Saphira Nachizya And Lamba Simpito
27 January 2004
According to the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB intervention strategic plan 2002-2005, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), commonly known as Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), constitute one of the major public health problems in Zambia.
They account for 10 per cent of all documented outpatient attendances in public health institutions.
STIs are infections that can be passed from an infected individual to his or her partner when they have unprotected sex. They can also be passed from an infected mother to her child. STIs have a devastating effect on our health if left untreated. Untreated STIs can lead to infertility, greater transmission of HIV, transmission of STIs from mother to child and in some cases death.
The common STIs include gonorrhoea, syphilis and herpes. The strategic plan says that more than 50 per cent of people with a history of STIs become infected with HIV.
The strategic plan also says the probability of transmitting HIV during unprotected sex rises dramatically if either partner is infected with an STI such as syphilis or gonorrhoea. Other STIs such as herpes genitalis and chancroid also facilitate the transmission of HIV.
"Sexually transmitted infections increase the risk of sexual transmission of HIV by increasing infectiousness and susceptibility," says the Central Board of Health (CBoH) in its guidelines for frontline workers.
As earlier pointed out, STIs are a major health problem in Zambia and we are all at risk unless we adhere to the ABCs of safe sex practices. These are Abstinence, being faithful to one faithful partner and using condoms consistently and correctly.
Chirundu's Mtendere Mission Hospital medical director, Dr Eliza Facelli, said her hospital attends to a lot of patients with different STIs or sometimes with a combination of more than one STI.
"Most of the people we have seen here, especially those with HIV come with multiple STIs. Last month alone, we treated about 50 as out patients and admitted nine, whose infections were very severe," she explained.
Dr Facelli said most of the people with STIs that come for treatment are in the reproductive age between 18 and 40 years.
Zambia Integrated Health Programme, Reproductive Health specialist Dr Reuben Mbewe said the common STIs include syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea, but there are many others.
Dr Mbewe said some are easy to diagnose while others are not. He advised people not to take STIs casually and pointed out that the diseases can have very serious negative outcomes. These include:
-Increased risk of getting infected with HIV/AIDS because the skin on your private parts may have sores or be damaged. This allows the virus to move more easily from one person to another.
-Possible damage of sexual organs.
-Risk of passing the STI to your unborn child.
-Risk of infertility or inability to conceive children (both men and women).
-Risk of miscarriage if infected with STI while still pregnant.
-Certain STIs can lead to brain damage and even insanity if left untreated.
-Untreated STIs can, over time, lead to death.
Dr Mbewe said the best way to avoid STIs was to avoid getting them in the first place by practising safe sex.
Mtendere Mission Hospital nurse Mr Alex Chanda said the hospital has out reach programmes that sensitise communities on dangers of STIs and encourage people to seek treatment early if they get infected.
"We meet with the youth to discuss lifestyles that would put them at risk of getting STIs. We also discuss lifestyles which would protect them from STIs. Chirundu is a transit town for many travellers such as truckers and traders and some activities that these travellers are involved in put our youth at risk of STIs, including HIV," he said.
And Mr Mukelabai Simangolwa, another member of staff at Mtendere Mission said some of the community challenges the hospital faces are tradition and culture.
Mr Simangolwa said traditional and cultural practices that facilitate possible infection of STIs include polygamous and early marriages that encourage multiple sexual partnerships.
He said other factors that make young people engage in early sex or being sexually active are lack of recreation facilities and high unemployment levels in Chirundu.
The nation shares all of Chirundu's problems in one form or another.
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