Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Full Protection Prophylactic - Research Paper Example

Sexually transmitted diseases: importance of ‘full protection prophalactic’ The infectious diseases most common in the present world in more or less all developed as well as developing countries are the diseases that are transmitted sexually or often termed as the venereal diseases. These diseases have their origins in the infectious organisms that are transmitted between sex partners. According to a report of the United States of America for the year 2010 more than more than 19 million people that include both male and female population of the country have been infected by the sexually transmitted diseases every year. Till date medical researchers have been able in identifying about 20 different infectious diseases that are transmitted through sexual interactions. (Sexually Transmitted Diseases Overview, 2011)  Mere use of protection like condoms is not enough to combat these diseases; hence identifying risk free means of protection is more important in this context.      Generally the infections get transmitted in having sex relation with persons infected with the disease or carrying the germs of the infections. Some forms of Bacteria, parasites and some viruses are generally the main causes of these sexually transmitted diseases. Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, herpes Simplex, HPV, Syphilis and Trichomoniasis are some of the common form of diseases that are transmitted sexually. However the most common of all the sexually transmitted diseases is HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) or AIDS. This is the most common disease that have captured the attention of the medical researchers due to the huge rate of the spread of the disease among every nations and the harm it causes to the infected person. HIV possesses the ability of destroying the total immune system of the body of the infected person. AIDS is the most advance stage of the HIV infection. Even with the advancement of the medical research no cures for the disease have still been identified and the ultimate faith of the infected person is death. Certain medicines have been invented that helps in fighting the infection and allowing the infected person for living with the disease for certain years. (HIV/AIDS, 2011)      The severity of the disease, which is only a single type of the many forms of sexually transmitted diseases, is enough in understanding the threat these diseases bring to lives of human beings. These diseases that can affect both male and female have more severe impacts on women health in many cases. These sexually transmitted diseases have very serious impact on pregnant women as it might even cause very serious problems for the baby’s health. Certain antibiotics or medicines of some other forms can be provided by the health care providers for the sexually transmitted diseases that have bacteria or some other parasites behind its cause. Virus caused sexually transmitted diseases have few medicines that can help for controlling the spread of the disease but no medicines can causes total cure of the disease. Thus in maximum cases there are no proper cure of the sexually transmitted diseases. Because of this lack of proper medical cure of the disease the medical researchers have focused on measures for reducing the spread of the disease that is to a certain extent have been a threat to medical science. The medical experts in controlling the spread of the disease have prescribed usage of Latex condoms. Correct usage of it reduces the chance of catching as well as the spread of the sexually transmitted disease but they are also not competent enough of completely eliminating the risk of the disease. (Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 2011) An estimation of the study made in America reveals about 68 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases infections currently in the country. There has been a huge increase in the rate of the spread of the disease. Though it was expected that with more modernization and increased consciousness among the general people rate of being infected by the disease will ultimately decrease but the reality was something different. Study of America for the year 1970 reveals that only one people in 47 adolescents had reported of being infected and contracted sexually transmitted disease. The rate of the spread of the disease was so much high that in the year 2008 the figure stands at one in every four people of the same age group, mainly the adolescents. Study have revealed that about 15.3 million new infections from sexually transmitted disease get to occur every year which includes about more than 4 million infections only among the people said to be the teenagers. In about 65 of the 68 million cases of the current infections reported, Herpes and the Human Papilloma Virus or the HPV are noted to be the most common of all the diseases transmitted sexually. Genital Herpes has been estimated to be present among 20 percent of the Americans of the age group 12 and above. (Agape PRC, 2008) Attempts have been made through various campaigns for increasing the consciousness of general public in the use of condoms and other preventions in order to reduce the risk of infecting with the infectious diseases. The most recent invention in this path has been of a condom named the ‘Full Protection Prophalactic’. The name has been suitably provided keeping in par the meaning of the name and its functions. In general Prophalactic means any device that control and prevent the occurrence of pregnancy. More to this the product is also a step towards the reduction of the risk associated with the spread of the sexually transmitted diseases like those that occur through skin contacts with the person infected like the HPV or the Herpes Genital Virus, along with scabies and public lice (Rathus, Nevid, Fichner-Rathus, Bissell, & McKenzie, 2004). Recently there have been increased emphases on the use of such products, which serve as the barrier for the diseases that are transmitted sexually. Various studies have proved that use of condoms have been effective in providing and securing protection against the sexually transmitted diseases mainly protection against HIV and other STDs like HPV, scabies etc. According to World Health Organization, UNAIDS and UNFPA the condoms specially latex condoms have been the technology available that is mostly efficient in reducing the transmission of HIV and other infectious diseases transmitted sexually. A study has been made on 123 couples of Europe. The focus of the study was mainly the discordant couples. Discordant couples mean the couples those who have one person being infected with the infectious diseases of any type with the main focus on Aids and not both of them. The study reveals that continuous and consistent uses of condoms by them