Question

Select a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and do research on it Write a 3-5 page paper discuss the concepts below: L. Write a 3-5 page paper about the condition/issue. In the paper Why sexually transmitted infection (STI) are an epidemic worldwide The impact the STI can have on the client and others in the client's life How to prevent the STI • How to treat the STI • How you will incorporate awareness of STIs when assessing and educating clients in your pracuce Use 2-3 evidence-based articles from peer-reviewed journals or scholarly sources to support your findings. Be sure to cite your sources in-text and on a References page using APA format

Nursing 2063

Answer 1

Many STIs are spread through contact with infected body fluids such as blood, vaginal fluids, or semen. They can also be spread through contact with infected skin or mucous membranes, such as sores in the mouth. You may be exposed to infected body fluids and skin through vaginal, anal or oral sex

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are among the first ten causes of unpleasant diseases in young adult males in developing countries and the second major cause of unpleasant diseases in young adult women. Adolescents and young adults (15-24 years old) make up only 25% of the sexually active population, but represent almost 50% of all new acquired STDs. In general, STDs are epidemics and present an enormous health and economic consequences. An adequate screening for STDs should be done on a routine basis in every part of the world. Many STDs are asymptomatic and therefore can difficult to control. The purpose of reporting of STDs is to ensure that persons who are infected will be quickly diagnosed and appropriately treated to control the spread of infection and also so that partners are notified, tested and appropriately treated. It is estimated that reported cases of STDs represent only 50%-80% of reportable STD infections in the United States, reflecting limited screening and low disease reporting. High-risk sexual behavior is a highly contributive factor of this process as it often leads to teenage pregnancies and HIV/AIDS. One possible explanation for this behavior is that people do not have enough information about the transmission of STDs or ignore the precautions required for safe sex. Approximately 60% of new HIV infections worldwide occur in young people. The frequency of high-risk behaviors among youths may also be influenced by opportunity to engage in them, particularly the amount of time that they are unsupervised by adults. However, in diagnosing and treating these patients, we can effectively prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Individuals infected with STDs are 5-10 times more likely than uninfected individuals to acquire or transmit HIV through sexual contact. The breaking of the genital tract lining or skin creates a portal of entry for HIV and, hence, HIV-infected individuals with other STDs are more likely to shed HIV in their genital secretions. To date, the condom is the most effective method available for males for protection against STDs. It is important to control STDs, and prevention can be the key of this process. Prevention can be achieved through education of the population, identification of symptomatic and asymptomatic people, and effective diagnosis and treatment of these patients and their partners.

Consequences of untreated STIs

If not identified and treated promptly, STIs can cause serious long term consequences, and most morbidity and mortality occurs in women and infants (WHO, 2006).

• Infertility, tubal pregnancy, and maternal mortality. Untreated bacterial STIs in women result in pelvic inflammatory disease in up to 40% of infections; and 1 in every 3 of these will result in infertility. Tubal damage from STIs can lead to ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, the cause of up to 10% of maternal mortality in settings with high STI prevalence. Chronic pelvic pain from untreated bacterial STIs is an important cause of health care visits among women.

• Infant blindness. Up to 4000 newborn babies become blind every year because of eye infections that are attributable to untreated maternal STIs, and that could be easily prevented with topical infant eye medications.

• Perinatal deaths. Syphilis is one of the most important causes of adverse pregnancy outcomes globally, estimated to account for up to 1,500,000 perinatal deaths each year—equal or exceeding the perinatal mortality associated with either HIV or malaria. In Africa and Latin America, 2 to 15% of all pregnancies are in women with untreated syphilis. Infected women will experience an overall perinatal mortality of 40%—including stillborn infants and early neonatal deaths.

• Chronic liver disease and death. Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most important cause of disability and death from liver disease in developing world settings—causing 1 in 40 deaths among adults globally each year. Most HBV is transmitted from mother to child at birth. Existing HBV vaccine if provided for neonates could prevent 30 to 70% of all deaths related to liver cancers and cirrhosis among adults living in developing settings.

• Cervical cancer and death. Cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality among African women, and its frequency and progression are increased with HIV infection. New vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) infection could stop the early death of approximately 240,000 women from cervical cancer every year in resource poor settings.

