Sexually Transmitted Infections
May 14, 2012
In 1917, as the First World War
drew to its close, the Methodist
minister and self-appointed
moral guardian Rev J. Frank
Chase commented that: “It is
generally recognised that a bad
and diseased woman can do
more harm than any German
fleet of airplanes that has yet
passed over London.”
Of course sexually transmitted
infections (STIs) have been with
us as long as sex has.
The reality is that STIs are a risk
for anyone who is sexually active.
That risk is amplified whenever
unsafe sex occurs or when people
lack basic information about the
symptoms, transmission, and
treatment of STIs.
Some STIs are associated with
not just transient discomfort and
embarrassment but have the
potential for significant life-long
consequences including
infertility and pregnancy loss.
And perhaps the biggest trick
of all is that many STIs depend
on their lack of symptoms for
easy transmission- so that
control depends on honesty,
awareness and regular testing.
There is no doubt that effective
STI management requires buy-in
from all of us- health workers,
parents, teachers, government
leaders, the media and the
community itself.
Certainly in many countries
pharmacists are playing an
increasingly recognised role in
this area, both as reliable
sources of information and as a
point where self-collected
testing can be easily accessed.
Let’s hope we see similar
innovations in Australia.
This week’s
contributor is
Dr Terri Foran, Sexual
Health Physician and Lecturer,
School of Women’s and
Children’s Health at the
University of NSW.
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