Myths about sexually transmitted diseases debunked

Most sexually transmitted diseases have similar symptoms: itching, burning, pain, urinary problems, discharge. For an accurate diagnosis, doctors refer the patient to diagnostic tests. Many laboratories, in order to make it easier to take tests, offer comprehensive studies – 4, 6 or even 10-12 analyzes at once, i.e. the patient comes to the delivery of the biomaterial only once, and the tests are carried out according to several indicators.

As Valery Savanovich, an expert in the laboratory diagnostics market, tells MK, urogenital scraping is most often used to detect STIs, in which they look for DNA of various pathogens and sometimes find not one DNA, but several. This is how you can detect the most common STIs:

Chlamydia trachomatis (causative agent of chlamydia);

Mycoplasma genitalium (the causative agent of mycoplasmosis);

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (causative agent of gonorrhea);

Trichomonas vaginalis (causative agent of trichomoniasis),

Ureaplasma spp (causative agent of ureaplasmosis);

herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2;

human papillomavirus of various types;

cytomegalovirus.

The procedure for the delivery of biomaterial requires some preparation. Women should definitely tell their doctor if they are pregnant. Also, tests are not taken during menstruation or 5 days before them. Otherwise, general recommendations apply. It is necessary to exclude sexual contacts 3 days before the analysis, 2 days before the analysis – to abandon colposcopy, vaginal ultrasound, local antibiotics and preparations with chlorine. On the day of the test, do not perform hygiene procedures, do not use tampons and napkins, and do not go to the toilet 2 hours before the test.

In women, a smear is taken in a gynecological chair. For men, a disposable probe is used, which is inserted into the urethra.

Top obscene infections

To understand the situation, MK studied the statistics on orders for STI tests collected by one network laboratory for 2020-2022. Of course, it is incorrect to extrapolate these results to the entire adult population of Russia. In addition, it should be borne in mind that there are many cases of mixed infection – when more than one infection is detected in one person, but several. Nevertheless, the data turned out to be very curious.

The number of orders for STIs in 2021 was 52% more than in 2020. For the first half of 2022, there is no growth yet: the quantitative indicator of orders remains the same as in the first half of 2021.

If we talk about the percentage of positive tests (of the total number of tests performed), then it has not changed since 2020 and is 11-12%. That is, for 100 STI tests, 11-12 tests will be positive. Three trends can be noted:

two-thirds of all positive results are obtained by two types of infection – Gardnerella vaginalis (36%) and Ureaplasma spp (30%);

gradual replacement of one infection with another: from 44% in 2020 to 55% in 2022, the proportion of positive tests for Ureaplasma spp increased, and the proportion of Ureaplasma parvum decreased from 28% in 2020 to 15% in 2022;

the number of tests for Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum increased 10 times in 2021 compared to 2020, while the number of orders for Ureaplasma spp and cytomegalovirus decreased: the number of tests for Ureaplasma spp decreased by 5%, and for cytomegalovirus by 11% .

Although the number of tests for STIs is increasing when comparing the number of tests performed in different years, the percentage of these tests decreases significantly in the total proportion of studies. In 2020, such studies accounted for 66% of all, in 2021 – 59%, and in 2022 – 51%. However, most likely this is due not to a sharp recovery of the nation and not to a loss of vigilance, but simply to the expansion of the range of laboratory tests.

Scary myths about STIs

Probably due to the fact that these diseases are considered “indecent”, i.e. you can’t talk about them aloud, they are surrounded by a huge number of myths. The most common – STIs can be caught by sitting on a towel, a deck chair, the side of the pool, shaking hands with the patient, swimming in the sea, the river, all the same pool … As Valery Savanovich says, the reason for the appearance of such a myth is simple: you can not admit to “obscene behavior”, the presence of sexual relations, and write everything off as a coincidence.

Alas, the truth is merciless – STIs are not transmitted by household means, as their very name indicates: sexually transmitted infections. The only thing to keep in mind is that mucosal contact is needed to transmit the infection. So barrier contraception is necessary for vaginal, anal, and oral sex.

By the way, about contraception. Another common misconception: some pathogens supposedly can make their way even through a condom! This myth is especially actively spread by men who are too lazy to use contraceptives or who do not like sex in a condom. However, not a single pathogen has yet managed to “gnaw through” the condom. Infection is possible only if the condom is damaged, worn incorrectly, or used more than once. As for the sensations, they will be unforgettable if, as a result of unprotected sex, you become infected with gonorrhea or chlamydia …

Two more popular myths concern precisely these diseases. Myth one: gonorrhea causes impotence. Oh, if it were so, how much the number of infections would decrease! But, alas, impotence appears only with improper treatment and (or) an advanced stage.

Myth #2: Chlamydia is incurable. Fortunately, this is not the case: you need to make an appointment with a dermatovenereologist immediately when suspicious symptoms appear. After receiving the tests, you should strictly adhere to the treatment regimen that the doctor will draw up.

And finally, the last, most dangerous and harmful myth is that there is some kind of miracle cure that will cure any STI. And in general, you can not go to the doctor, but solve the problem yourself, choosing a medicine according to recommendations from the Internet or the stories of friends. In no case should this be done: it is impossible to determine by eye what exactly a person has become infected with. That’s why doctors send you for tests. The same doctors do not just select drugs, prescribe a regimen, a schedule for taking and dosage. Any drug has its own side effects, and self-medication can seriously harm yourself.

When is it time to go to the doctor?

Here are the symptoms that should alert you:

mucous or purulent-mucous discharge with an unpleasant odor;

itching and burning in the genital area;

pain in the genital area and lower abdomen;

increased bleeding during menstruation;

prolonged urethritis in men;

pain during urination and sexual intercourse;

the appearance of pus, blood or discharge in the urine;

frequent urge to urinate;

bubbles with a clear liquid on the skin, leaving behind ulcers.

In Russia, six STIs are most often diagnosed.

In the first place in frequency is chlamydia, which is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Women are more susceptible to this disease than men.

In second place is trichomoniasis (the causative agent is Trichomonas), one of the most common STIs in the world: according to WHO, up to 170 million people are infected with it every year.

Number three is gonorrhea (the causative agent is gonococcus), the danger of which is that it can develop asymptomatically for some time.

Number four is mycoplasmosis, which is caused by the mycoplasma species Mycoplasma genitalium. Without treatment, it leads to serious complications, including during pregnancy.

Fifth place went to genital herpes, and sixth went to HPV (human papillomavirus). Its manifestations range from condyloma to cancer of the cervix, throat, rectum.