Know Your STDs

[00:00:01] If you think that STDs are gross and icky, well then you're right. They are gross and icky.

[00:00:17] But STDs are as much a part of sex as the fun and togetherness. And luckily most STDs can

[00:00:25] be prevented and cured if we just talk about it a little more.

[00:00:30] Welcome to Whack, a podcast hosted by me, Freishia, where no topic is off bounds. Where

[00:00:35] you come to explore your mind. And this week on Whack, we'll get talking about sexually transmitted

[00:00:41] diseases and the ways that they can be prevented. Also how you just might already have it and not know.

[00:00:52] In this episode, I'm not only going to tell you about the various STDs that are out there,

[00:00:57] but I'm also going to let you know about the most widespread STD in India and how

[00:01:04] any of us just might have it. STDs have been feared for a very long, long time. In fact,

[00:01:10] did you know that in Rome 2000 years ago, Emperor Tiberius even banned kissing in order to stop the

[00:01:17] spread of herpes? A lot of STDs like Gnoria, Syphilis and Chlamydia have been taken care of

[00:01:24] by antibiotics. It's much easier to treat them now, though it hasn't really wiped out these

[00:01:31] diseases. People still do get infected with Gnoria and Chlamydia. So how do you know if you have it?

[00:01:39] Well, one of the biggest telltale signs is painful urination along with general discomfort in the

[00:01:46] genitals. Syphilis on the other hand, it comes in three stages. It starts painlessly. The

[00:01:53] second stage is marked by rashes. Before in the final stage, it can even damage your brain

[00:02:00] and heart. Ouch! In its most advanced stages, Syphilis requires a 10-day dosage of penicillin.

[00:02:08] And Gnoria and Chlamydia on the other hand, well they can be cured only with a hefty dose

[00:02:14] of Cef Triaxone depending on how painful the infection is. At this point, I quickly need to

[00:02:20] put in a medical disclaimer. I am not a doctor and if you are suffering from any of these

[00:02:26] symptoms, please don't self-medicate yourself but do go and consult a professional.

[00:02:32] Oddly enough, after years of decline, bacterias like Syphilis and Gnoria have made a comeback

[00:02:40] as mainstream STDs. But it could also just be that we learn of more cases now because of better

[00:02:46] reporting of diseases at public health centers. And also in today's digital age, all kinds

[00:02:53] of information is way more accessible. More dangerous and widespread are the STDs that

[00:02:59] are caused by viruses, who are better at their job than bacteria. They usually stay in your body

[00:03:06] for an entire lifetime and they're pretty difficult to kill. Viral STDs really freak the world out

[00:03:13] with the discovery of HIV in the 1980s. Scientists and doctors took a long time coming to terms

[00:03:20] with the epidemic. But the tide against HIV finally turned with anti-retroviral drugs.

[00:03:28] The Indian government set up 91 ATR centers across the country where HIV patients could get

[00:03:35] some medicines and counseling. It helped keep the infection in check and let those patients

[00:03:42] lead longer lives. That along with a campaign of teaching people about safe sex has really

[00:03:48] helped bring the HIV numbers down today. Currently, there are about roughly 23 lakh people in India

[00:03:56] that are infected with HIV. Nationally, there are roughly 69,000 estimated new HIV infections every

[00:04:04] year. Now that translates into 190 infections every day and eight new infections every hour.

[00:04:13] But HIV is not the most widespread STD in India. That crown, well it goes to herpes simplex,

[00:04:20] which can affect the mouth and the genitals or sometimes not infect anything at all. Yes, that's

[00:04:28] true. You could have herpes simplex right now and not even know. Herpes affects almost 30%

[00:04:35] of STD patients in India. It also leaves victims vulnerable to other STDs, infecting the open

[00:04:42] wounds which herpes causes. Some of these other STD horrors are urethritis and viral genital warts,

[00:04:51] both of which can sneak in through any bodily opening and wreck major havoc.

[00:04:58] Some people even report mixed infections, like some kind of custom made STD.

[00:05:04] Now even first world viruses like hepatitis C are making appearances in India after having built

[00:05:12] quite a hit list over in Hollywood. Like other viral STDs, hepatitis C too, it may or may not

[00:05:20] show symptoms, which makes it all the more important to keep getting checked.

[00:05:25] STDs are more dangerous because they can be transferred from a mother to her child.

[00:05:32] Inside a weak newborn, these STDs can do a lot more damage. The most sure short way to protect

[00:05:39] yourself against STDs is to always wear condoms when you are having sex. Do not. I repeat,

[00:05:47] do not think that it won't happen to you. And if you do end up having unprotected sex,

[00:05:54] you owe it to your future partner to get yourself tested. Your body might be infected,

[00:06:00] but you can at least keep your soul clean. My name is Preetia and I hope that this episode has been

[00:06:08] informative for you. You can always reach out to me on my social media handles,

[00:06:13] it's listed in the description below and if you do want to watch the video version of this

[00:06:18] episode, you can do that by checking it out on my YouTube channel. So keep the dialogue going

[00:06:24] because the more we get it out there, the less chances of it getting inside. I'll catch you again

[00:06:30] very soon. Ciao! Thank you for listening to this episode of WACC. To make sure that

[00:06:37] you don't miss out on a new episode, subscribe to and follow the show on this app right now.