Biological and Social Factors in Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the Young Adult Population - Coursework Example

of the paper s Today, sexually transmitted diseases are a rapidly growing public health concern especially among the younger adults. It is a global problem today and the basis of its spread cannot be pinpointed to a single cause since the growing problem is a result of interaction between more than just one contributing factors. The numbers of those diagnosed with some form of sexual infection has risen to almost half a million in the United Kingdom alone with the majority being in the age group below 25 years (The Huffington post UK,2013). Several factors contribute to the spread of sexually transmitted infections and the problem is in fact multidisciplinary in nature . Biologically, STD’s can be traced to a certain microbial or physical cause however its spread and diseases development has wider implications with an individual’s psychological make-up and social interaction playing a major role. Major determinants therefore of STD’s include biological, social and psychological influences (Yarber & Parillo, 1992, p331). Biological factors Any disease associated with the human body has biological factors that either cause the disease or make the body more susceptible to it. Sexually transmitted diseases are not only a result of sexual activity but may also result from others factors as well such as diseases transmission from affected mother to infant. Asymptotic Infection and Lag Phase In most cases when an individual is infected by an STD causing organism, the patient does not seek medical attention since most of these infections barely cause any signs or symptoms in the early stages. The lacks of visible infection signs often inhibits a person from also understanding whether ones sexual partner is afflicted by an STD. Individuals affected with herpes are asymptotic yet these individuals are capable of shedding viral particles which may be easily transmitted to others (Caltabiano & Ricciardelli,2013,p202) There is considerable time period between infection and first visible physical sign and disease indication. However, by this time the infection is well spread in the body and often causes several complications by then. In some cases certain STD causing microbes such as Hepatitis B virus or Human papilloma virus cause liver cancer and cervical cancer respectively by the time they are detected and in addition even the cancers themselves are hard to detect (Eng & Butler,1997,p71). Female Susceptibility Age and gender play considerable part in increasing the susceptibility towards sexually transmitted diseases. Women are at a greater risk of acquiring an infection than men owing to physiological characteristics. In young adults whose vaginal and cervical histology are continuously modifying and are easy targets for infectious microorganisms. The vaginal and the cervical lining of young female adults undergo changes in which the columnar epithelium is replaced by squamous epithelium and this replacement process is gradual and takes a long time. Owing to this time gap between replacement, there is exposure of cervical columnar epithelium which extrudes into the vaginal opining thereby making the areas susceptible to infections such as Chlamydia (Chinsembu,2009,p108). Vaginal Flora The vagina of the human female plays an important role in lending protection against microbial organisms that enter through the vaginal opening .In majority of normal women lactobacilli are present in considerable numbers in the vaginal opening and are said to produce toxins or chemicals that play a defensive role against other foreign microbes like those that cause STDs. However, changes in the vaginal flora as in case of bacterial vaginosis, in which lactobacillus decreases drastically, is a major risk factor in STD since the vagina loses its defense mechanism and the causal microbes of STDs gain easy entry into the female reproductive system (Schwebke,2005,p1315). Male Circumcision Circumcision refers to the surgical removal of the prepuce or the lose foreskin that hangs in front of the penis. This practice is prevalent in some ethnic groups while others do not believe in circumcising the male. However from a biological perspective circumcision is important and reduces risk of sexually transmitted diseases. The foreskin of the penis is an easy target for STD causing microbes. Scientific studies have proved that circumcising the penis reduces the risk of acquiring such diseases and even lends 33% protection against Human papillomavirus (HPV). However in Britain experts do not agree and think that circumcision is not the best option therefore this practice is not prevalent in UK with a mere 15.8% being circumcised (Dave et al,2003,p499). Transmission from Mother to Infant Most STIs being asymptotic goes undetected and when affected female patients get pregnant the infection passes to the infant as well. The most commonly passed infection includes HIV, syphilis and Hepatitis. Mothers may pass the infection to their child through placenta, during labor or during breastfeeding. Most of this goes undetected and the infant born with the infection develops complications. Young mothers who are infected with STD often are not aware of all this and tend to have babies without doing proper serological screening and tests thereby helping in diseases spread (Schutze & Landers,1994,p1479). Psychological factors: Psychological factors are major contributors towards the distribution and development of sexually transmitted diseases especially among the younger generation. Young adults are at a higher risk of diseases development because of the increased emotional and mental vulnerability during the age. Deviant Behavior Deviant behavior is a predominant cause of STD’s since most of these behaviors leads to unruly sexual behavior and often leads to diseases spread. Deviant behavior includes drug abuse and alcoholism and homosexuality where individuals tend to break social norms and identify themselves as rebels. Stigmatization Barrier According to Foucault’s labeling theory certain terms used to label an individual often has an impact on his/her behavior often leading to stigmatization. It is well known that labeling leads to stigmatization of some kind or the other and in case of STDs labeling as sex workers or homosexuals may have a negative impact on the mind of the labeled individuals. People who are labeled consider themselves to be vastly different from others in the society and often shy away from seeking advice especially those pertaining to medical health. Stigma therefore acts as a barrier for individuals who are infected by STI or are