By: Ayeza M. Cobarde, MD, DPOGS
Swipe Right, Stay Safe: How Fun can Lead to PID
Summary
Learn about sexually transmitted infections and how you can look out for and reduce the risk of acquiring it.
Table of Contents
Swipe left, swipe right, or just basically swipe right and see who takes the bait. Social media is a tool, which makes everyone that much closer. Word of warning though, these connections may be easier to make, but are much harder to keep. It’s clear that this type of interaction may not be good for long lasting relationships, but what if a temporary connection is all you want?
Everything has become accessible by a click of a button – including sex.
The 15-24 year-old age group comprises 19% of the total population of the Philippines, which is approximately 20 million. Unsurprisingly, this age group is also the largest user of social media, which is one of the main sources of exposure to sex. The problem with this accessibility is the lack of knowledge. Only one in three individuals of this age group know about sexually transmitted infection, despite the age of sexual initiation getting lower per census.
With the lack of adequate and correct information about sex, the youth end up consulting social media and their peers, which may not provide the best, or even, correct information.
What are STIs?
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are those spread through sexual contact, including vaginal, oral, and anal intercourse. Examples of these infections include gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and trichomoniasis. If left untreated, these infections can spread locally and can result to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) affecting the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.
How Can You Reduce the Risk of STIs?
So, what can individuals take note of to help reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infection?
1. Contraception
Understandably, the best method would be complete abstinence, and the next would be complete monogamy. However, 60-80% of sexual initiation happens before marriage, which makes even one partner for life (and taking monogamy in the best usage of the term), not quite certain. The next best method for protection from infections would be a barrier method, which would protect both partners. Yet, based on a census done, only about half of those who engage in sexual behaviors use condoms
2. Know yourself (and recognize these symptoms)
Pelvic Pain
Occasional pain is normal during an ovulatory cycle. Mid-cycle pain is termed as “ovulation pain” which occurs only for a few hours to a day. Any longer should raise concern to the individual. Additionally, some pain may be felt as part of the pre-menstrual syndrome. Sometimes these symptoms occur one week to a few days before the start of menses.
When pain occurs – intensity, location, duration, and association to other symptoms should be noted. Pain that occurs with fever, or pain that occurs during sex, warrants further investigation sooner.
Vaginal Discharge
Vaginal discharge is normal, and sometimes may change from day to day. However, when it is yellow, green, or has an unusual odor, a consult is suggested.
Menstrual Irregularities
A normal cycle lasts 7-9 days, with a range of 24-38 days. A menstrual diary is suggested, so that it is easier to track patterns (or lack of which) in menstruation. This can be irregular cycles, heavy cycles, prolonged periods, or spotting in between periods.
Urination
Since the vagina and the urethra are in such close proximity with each other, infections can occur concurrently, or symptoms can be mistaken for a urinary tract infection
Other symptoms to watch out for include:
Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting which are nonspecific signs of infection but may indicate that the disease has progressed
Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain may also indicate that the inflammation from the infection is worse since the pain is referred to another area
Furthermore, don’t wait if you have the following symptoms (high fever T >38 C, intense pelvic or abdominal pain, or fainting, fast heart rate, or severe body weakness) because these may be signs that the infection has spread and might become life threatening.
In contrast, there is a small subset of women in which infection can present atypically and as such, may be asymptomatic. So, regular gynecologic checkup and STI screening is important, especially for those who engage in high-risk sexual behavior.
Like any other illness, early detection and treatment of sexually transmitted infections can help prevent long-term complications. If you suspect STI or PID, consult your doctor immediately.
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