What are opportunistic infections of HIV
  • Opportunistic infections are the infections which are mostly seen in people with severely damaged immune system
  • They are caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites
  • People with HIV get the opportunistic infections because the virus in the body multiplies and damage the immune system, which is hard for the body to fight against infections
Following are few opportunistic infections:
Cytomegalovirus retinitis:
  • It is the inflammation of retina of eye caused by virus cytomegalovirus
  • People with CMV retinitis have vision problem which can cause blindness over time
Candidiasis :
  • It is caused by fungal infection called candida
  • It is seen on the skin, mouth, throat, gut and vagina without causing any problems
Tuberculosis:
  • It is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • It spreads when a person with TB coughs, sneeze or speaks
  • It is the infection that attacks lungs
  • The main symptoms of TB include cough, tiredness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats
Toxoplasmosis
  • It is caused by parasite called Toxoplasma gondii
  • People can develop this infection by consuming contaminated meat or by inhaling the dust
  • The infection occurs to lungs, eyes, pancreas, heart, brain, colon and testes
  • It doesn’t spread from person to person but the parasite can be transmitted by contaminated food, animal to human, mother to child
Pneumonia
  • It is the lung infection caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi
  • Symptoms of pneumonia include fever, chills, cough, difficulty in breathing
  • People with HIV should get vaccinated to prevent from infection with streptococcus pneumoniae
Herpes simplex virus
  • It spreads through sexual contact or from mother-to-child during birth
  • This virus cause cold sores in or around the mouth, ulcers around genitals or anus which are painful
  • It can cause infection to bronchus, pneumonia, and esophagitis
  • The virus is inactive in people with healthy immune systems
How to prevent from opportunistic infections?
Following are few steps to prevent from opportunistic infections:
  • HIV medicines helps to prevent from opportunistic infections. Hence take the medicines regularly as prescribed
  • Avoid consuming contaminated food, undercooked eggs, meat, etc
  • Do not expose to sexually transmitted diseases
  • Do not use contaminated needles, syringes, or other medical equipments
  • Consult your doctor regarding the viruses that could keeps you at risk for opportunistic infections
Sexually transmitted diseases
What are sexually
transmitted diseases?
  • STDs also known as sexually transmitted infections or STIs. They are the infections that are
passed from one person to another through sexual contact
How do they spread?
  • They are usually passed from one person to another through sexual activity including vaginal, oral, and anal sex
What are different types
of STDs?
  • Following are the list for sexually transmitted diseases:
  • Bacterial Vaginosis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis, Herpes, HIV/AIDS & STDs, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), STDs & Infertility, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis
How to treat for STDs?
  • Antibiotics help in treating STDs. There is no complete cure for STDs
but medicines can help in reducing the risk of transmitting the disease
What are the standard
treatments for STDs?
  • STDs/STIs can be treated with antibiotics/antivirals based on the infective agent
  • Antibiotics are taken orally, sometimes they are injected or applied directly to the affected area
  • Treatments helps in reducing the symptoms and the progression of most of the infections
  • Individuals with HIV are advised to take antiretroviral drugs that control the amount of virus in the body
  • Pregnant woman with HIV can also take antiretroviral drugs which helps in reducing the chance of infection to fetus
What is the cause of STDs?
  • They are caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites
What are the symptoms of STDs?
  • Symptoms include Fever, abdominal pain, sores or warts on the genital area, painful or frequent
urination, blisters or sores in or around the mouth, abnormal vaginal odor, discharge from the penis or vagina, anal itching, soreness, or bleeding
How to get diagnosed for STDs?
  • Since there are symptoms observed for sexually transmitted diseases, talk to doctor if need to get tested
  • Blood tests helps to diagnose STDs
  • Another way to diagnose is to have physical examination or microscopic examination of a sore or fluid swabbed from the vagina, penis, or anus
How to prevent from sexually transmitted diseases?
Following are few precautions which helps in preventing STDs:

