7: Infectious Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Page ID
- 11728
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Most people on Earth experience at least one episode of an infectious disease every year. Although the majority recover, hundreds of millions suffer severe or long-term health effects as a direct result of an infection and around 10 million people – many of them children – lose their lives. In the 1960s, it was widely believed that advances in methods of prevention and treatment would overcome the threat to health from infectious diseases. Unfortunately these predictions have proved to be optimistic because of the rapidly increasing threat from ‘emerging infectious diseases’.
- 7.1: Levels of Disease Prevention
- This page discusses prevention strategies categorized into primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Primary prevention seeks to avert diseases via legislation, education, and vaccination. Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and treatment, like screenings and lifestyle changes, to lessen disease impact. Tertiary prevention deals with managing chronic conditions to improve life quality through rehabilitation and support programs.
- 7.2: Sexually Transmitted Infections
- This page discusses sexually transmitted diseases (STDs/STIs) including Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Genital Herpes, HIV/AIDS, HPV, and Syphilis, all posing significant health risks. Complications from these infections can include pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and cancers. Additionally, it addresses women's reproductive health, emphasizing cervical cancer prevention through HPV vaccinations and smear tests.
- 7.3: STD/STI Treatments
- This page discusses treatments for STDs/STIs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, HPV, syphilis, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS. Bacterial infections are typically treated with antibiotics, whereas viral infections often require antiviral medications. It highlights the risk of transmission to infants during pregnancy, underlining the importance of prenatal testing and proper treatment to ensure maternal and infant health during delivery.
- 7.4: STD/STI Prevention- How to Prevet STI's
- This page highlights that there are 20 million new STIs reported annually in the U.S., primarily affecting adolescents, young adults, and certain minorities. It emphasizes prevention methods such as abstinence, condom use, partner limitation, vaccination, open communication, and regular testing. Detection is crucial since many STIs are asymptomatic yet can lead to health problems. Timely treatment upon a positive test result is essential to prevent re-infection.
- 7.5: What are infectious diseases?
- This page discusses the transmission of infectious diseases, using the common cold as an example, and notes their impact on humans and animals. It contrasts this with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, which are not transmissible, although some NCDs have infectious aspects. Lastly, it recognizes injuries from accidents or violence as a separate category of health issues, underscoring the complex relationship between infectious and non-communicable diseases.
- 7.6: Symptoms and signs of infection
- This page explains the distinction between symptoms, which are personal sensations like headaches, and signs, which are observable indicators of illness such as a runny nose. It highlights that individuals, including children, can effectively describe their symptoms when asked. Both symptoms and signs are crucial for healthcare professionals to accurately diagnose illnesses and understand their causes.
- 7.7: What causes infectious diseases?
- This page discusses how infectious diseases result from various pathogens, affecting global populations, including those in wealthy nations. Factors contributing to this include poor living conditions, inadequate hygiene, human biology, and individual behaviors. The text emphasizes the complexity of influences on the transmission of these diseases.
- 7.8: Direct person-to-person transmission of pathogens
- This page discusses how pathogens transmit infections between hosts, focusing on direct transmission methods such as contagious infections through touch, sexually transmitted infections via bodily fluids, and mother-to-child transmission during birth or breastfeeding. It highlights the various pathways through which diseases can spread among individuals.
- 7.9: Indirect person-to-person transmission of pathogens
- This page discusses indirect transmission of pathogens, highlighting how infected hosts can release pathogens into air, water, or surfaces, resulting in infections among others. Key methods include airborne transmission via respiratory droplets, waterborne transmission due to contaminated water, fecal-oral transmission through unclean hands, and the role of fomites like utensils in spreading infections.
- 7.10: Animal-to-human transmission of pathogens
- This page discusses how pathogens transmit from animals to humans, focusing on zoonotic diseases like swine and bird flu, as well as vector-borne diseases such as Lyme and Ebola. It highlights emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), including AIDS, Ebola, and tuberculosis, emphasizing their resurgence due to antibiotic resistance. The World Health Organization is noted for raising awareness of the risks associated with vector-borne infections.
- 7.11: Immune Defenses Against Infectious Diseases
- This page discusses the body's defenses against pathogens, highlighting physical barriers like skin and mucus membranes, and the inflammatory response with its four effects: swelling, redness, heat, and pain. It outlines innate and adaptive immunity, including the roles of leukocytes, antibodies produced by B cells, and T cells in fighting infections.
- 7.12: Risk Factors and Levels of Disease Prevention
- This page discusses risk factors for diseases, highlighting that some are uncontrollable (family history, gender) while others can be managed through lifestyle choices (diet, exercise, substance use). It notes that many preventable deaths are associated with unhealthy behaviors and emphasizes that making healthy changes can reduce disease risk, especially for those with a family history of chronic diseases. Regular screenings are also recommended for early detection and better health outcomes.
Thumbnail: Colored Condoms. Condom use is one of the best ways to promote and practice safe sex. (Public Domain; National Institutes of Health, part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.)