By Chioma Umeha
There are two major causes of STDs/STIs: Bacteria,
including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.
Viruses, including HIV/AIDS, herpes simplex virus,
human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus, and cytomegalovirus (CMV,
pronounced sahy-toh-MEG-uh-loh-vahy-ruhs), yeasts and protozoan parasites, such
as Trichomonas vaginalis (pronounced TRIK-uh-MOH-nuss vaj-uh-NAHY-lis), or
insects such as crab lice or scabies mites, cause STDs/STIs.
In many cases, bacteria, including chlamydia,
gonorrhea, and syphilis are linked to infertility primarily when they are left
untreated. Similarly, viruses, including HIV/AIDS, herpes simplex virus, human
papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus, and cytomegalovirus among others can
lead to primary infertility when they are left untreated.
What causes a sexually transmitted disease or
sexually transmitted infection (STD/STI)?
For effective management of infertility, it is
important for couples, even intending partners to know what causes a sexually
transmitted disease or sexually transmitted infection (STD/STI). This will help
them to protect themselves.
Any STD/STI can be spread through sexual
intercourse, and some STDs/STIs also are spread through oral sex and sex play.
Ejaculation does not have to occur for an STD/STI to be passed from person to
person. Sharing contaminated needles used to inject drugs or using contaminated
body piercing and tattooing equipment also can transmit some infections, such
as HIV or hepatitis B and C.
A few diseases (such as CMV and molluscum
contagiosum) can be sexually transmitted but are also spread through nonsexual,
close contact. Regardless of how a person is exposed, once a person is infected
by an STD/STI, he or she can spread the infection to other people through oral,
vaginal, or anal sex, even if he or she has no symptoms.
STDs/STIs are of particular concern in pregnant
women, because some infections can be passed on to the infant before birth or
during delivery. However, the risk of transmission from mother to infant can be
lowered, and it is important for every expectant mother to be screened.
For example, HIV can be passed from mother to
infant during pregnancy before birth, at the time of delivery, or after birth
during breastfeeding.
This transmission can be prevented through
treatment with certain medications during pregnancy and near delivery. After
birth, women who have HIV should refrain from breastfeeding their infants if
safe alternatives, such as infant formula, are available, further reducing the
infant’s risk.
In other cases, if the mother has an infection
such as gonorrhea or herpes, in which risks of transmission are high during
delivery, other steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood that the infant
will be infected. In these instances, health care providers can treat the
pregnant woman for the STD/STI before birth, or the infant can be delivered by
cesarean section (also referred to as C section).
CMV affects about one per cent of all births. A
pregnant woman infected with CMV can transmit the infection to the fetus in the
womb, or it can be passed to the infant during delivery or by breastfeeding.