  • Using condoms in right way
  • Avoiding anal, vaginal or oral sex
  • By getting vaccinated
  • By reducing the number of your sex partners
  • Maintaining mutual monogamy (Sexually active with only one person)
  • By encouraging yourself and your sex partner to get tested regularly
Genital herpes
What is genital herpes?
  • It is sexually transmitted infection (STI) passed through vaginal, anal and oral sex
  • It is caused by two types of viruses called herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)
  • HSV-1 cause sores around the mouth and lips
  • HSV-2 cause sores around the genitals or rectum
What is the spread of genital herpes?
  • Genital herpes spreads through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with person who is infected with genital herpes or through contact with herpes sore, saliva or genital secretions, or skin in genital area, or from a person who has invisible sore
How is it not spread?
  • It is not spread through sharing toilets, beds, or by touching objects around you
How to reduce the risk of genital herpes?
  • The best way to reduce the risk of genital herpes is avoid participating in vaginal, oral or anal sex
  • Use latex condoms every time you have sex
How is genital herpes treated during pregnancy?
  • Antiviral medicines are given from 36 weeks to treat outbreaks in pregnancy. They help in reducing the chance of an outbreak during delivery
How to identify genital herpes?
  • There are no symptoms observed during infection
  • Herpes sores appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals, rectum or mouth
  • Person may experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches, or swollen glands
  • Person may also experience repeated outbreaks if infected with HSV-2
How could genital herpes effect pregnant woman?
  • Pregnant woman with genital herpes should consult to doctor if symptoms were observed or have been diagnosed with genital herpes
  • Genital herpes infection may lead to miscarriage
  • During delivery the infection is passed to baby which can lead to neonatal herpes
Is herpes cured?
  • There is no cure for herpes
How to treat herpes?
  • Antivirals helps to reduce the outbreaks
What can be done to treat herpes at home?
  • It is always advised to consult to doctor to treat herpes at home. Doctors may recommend to keep the affected area clean and dry, keep the area comfortable with cotton clothing
Can a person participate in sex even after having diagnosed with herpes?
  • Talk to your sex partner and let him or her know the risk involved
  • Using latex condoms may help in lowering the risk
What if genital herpes is not treated?
  • Genital herpes if left untreated, leads to painful genital sores and can be severe in people who have weak immune system
What is Trichomoniasis?
  • It is a STD caused by infection with a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis
  • It is the most common curable STD
  • The global estimates for trichomoniasis was 5.3% (95% UI: 4.0–7.2) in women and 0.6% (95% UI: 0.4–0.9) in men, with regional values ranging from 1.6 to 11.7% in women and from 0.2 to 1.3% in men
  • It is more common in women than in men
How it spreads?
  • It spreads during sex from infected person to uninfected person
What are the symptoms observed?
  • Usually people do not experience symptoms. But symptoms may range from mild irritation to severe inflammation. Symptoms vary in men and women
Symptoms in men include:
  • Itching or irritation inside the penis
  • Burning after urination or ejaculation
  • Discharge from the penis
Symptoms in women include:
  • Itching, burning, redness or soreness of the genitals
  • Discomfort with urination
  • Change in their vaginal discharge
How does it effect to baby of pregnant woman?
  • They may deliver the baby too early and babies are more likely to born with low birth weight of less than 5.5 pounds.
How to get diagnosed?
  • Consult to health care provider to diagnose trichomoniasis.
How to treat trichomoniasis?
  • Medicines help in treating trichomoniasis. All sex partners should get treated with antibiotics to avoid from reinfection. Avoid to have sex until symptoms resolve .
How to prevent from trichomoniasis?
  • The only way to prevent from trichomoniasis is to avoid vaginal, anal, or oral sex, maintaining long-term mutually monogamous relationship and by using latex condoms during sex .
Syphilis
What is syphilis?
What is congenital syphilis?
What is the spread of syphilis?
When do symptoms appear after infection?
Who are at risk for syphilis?
What is Treponema palladium?
How do syphilis rash look like?
What is the appearance of syphilis chancre?
What is VDRL test?
What is RPR test?
Is syphilis cured?
Is there any chance for reinfection even after being treated?
What is the treatment for syphilis?
  • It is sexually transmitted disease caused by bacteria which infects the genital area, lips, mouth, or anus of both men and women
  • It can have very serious complications when left untreated
  • Syphilis is divided into primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary stages
  • Primary syphilis: A person with primary syphilis has a sore at the original site of infection
  • Secondary syphilis: In person with secondary syphilis symptoms include skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, and fever
  • Latent stage: No symptoms are observed in this stage
  • Tertiary syphilis: It is associated with severe chronic condition
  • It is severe, disabling, and often life-threatening infection seen in infants. Pregnant woman can spread the infection through the placenta to the unborn infant
  • It caused by having direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Pregnant woman can spread to baby if she is diagnosed with syphilis
  • The time between appearance of syphilis and the start of the first symptom is 21 days, but can range from 10 to 90 days
  • In people who are sexually active, syphilis can spread through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex
  • Any person living with HIV diagnosed person
  • If either sexual partner is tested positive for syphilis
  • If a man is having sex with men
  • Treponema pallidum is the causative organism of syphilis. It is a motile spirochete that is generally acquired by close sexual contact and which enters host tissue by breaches in squamous or columnar epithelium
  • The rash can look like rough, red, or reddish brown spots on the palms of hands, or at the bottoms of the feet. Rash do not cause any itching
  • The appearance of a single chancre is seen in the primary stage of syphilis symptoms. Chancre appears as firm, round, and painless. It last for 3 to 6 weeks
  • VDRL stands for Venereal disease research laboratory test. It is the screening test done for syphilis. It measures the amount of antibodies if a person has come in contact with syphilis
  • Rapid plasma region is a screening test for syphilis. It measures the antibodies that are present in the blood of people who may have the disease
  • Yes it can be cured with antibiotics. Consult to doctor if diagnosed with syphilis
  • Yes. One can still be re-infected after treatment
  • Syphilis is easy to cure in its early stages. Doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat syphilis. Treatment depends on how long people are suffering with syphilis.
Genital warts