at a high risk. Social stigma here leads to fear in case of STDs where affected individuals do not seek medical attention because of the enhances fear of social stigma (Lieber et al, 2006,p470). Even previously unlabelled individuals do not seek medical attention even if they are aware of their sexual problem because of the fear that society would stigmatize them as well. This leads to a psychological barrier where infected individuals shy away from disclosing their problem thereby not only causing greater pain to themselves but also risking infection transmission to other susceptible individuals as well. Alcohol Consumption The consumption of alcohol has several side effects such as lack of ell-oriented though process and impaired judgment. It may be said that consumption of alcohol promotes deviants sexual activity such as taking risk and having unprotected sexual intercourse or engaging in sexual activities with more than one partner. Several scientific studies have focused upon deriving a positive relation between alcohol consumption and sexually transmitted diseases however in spite of a close association it cannot be said problematic alcohol consumption definitely leads to STD but it does increase the overall risk of infection (Cook & Clark,2005,p156). Childhood Abuse and STD Childhood abuse affects the psychological makeup of a person and often leads to deviant behavior among young adults. Childhood abuse could be in form of physical, mental or sexual abuse. Each of these forms of abuse is associated with long mental and health impacts and most often lead to deviance in behavior such as juvenile delinquency, excessive alcohol consumption or drug abuse etc. Most childhood abuse survivors are mentally scarred and do not get mental support. Scintific studies have shown a close relation between childhood abuse and neglect with development of an STD in adulthood (Wilson & Wisdom,2009,p197). Identity The transition stage from adolescent into adulthood is one of the most important milestones in one’s lives. Erickson worked on the stages of life and in stage 5 of his theory he explains how an adolescent seeks his own identity and tries to define his existence to himself. During this 5th stage of an individual’s life the individual sets his role as an adult and this is where crisis of identity often creeps in. Identity crisis leads to ego fluctuations, mood swings and rebelliousness and each of these maybe associated with deviant behavior (Kidwell et al,1995,p785). Identity crisis may appear in form of sexual orientation in which one decides ones sexual preference i.e. selects homosexuality, heterosexuality or bisexuality. Again, identity crisis may also come in form of rebel thoughts where one chooses to differ from other and engage in uncommon sexual behaviors. Conflict of emotions and impulsive behavior is very much common in this stage. However each of these deviant behaviors leads to unhealthy sexual activities making one more susceptible to infections and transmission of diseases. Risk-Taking behavior The younger population is often impulsive in both thoughts and actions and therefore engages in certain behavior which may be assumed to be risky by others. Risk taking behavior during sexual activities poses to be a threat to well being of an individual. Risk taking often satisfies the mental well being of a persona and enhances confidence in some way. Engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse or having multiple partners or even group sex activities may make one more susceptible to sexually transmitted problems. Disclosing Sexual Health One of the major problems with individuals who are already affected with an STD is communication. The most important one being communication with one’s own sexual partner. It is obvious that STD leads to a psychological fear of abandonment and anger where an affected individual either fears losing loved ones once they disclose their sexual problem but also fear rejection post disclosure. Certain individual who disclose problems such as herpes or HIV face negative response from their sexual partners which impacts their feelings and they shy away from disclosing it again to others thereby posing a threat to others and engaging in risky behavior (Caltabiano & Ricciardelli,2013,p202) Social Factors Society has a major influence on the psychology of an individual and often is a major driving force behind certain behaviors. Even though diseases transmission does depend on an individual however, at the population level society has a considerable impact. The youth are especially much influenced by certain societal forces because of the increased emotional vulnerability. Quality sex Education Education is an important factor that is believed to be a component of understanding STD’s at a young age (Yarber & Parrillo,1992,p336). It was often believed that exposure to early sex education and information about contraception, STD and abortion facilities would initiate early sexual behavior among the youth however it cannot be denied that communication is the key behind containing the growing problem of STDs. Institutions and society need to understand the importance of theory based sexual education among adolescents. Scientific research studies conducted in UK has shown that school-based sex education at the high school level helps in understanding the need for protected intercourse and also contributes as a major factor for prevention of STD transmission among the young adults (Vivancos et al,2013,p53). Even though parental guidance and is needed to impart sex education yet most parents fear the thought of their wards being sexually active and hence try to oppose the educational system from imparting knowledge about sex-related issues. Most British parents fear that early knowledge about sex would initiate sexual activity at early age however no studies have found a positive correlation between this however their participation in impartment of sex education to their own children would be beneficial because the young adults would understand the need of using contraception and protection. Substance Abuse At the population too drug and alcohol abuse contributes towards STD transmission.Several social factors such as economic status, lack of educational opportunity etc leads to substance abuse influences ones sexual behavior as well. Crack cocaine is a well known drug which has direct association with STD transmission. Scientific studies have shown that cocaine users engage in risky sexual activities which make them vulnerable to infections. Those individuals who are dependent on drugs such as cocaine often trade sex for drugs with strangers which make them susceptible to infections (Cavazos-Rehg, 