Analysis of Hepatitis B, Nongonococcal Urethritis, and Various Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Hepatitis B. Sexual contact is now known to increase the risk of hepatitis B transmission. Hepatitis B is more common among homosexuals or heterosexual men with multiple sexual partners, as well as heterosexual couples who engage in oral sex or sodomy. Mild hepatitis B symptoms are similar to those of the flu, while severe symptoms include jaundice, dark urine, pale stools, and fatigue. Prevention of hepatitis B primarily involves avoiding contact with the blood, semen, saliva, and feces of infected individuals. The hepatitis B vaccine provides protection for 85% of those vaccinated. A new genetic engineering method for producing a hepatitis B vaccine has resulted in a vaccine that is as safe and effective as currently used ones. Serological tests can determine whether immunity has been acquired. Currently, the most common yet least noticed sexually transmitted infection in the United States is non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). NGU is usually (but not always) caused by Chlamydia, a microorganism very similar to both viruses and bacteria. In men, early symptoms of NGU are similar to gonorrhea, such as mild painful urination and milky discharge. However, its symptoms are milder than gonorrhea, making it less likely to be noticed and delaying treatment. To diagnose nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), doctors usually need to use laboratory tests to rule out gonorrhea and other urinary tract infections. Once diagnosed with NGU, tetracycline or other antibiotics are very effective. Untreated NGU patients may develop prostatitis or epididymitis. Using condoms during intercourse can prevent NGU. Treatment of this disease requires simultaneous treatment of the partner. Trichomoniasis is also affecting an increasing number of male patients. This is a disease caused by the vaginal trichomoniasis parasite. Typical symptoms include painful urination, clear urination, and mild penile itching. Trichomoniasis is rarely transmitted through accidental contact with contaminated objects such as towels and toiletries. The main route of transmission is direct sexual contact. A woman undergoing treatment for trichomoniasis may have already transmitted the disease to her sexual partner who is asymptomatic. For successful treatment of trichomoniasis, both partners must be treated simultaneously. A course of treatment of at least one week is crucial. Some people discontinue medication midway through treatment as symptoms disappear, allowing some trichomoniasis to survive and become more resistant to later treatment. Another common sexually transmitted infection (STI) is genital warts. This is generally transmitted through sexual contact, and pink, soft warts appear within three months of infection. Genital warts can usually be treated with cauterization, cryotherapy, or excision. Approximately two-thirds of people who have been exposed to the disease develop it. Using condoms during intercourse provides some protection. A less common STI is lymphogranuloma venereum. This usually causes minor lesions in the vulva and rectum. However, after 1–4 weeks, the lymph nodes swell and suppurate, and the vulva also swells. Antibiotics are effective against this disease. Several serious intestinal infections, including amoebiasis, shigella (infectious dysentery), and giardiasis, can be transmitted through sexual contact in addition to infection via contaminated food. These diarrheal diseases are increasingly common in some gay communities and are often referred to as "gay colitis," which is incorrect. Because heterosexual couples are also susceptible to pubic lice when they engage in sodomy or oral sex. Pubic lice are perhaps the most easily transmitted and mildest form of sexually transmitted infection. They typically infest pubic hair; the lice themselves can be detected with a magnifying glass, and even if the lice are not visible, their eggs are often visible attached to the pubic hair. Topical medications are effective against pubic lice. Contaminated clothing and bedding should be washed in hot water.