• Prevention of STIs:

  To prevent getting a sexually transmitted disease, or STD, always avoid sex with anyone who has genital sores, a rash, discharge, or other symptoms. The only time unprotected sex is safe is if you and your partner have sex only with each other, and if it's been at least six months since you each tested negative for STDs. Otherwise you should:

• Use latex condoms every time you have sex. If you use a lubricant, make sure it's water-based. Use condoms for the entire sex act. Condoms are not 100% effective at preventing disease or pregnancy. However, they are extremely effective if used properly. Learn how to use condoms correctly.
• Avoid sharing towels or underclothing.
• Wash before and after intercourse.
• Get a vaccination for hepatitis B. This is a series of three shots.
• Get tested for HIV.
• If you have a problem with drug or alcohol abuse, get help. People who are drunk or on drugs often fail to have safe sex.
• Consider that not having sex is the only sure way to prevent STD

• Diagnosis

  Tests

  If your sexual history and current signs and symptoms suggest that you have a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or a sexually transmitted infection (STI), laboratory tests can identify the cause and detect coinfections you might also have.

• Blood tests. Blood tests can confirm the diagnosis of HIV or later stages of syphilis.
• Urine samples. Some STIs can be confirmed with a urine sample.
• Fluid samples. If you have open genital sores, your doctor may test fluid and samples from the sores to diagnose the type of infection.

• Treatment

  Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by bacteria are generally easier to treat. Viral infections can be managed but not always cured. If you are pregnant and have an STI, getting treatment right away can prevent or reduce the risk of your baby becoming infected.

  Treatment for STIs usually consists of one of the following, depending on the infection:

• Antibiotics. Antibiotics, often in a single dose, can cure many sexually transmitted bacterial and parasitic infections, including gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia and trichomoniasis. Typically, you'll be treated for gonorrhea and chlamydia at the same time because the two infections often appear together.

  Once you start antibiotic treatment, it's necessary to follow through. If you don't think you'll be able to take medication as prescribed, tell your doctor. A shorter, simpler course of treatment may be available.

  In addition, it's important to abstain from sex until seven days after you've completed antibiotic treatment and any sores have healed. Experts also suggest women be retested in about three months because there's high chance of reinfection.

• Antiviral drugs. If you have herpes or HIV, you'll be prescribed an antiviral drug. You'll have fewer herpes recurrences if you take daily suppressive therapy with a prescription antiviral drug. However, it's still possible to give your partner herpes.

  Antiviral drugs can keep HIV infection in check for many years. But you will still carry the virus and can still transmit it, though the risk is lower.

  The sooner you start treatment, the more effective it is. If you take your medications exactly as directed, it's possible to reduce your virus count so low that it can hardly be detected.

• If you've had an STI, ask your doctor how long after treatment you need to be retested. Getting retested will ensure that the treatment worked and that you haven't been reinfected.

  Partner notification and preventive treatment

  If tests show that you have an STI, your sex partners — including your current partners and any other partners you've had over the last three months to one year — need to be informed so that they can get tested. If they're infected, they can then be treated.

  Each state has different requirements, but most states require that certain STIs be reported to the local or state health department. Public health departments often employ trained disease intervention specialists who can help notify partners and refer people for treatment.

  Official, confidential partner notification can help limit the spread of STIs, particularly for syphilis and HIV. The practice also steers those at risk toward counseling and the right treatment. And since you can contract some STIs more than once, partner notification reduces your risk of getting reinfected.

• Health Education:

• Safe and highly effective vaccines are available for 2 STIs: hepatitis B and HPV. These vaccines have represented major advances in STI prevention. The vaccine against hepatitis B is included in infant immunization programmes in 95% of countries and prevents millions of deaths from chronic liver disease and cancer annually.

  As of October 2018, the HPV vaccine is available as part of routine immunization programmes in 85 countries, most of them high- and middle-income. HPV vaccination could prevent the deaths of millions of women over the next decade in low- and middle-income countries, where most cases of cervical cancer occur, if high (>80%) vaccination coverage of young women (ages 11-15) can be achieved.

  Research to develop vaccines against herpes and HIV is advanced, with several vaccine candidates in early clinical development. Research into vaccines for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis is in earlier stages of development.

  Other biomedical interventions to prevent some STIs include adult male circumcision and microbicides.

• Male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60% and provides some protection against other STIs, such as herpes and HPV.
• Tenofovir gel, when used as a vaginal microbicide, has had mixed results in terms of the ability to prevent HIV acquisition, but has shown some effectiveness against HSV-2.