I’m sharing about the growing awareness of STDs – and how to recognize risks and take action – because I’m a bestselling wellness author – with about 2 million books and courses sold globally.
In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 374 million new infections with one of four curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis – occurred worldwide among people aged 15 to 49. In 2022, an estimated 8 million adults between the ages of 15 and 49 were infected with syphilis. These figures illustrate the global significance and growing prevalence of STIs.
The most difficult question is often how to inform your sexual partners.
In today’s article, we’ll explore practical ways to recognize and deal with STD’s.
Recognizing the symptoms of sexually transmitted infections is crucial for their treatment and containment. Many STIs initially show little or no symptoms, making early diagnosis difficult. However, common signs include unusual discharge, pain when urinating, skin rashes or genital swelling.
In order to verify an STI, a visit to the doctor or a test is essential. Modern diagnostic methods such as blood tests, urine samples or smear tests offer quick and accurate results. Once a diagnosis has been made, another important step follows: responsible notification of sexual partners using services such as TellYourPartner, which enable anonymised messages. This can help others to get tested as well and contributes to general health care.
If you have tested positive for an STI, you have a certain responsibility. It’s not just about protecting and treating yourself, but also about protecting your partners from possible infection. In many countries, including Germany, the intentional or negligent transmission of a serious illness can have criminal consequences.
In its latest report, the World Health Organisation highlights that HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to be major public health problems, causing 2.5 million deaths annually. The WHO has set ambitious targets to reduce the number of syphilis infections in adults tenfold by 2030 – from 7.1 million to 0.71 million. Despite these efforts, new infections rose by over one million in 2022.
The data also shows an increase in cases of multidrug-resistant gonorrhoea. This emphasises the urgency of developing and implementing new treatment strategies. In 2022, around 1.2 million new cases of hepatitis B and almost 1 million cases of hepatitis C were recorded. The number of deaths from viral hepatitis has risen despite the availability of prevention and treatment options.
HIV infections have fallen from 1.5 million in 2020 to 1.3 million in 2022. However, infection rates in certain population groups such as men who have sex with men, drug users, sex workers, trans people and people in prisons remain significantly higher than in the general population. Almost 55% of new HIV infections occur in these groups and their partners.
Responsible protection against sexually transmitted diseases includes several important measures. The use of barrier methods such as condoms is paramount, as these directly block the transmission of pathogens during sexual intercourse. Condoms are proven to be effective and provide protection against most STIs, including HIV, gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Regular testing plays a crucial role in the prevention strategy. Early diagnosis enables effective treatment of many STIs and helps to limit their spread.
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