative to get vaccinated, especially in the case of HPV to reduce the risk of contracting some of the virus types that cause cervical cancer
“Always go for regular checkups and tests, for proper diagnosis and treatment. Then most of all, remain faithful to one faithful partner,’’ Ogbole advised.
NAN reports that STDs, also referred to as STIs and venereal diseases are illnesses that have a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of sexual behaviour. (NAN)
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