2009, p727). Cocaine especially is known to play a pivotal role in spread of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) because it influences the rate of partner change. With the increase in rate of partner change risk of spread of diseases from an infected individual to a susceptible one also increases (Eng & Butler,1997,p78). Drug abuse not only influences the rate of partner change but also has a negative impact on safe sexual practices. Individuals engaging in such activities abstain from suing condoms or other protections during sexual incidences which enhances chances of diseases transmission. Access to health clinics One of the most important things towards controlling spread of sexually transmitted diseases si to seek medical attention however many patients either do not have proper access to medical and health clinics or do not have enough insurance to seek immediate medical attention. Therefore people who are not inured are often late in seeking medical assistance. Only a handful few have enough knowledge to approach GUM clinics (genitourinary medicine) for tests and seek medical assistance. In fact sexual health services in the UK is lagging behind and clinics are not as active as they should be in handling STD cases leading to poor response and decreasing sexual health (Ward & Robinson,2006,p3). Poverty Poverty is today found to be a major cause of transmission of STDs. Poverty firstly inhibits safe sexual practices such as buying condoms. Moreover, poor people have much to worry about such as shelter, food etc and do not therefore think much about diseases and infections. Even if a poor individual is aware of his/her condition of being inflicted with a STD they have little or no resource to deal with the problem since their immediate goal is survival than medical attention. Secondly, poor people do not have access to health facilities since they barely have the money to pay for insurance. Role of Sexual partners The role of one’s sexual partner is of great importance when it comes to diseases transmission. The key element between sexual partners is communication about sexual history and status such that either of the partners is fully aware of his/her partner’s sexual health. In many cases partners shy away from discussing such issues since these require greater intimacy than physical relation itself such that narrow attitudes make it difficult to discuss safe sex options. Since women are at a greater risk than men they should have the confidence in discussing their partner’s sexual health and thereby communicating the safe choice of protection such as condom usage. However since most young adult shy away from such discussion it becomes increasingly difficult to prevent an infection from being transmitted. Partner notification today is an effective control against STD and was practiced in Britain from a as early as the 19th century (Cowan et al,1996,p247).Partner notification is making the partner of a STD patient aware that he/she has been exposed to infection and hence proving to be efficient in controlling disease spread as well. Role of Media Today, the younger generation is influenced by media which can have both good and bad effects on it. Unbalanced media coverage son sexuality, sexual behavior and casual sex seep into yoiung minds who do not care about safe sexual practices. Not all media sources spread the importance of using condoms and safety options and preventing spread of STDs (Eng & Butler,1997,p93). Young Sex worker and Clients Prostitution laws in the UK are not well defines however existence of prostitution cannot be denied. In fact sex workers and their clients are among the core transmitters of any form of sexually transmitted infection because of the obvious promiscuous sexual behavior. Bacterial STI’s like syphilis, gonorrhea, Chlamydia and viral infection such as HIV, hepatitis A,B and C, and herpes simplex virus are the common infections that are spread easily from prostitutes to clients or vice-versa (Spice, 2007,p322). Most young people who are engaged in prostitution as workers or clients do not have substantial knowledge about STD and their transmission. The younger clients are at a greater risk since being new to the all this they are mostly shy and do not consider safe intercourse options. The case is also similar with girls who engage in prostitution at an early age and are deprived of safe sexual practices and often meet clients who are already infection thereby acquiring the infection and subsequently spreading it to other clients. Adult Detention and Homosexual behavior Inmates residing in adult detention centers run a high risk of transmitting any form of communicable diseases. The risk is high for both male and female. The most important factor here is that of homosexual behavior. Both gays and lesbians are more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections than the general population. In such detention centers young boys are often targeted by older inmates as sexual partners and often forced to engage in homosexual activity (The Guardian UK, 2012). Female inmates also engage in sexual activity in exchange for money and barely use condoms. Conclusion Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in Britain especially among the adolescent and young adults and the numbers are growing ever day. Several factors contribute to the diseases development and transmittance. These factors are not just at the individual level and do not solely depend on an individual’s choices alone but also depend on societal forces as well. Apart from biological factors and psychological makeup of a person society has an influential role. It is also noticeable that psychology and society has an intimate relation since much of an individual’s psychological makeup is majorly influenced by society as well. Other societal factors such as economic problems and access to drugs etc needs to brought under governmental policies and control such that to an extent the effect of these societal factors can be curbed. Proper management plans also need to given to people who suffer from STDs to contain infection spread from person to person or mother to infant. Substantial awareness needs to e imparted to people to understand the problems associated wilt STD and need for safe sexual practices. 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Wilson,H & Wisdom,C.(2009). “Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Adults Who Had Been Abused and Neglected as Children:A 30-Year Prospective Study”, American Journal of Public Health,99(1),p197-203. Yarber,W.L. & Parrillo,A.V.(1992)” Adolescents and sexually transmitted diseases”, the Journal of School Health,,62(7),pp331-38. Read More