  • 1. What are genital warts?

    • It is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) passed by vaginal and anal, oral sex and by sharing sex toys.

  • 2. What are the symptoms?

    • The main symptoms include the growths or lumps around vagina, penis or anus which are painless
    • Itching or bleeding from genitals or anus

  • 3. What is the cause of genital wart?

    • It mainly spreads through direct skin to skin contact, vaginal and anal sex. It can also be passed from mother to baby during birth

  • 4. Where do genital warts appear in men?

    • They may appear on following areas like penis, scrotum, groin, thighs, inside or around the anus

  • 5. How to treat genital warts?

    • The treatment depends on how the warts look like and site of wart
    • Treatment include cream or liquid, surgery and freezing
    • There is no complete cure for genital warts
Gonorrhea
What is gonorrhea?
  • It is the infection caused in genitals, rectum, and throat of both men and women
  • It is commonly seen at the age of 15-24 years
  • Males are commonly effected than females
  • The infection is seen in the genitals, rectum, and throat
What is the cause of gonorrhea?
  • It is caused by bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae
  • It is also caused through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with the person who has gonorrhea.
What are the symptoms of gonorrhea?
  • Mostly symptoms are asymptomatic
  • Symptoms in men include: Painful urinating, Discharge from penis, Swollen testicles
  • Symptoms in women include: Bleeding between periods, pain when urinating, and increased vaginal discharge
What if left untreated?
  • Gonorrhea if left untreated can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
How to treat gonorrhea?
  • Gonorrhea can be treated with proper use of medicines
  • Consult to doctor if symptoms are continued for more than a few days after receiving treatment
  • Always get retested after every three months of initial infection
Can an individual participate in sex after taking treatment for gonorrhea?
  • It is advised to complete all medicines prescribed by doctor and wait for seven days before having sex to avoid reinfection
Chlamydia

  • 1. What is chlamydia?

    • It is another type of STDs
    • In women it can cause permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive system

  • 2. What is the spread of chlamydia?

    • It is caused by vaginal, anal, or oral sex with person who has chlamydia, having unprotected sex with infected person
    • In pregnant woman baby gets infected with chlamydia during birth

  • 3. What are the symptoms?

    There are no symptoms observed for chlamydia
    Symptoms in men include:
    • Discharge from their penis;
    • Burning sensation when urinating;
    • Pain and swelling in one or both testicles
    Symptoms in women include:
    • An abnormal vaginal discharge
    • Burning sensation when urinating

  • 4. Is there any cure for chlamydia?

    • Yes, chlamydia can be cured

  • 5. How to reduce the risk?

    • Avoid vaginal, anal, or oral sex
    • Maintain monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested negative for STDs
    • Use latex condoms in right way

  • 5. What are the complications, if left untreated?

    • Chlamydia if left untreated can lead to serious health problems. In woman this can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID leads to inability to get pregnant, ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus)

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