Happy Sexually Transmitted Infections Awareness Month

Parkland Hospital let us know today that April is Sexually Transmitted Infections Awareness Month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 110 million Americans already live with a sexually transmitted infection, and 20 million new infections occur every year.
“Myths surrounding STIs, especially HIV, are very common,” said Susana Lazarte, MD, infectious diseases specialist at Parkland and assistant professor of medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Patients are often terrified about their diagnosis. Many of their fears come from lack of knowledge. We want to change that.”
The most common STIs in the U.S. are syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), trichomoniasis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which, if left untreated, can develop into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome — AIDS.
Lazarte said old myths about STIs persist including one of the most common questions she gets: Will I become infected by using the same bathroom or living space as someone who’s sick?
The answer is no.
Other myths come from the lack of understanding of STIs.
“Many people think there is no risk of infection when symptoms such as discharge or sores are not present. Many STIs do not have external signs but can still be contagious,” Lazarte said. “Some patients think STIs might go away on their own or aren’t a big deal and that’s not the case. Although many STIs are curable or treatable, leaving an infection untreated can cause long-term sexual health problems. These range from infertility to congenital malformations or even cancer.”
The CDC also estimates that across the U.S., 1.1 million people are currently living with HIV, and 1 in 7 don’t know it. Dallas County Health and Human Services data shows an estimated 17,333 people are living with HIV in Dallas County.
Lazarte said the most common question she’s still asked after an HIV diagnosis is, “When am I going to die?”
“An HIV diagnosis used to be a death sentence,” she said. “Today, most people don’t realize HIV/AIDS is a very treatable disease.”
Medication has made a huge difference in the lifespan of someone with HIV. Someone diagnosed with HIV at age 20 who takes medication to combat the virus lives, on average to the age of 71.  Someone diagnosed at age 20 who does not take medication lives, on average, to age 32.
When medication first became available, people with HIV took as many as 12 pills a day, and those pills all came with a variety of side effects. Most treatments now involve taking just one pill a day, with fewer if any side effects.
Other myths surrounding STIs are related to a person’s lifestyle. “It’s important to understand an STI or HIV diagnosis is not synonymous with a promiscuous lifestyle. It only takes one partner and one exposure,” Lazarte said.
Lazarte and experts in the medical community agree that practicing safe sex, regular STI testing and overall awareness are the best defense against STIs.
For testing for STIs and more information on HIV/AIDS services at Parkland, visit Parkland AIDS Services.

— David Taffet