have prevented the spread of the disease to the uninfected partner and no incidents of transmission have been identified. On the other hand 12 percent of the couples reported of inconsistent use of condoms have been reported of the disease being transmitted from the infected partner to the uninfected one and hence resulting in the spread of the infectious disease to the partner through sexual transmission. More recent study made by the medical professionals reveals that there has been over 80 percent reduction in the incidence of HIV and other similar infectious diseases only through use of condoms consistently among the discordant couples. Sexual diseases like Chlamydia, genital herpes along with gonorrhea and syphilis can also be controlled through the consistent use of condoms, which helps reducing the risk of these diseases. (Effectiveness of condoms, n.d) Thus the preventives like the Prophalactic offer protection from the spread of most of the diseases that are transmitted sexually. However exposure and contact of exposed skin with the infected person could also result in the spread of such infectious diseases which could not be controlled even with the Prophalactic and hence for efficient results there is the need of proper using of the products. Studies reveal that proper and consistent use of prophalactics have been proved to be highly effective in ensuring protection against the sexually transmitted diseases more prominently the most common disease of HIV or Aids. If the transmission of the infectious diseases can be blocked, it will prevent the spread of the disease. The latex prophalactics work in this field of blocking the transmission and hence reducing the risks of the spread. The pores of these products are small enough to restrict the passing of the virus from the body of a person to the other thus helping in the restriction of the spread. The spread of the infectious disease of HIV or Aids and other STDs in the world in every developed as well as the developing countries like an epidemic is increasing the focus of the researchers in increasing the attention of the general public and making them aware of the huge requirement of safe sex relations through the use of prophalactics. Individuals engaged in sexual activities are always exposed to the risk of either the spread of the infectious transmitted diseases along with the risk of experiencing pregnancy. Thus in the mid of the changing lifestyles of the people of today’s world the product of Full Protection Prophalactic have been an innovative one in the contemporary line of general condoms. The use of these Prophalactic is more ambiguous and urge for restricting the risk of the spread of infectious diseases that are transmitted sexually than for their use as an object of family planning. Moreover methods for proper estimation of requirements of condoms for the prevention of these infectious diseases are also in the need of being focused so as to provide a conclusion on the extent of awareness among the general public regarding the severity of these disease and awareness regarding its protection. With more reporting cases of condom usage for the prevention of the spread of HIV and other similar diseases, general people will be more accustomed to its use along with the advantages that these products provide. This will in turn help in the control of the transmission of these diseases through increasing public awareness. (Kinzett, 2000) The products of latex condoms like the new Full Protection Prophalactic have been proved to be about 98 percent effective in assuring protection against pregnancy as well as in avoiding the spread of the infectious diseases. The proper uses of these products provide about 10, 000 times higher possibilities of protection from the transmission of the infectious diseases than without the use. (The Most reliable condoms, 2005) The Food and drug Administration have seized the production and the use of the products for considerably long period of time, because of certain defects that are found in the condoms prevalent in the market of the country of America. Various defective condoms have been seized by the organization for the welfare of the general public of the country. Examination of condoms that were prevalent in use in societies has resulted in the introduction of certain defeats in them, which reduces their abilities of restricting the transmission of sexual infectious diseases. In a study made by Kerr, Chaput, Boyd, Galevi and Millward (2000) reveal that the general defects found in about 85 percent of the cases studied are either presence of hole which in the material content is more of a void or the presence of a slit that is puncture in the product. These results in leakage in the products and the restriction of the transmission of the virus causing the infectious diseases because of the small pores of the products that deny the transmission thus does not hold true for these products. The defects that occur from techniques of generation are reproducible and result in defects in the products with the size of pore varying from the needle points that are used in acupuncture therapies to a dimension, which is sometimes even smaller than what is drilled by laser techniques. The characteristics of the defects vary in accordance to the material used in the products as well as the presence of lubricant in it. Along with these two the size and the shape of the product and also the size and the type of the defect recognized also contributes to the characteristics of the leakage that can result because of the defect in the products. (Kerr, Chaput, Boyd, Galevi and Millward, 2001; US Food and Drug Administration, 2009) According to reports the information obtained on the effectiveness of the use of condoms in restricting the transmission of infectious diseases as well as effectiveness in birth control are all said to be half truth only because of certain defects that exist in the condoms generally available in the market. The presences of certain holes called the voids that can occur naturally on the product are present in certain latex condoms, which cannot be denied by the professionals.  