AIDS is short for Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS has become a veritable plague, and is so far incurable.
First of all the body is infected by a “retrovirus” which destroys certain blood cells that normally ensure the body’s immune defences.
The retrovirus can be detected right from the start, by a test developed by the Institut Pasteur in France.
If the test shows you are “seropositive”, there is no need to panic. For the moment, you are only a “healthy carrier”. You will not necessarily develop the disease itself, but you may very well transmit it. You must therefore take very strict precautions: avoid one-night stands and bisexuality. Use a sheath. If you are a drug addict, never share a syringe.
The virus is transmitted through the sperm, or via the blood if there is a skin wound. The fact that AIDS has hit homosexuals hardest is due to the frequent presence of small wounds or irritation in the rectum.
A seropositive mother can transmit the virus to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. AIDS is more serious in a small child.
The usual symptoms of AIDS proper are: swollen lymph glands (neck, groin, arms); general tiredness.
Because of the destruction of their immune defences, AIDS sufferers succumb to pneumonia or certain types of skin cancer.
For the record, we will just list here three other sexually transmitted diseases which are barely encountered outside the tropical regions:
Soft chancre. Symptoms are painful lesions in genital area, followed by swelling of the glands in the groin. It is treated with sulfonamides.
Donovanosis. This forms a red area around the genitals or in the anal area, which then starts to bleed. This is easily cured with antibiotics.
Nicolas Fabre disease. At first this involves a small spot on the vulva or penis, which is painless and may go unnoticed. About a month later abscesses appear, together with headaches, aching joints and fever attacks. Antibiotic treatment is only effective if the disease is caught early on. Otherwise a surgical operation is needed.
Finally, there are the non-specific infections. These are benign diseases but are sexually transmitted nonetheless. They react well to antibiotics, but relapses may occur.
In men non-specific urethritis is fairly common. The symptoms are fairly similar to those of gonorrhoea: pain on urinating and abnormal discharges. If left untreated, the infection will spread to the bladder, prostate and testicles.
A more serious form is recognized, known as Reiter’s disease.
In women the vagina and cervix may become inflamed, with accompanying abdominal pain, abnormal vaginal discharges and frequent need to urinate.
Other nonspecific infections affect men and women alike.
Genital herpes is a virus disease, but is not systematically contagious. Typical signs are small, painful vesicles around the penis and vagina, lasting two to three weeks. They often recur later in a less acute form. There is no effective treatment for herpes at the present time. The best one can do is to shorten the time it lasts and soothe the pain by local analgesics and anaesthetics. It is best to wear cotton underpants and to avoid tight trousers. In women, genital herpes may suggest a predisposition to cervical cancer. An annual vaginal smear is recommended. If the sufferer is pregnant, a caesarean birth may protect the baby from contamination.
Genital warts are generally caused by a virus. A tight group of warts appears around the genital organs and anus. They can be treated by electrocoagulation or “cold burning” with liquid nitrogen.
Thrush (Candida) and Monilia cause irritation. In women they are treated with vaginal pessaries, in men with locally applied ointments.
Trichomonas is a microscopic parasite which attaches itself to the urethra, vagina or cervix, causing a frothy, greenish discharge with a fetid odour. In men there is often no visible sign, which increases the risk of unwittingly passing it on. There are oral treatments available.
Pubic lice (crabs). The presence of pubic lice is indicated by itching round the base of the hairs on the pubis and around the anus. They can be eliminated with local applications of insecticidal creams or powders.
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