- The rise of STIs across Gauteng shows how important education and prevention are.
- Understanding how different symptoms in women and men present themselves key.
- There is support available for diagnosed people in the event of wanting to disclose to a partner or loved one.
It’s the heat of the moment and all you can think of is engaging in a passionate night with that special someone you’ve had your eye on.
But what many tend to gloss over is making sure you’re both keeping safe before doing the dead.
While not the sexiest conversation, being on the same page with your romantic partner about sexual health is more important now than ever.
The Gauteng Department of Health’s statement on the rise of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and HIV in areas around Johannesburg, the West Rand, Ekurhuleni, Katlehong and Tshwane is an important reminder to practice safe sex.
MEDIA STATEMENT || GAUTENG HEALTH CAUTIONS THE PUBLIC FROM ENGAGING IN RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AS STI INFECTION RISES pic.twitter.com/HW96TodWDq
— Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) February 11, 2024
Some STIs stay dormant in your system with little to no symptoms, this is why regular testing is so important - especially for pregnant woman.
MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko explains in the statement that, “Between April and December 2023, 1 255 out of 66 377 pregnant woman who presented at our facilities for antenatal care for the first time tested positive for syphilis.
“If left untreated in pregnant women, syphilis can have adverse outcomes for the growing baby as well as increase morbidity in the mother. It can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy (congenital syphilis), leading to stillbirths, health complications, congenital deformities and even infant death”
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Sexual freedom and education go hand in hand to not only demystify intimacy but also to make sure that any feelings of shame and denial around STIs is acknowledged and cared for.
How symptoms differ in women and men
Each infection presents its own forms of telltale signs. In ensuring that people get the opportunity to get it assessed and treated without fear of judgement, it’s important to know how to discern the symptoms.
Dr Chido Siame, a qualified clinician and clinical care lead for the medical app Kena Health, gives TRUELOVE some insight into the symptoms to look out for.
“Many STI symptoms are similar in men and women, like discharge or the presence of warts, sores or rash on the genitalia. Where symptoms differ is usually because of the different anatomy of men and women.
What the men should look out for
“Men often present with burning pain on urination, whereas women will not because a woman can have an infection in her vagina without it affecting her urethra. Men can also present with a painful and swollen scrotum.”
What the women should look out for
“Women, on the other hand, can present with lower abdominal pain that can be pretty severe. This is because women have an ‘open reproductive system’, meaning that an infection can move from the vagina, into the uterus, into the fallopian tubes and eventually out into the abdomen, causing considerable pain.”
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Erasing the stigma
This rise in infections can be attributed to risky sexual behaviour including a decrease in condom usage, multiple sexual partners and the overall stigma and shame around contracting an infection.
Dr Chido explains, “I think there is still a lot of shame and stigma associated with STIs and HIV because people conflate them with promiscuity, which is not the case at all. So, generally, when people realise that they have an STI or they are diagnosed with HIV, they do not seek treatment.
“They hardly ever tell their partner because they do not want to be accused of infidelity (even if they contracted the infection from that partner). So, shame and fear force people into silence and this just means that the infection is untreated and gets passed on.”
Keeping it a hundred
It comes without saying communication and transparency is key should one need to disclose whether they’ve been tested positive with their sexual partner.
As daunting as it seems, HIV/Aids activist Gail Johnson shares how with her organisation Nkosi’s Haven, you’re not alone.
“One of the better things to do is to counsel the person around their status first and get them into a level of accepting their status and that’s obviously not an overnight thing. Although as we know there’s medication now and it’s not the fearful death sentence anymore but it’s still a shock to someone who is diagnosed positive. So, the route we normally take is counselling around acceptance of this.”
Dr Chido affirms Gail’s sentiment explaining how online platforms also make it much easier for people to treat and get comfortable with their diagnosis.
“Kena Health offers patients online consultations with registered doctors or nurses. Online medical consultations provide a high degree of privacy and anonymity, making patients feel more comfortable to consult on more taboo or intimate medical issues.
“Our team is also focused on delivering real care and removing the stigma associated with STIs; we know that patients can sometimes face judgement and stigma when seeking help for these conditions.”