The general manufactures of the products hide these defects of the products in order to capture greater market share so as to earn more profit. The test of examining whether the products are suitable for the use in the general is the test of water leakage. The defects present in the products generally do not allow the leakage of water through it and hence they proved absence of any leakage in the product. Thus the assumptions about the restrictions of the HIV virus and other bacteria by the products are wrongly determined. However examinations made by proper scientists on the products are done by piercing more holes on the products except those natural ones with the size of about a hundred times that of the diameter of the virus containing HIV. These holes also do not allow the passage of water however they are not resistant enough for the HIV virus and hence defective. The general virus contemning AIDS are about fifty times smaller than the size of the natural holes present in most of the products and hence they can easily get transmitted through it. Thus the products no longer remain resistant to the spread of the sexually transmitted diseases that are highly infectious. Since water molecules have the characteristics of hydrogen bonding with each other, which helps in bridging the gaps present in the condoms, and hence water generally do not leak from the products. However this is not true for the HIV or the AIDS virus and hence the many of the general products of the market though possess the arguments of being safe for using in order to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infectious diseases are hardly true. Other than that the diseases that occur from skin contact also could not be restricted in the presence of holes in the protection used. Moreover there are certain market products that after being unpacked if left open unused for considerable period of time results in certain damages in the quality of the product that are outside the general vision of people and are hence invisible defects. Certain products if exposed to sunlight or heat, which also includes body heats, become degraded. Even humidity, certain types of spermicidal and pressure can results in degradation of the products. Thus such products are totally unreliable for being used as preventive measures against the spread of those infectious diseases and also to certain extent in preventing pregnancy (The Pointer, 2011) These emphasize upon the necessity of new products for protection measures which can overcome these defects and hence can be ideal for the fight against the spread of the infectious diseases. The people of the age group 15-24 have the maximum risk of being infected by the diseases that are transmitted sexually. Study reveals that in every population the adolescents and the young adults have the most reported cases of acquiring the disease. There are many reasons behind the greater risk for the disease within this age group as has been stated by the Centers for Disease Control. Firstly they have stated that the greater risk occur because of the presence of less immunity within the people of this age group than that of the adults. Secondly higher risks remain in selecting their partners along with the chance of the presence of multiple partners for sexual relationships. Thirdly it have been pointed out that being engaged in unprotected sexual relations are more likely among the people of this age group than that of the others. Lastly increase in the age of the first marriage of the people have increased with time along with the decrease in the age of the initiation of the sexual activities among them which ultimately results in more cases of experiences of non-marital sexual relations. (Agape PRC, 2008) People of all age group and all racial or ethical background can be affected by the sexually transmitted diseases. However, the diseases have been more common and on a continuous increase among the young people because of their early sexual activeness. The rate of being exposed to the diseases transmitted through sexual relations increases with the presence of more than one sex partners which is more common among the people of this age group of 12 and above and also more prominently among the sex workers. (Lam, 2010) The sexually transmitted diseases are more common among the sexual workers or the prostitutes because mainly of the prevalence of many sex partners among them. A study made in the year 1991 considered the rate of prevalence of risk factors of being infected by HIV and also other diseases transmitted sexually among the prostitutes of Mexico. The study revealed that they had the high risk of being associated with HIV infections along with other infectious diseases. The main factor that had been identified by the researchers for the prevalence of high risk among them was the low rate of using any form of protection like condoms during sexual relations. Unprotected sexual relations along with the presence of more than about 50 sexual partners for each month increased the risk of the infections among the studied group. Though the prevalence of the HIV infection was studied to be low among them the rate of being infected by other sexual infectious diseases were much more frequent. (Valdespino, Loo, Cruz, Garcia, Magis, Herrera and Sepulveda, 1991) Another study made in the year 1993 considering the sexual workers of Amsterdam and their clients. The study revealed that the though the prevalence of HIV among them was low however most of them had the high risk of being infected by other infectious diseases transmitted through sexual relationships. Only 66 percent of the prostitutes reported of consistent use of condoms for protections. Moreover consistent use of protections was noted to be among only 56 percent of the clients of these prostitutes. Prostitutes mainly migrated from Latin American countries had been reported of very inconsistent use of protections and the same picture was depicted also for the migrated clients of the prostitutes. (Van Haastrecht, Fennema, Coutinho, Van der Helm, Kint, and Vanden Hoek, 1993) Thus because of the maximum prevalence of the sexually transmitted diseases among the sexual workers and the teenagers of any society there is the need of making them more aware of the necessity of the use of protections like the new invented product ‘Full Protection Prophalactic’ that can at least restrict the spread of the disease from the infected person to the uninfected one. The government should also be made aware of the new product so as to facilitate their campaign for increased use of protection to fight against the infections of STDs. References 1. 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US Food and Drug Administration (2009), Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, retrieved on 25th May, 2011 from http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/ComplianceManuals/CompliancePolicyGuidanceManual/ucm073902.htm 13. Valdespino ,J, L ,  Loo, E, Cruz, C, Garcia, M, L, Magis, C, Herrera C, and J, Sepulveda, (1991), Risk factors interrelated between AIDS and STD among female prostitutes Mexico, International Conference on AIDS, 7, retrieved on 26th May, 2011 from http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma?f=102183615.html 14. Van Haastrecht, H,J Fennema, J, S, Coutinho, R,A, Van der Helm, T,C, Kint, J,A and J,A, Vanden Hoek, (1993), HIV prevalence and risk behaviour among prostitutes and clients in Amsterdam: migrants at increased risk for HIV infection, Genitourinary Medicine, 69(4), 251-256, retrieved on 26th May, 2011 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7721282 Read More