STIs HIV Questions

Sometimes they are dangerous, but sometimes they are not. There are dangerous bacteria, which make you sick, and useful bacteria, which make your life easier. For example, chlamydiae are bacteria that cause painful urination and vaginal symptoms. But, other useful bacteria help fermentation and make fermented food such as yogurt, kunelaoto, uji, beer, and so on.

Syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, herpes, and HIV are some examples of STIs/STDs.

No. Antibiotics do not kill viruses. Antibiotics, such as penicillin, target the metabolic mechanisms of bacteria. Since viruses don't have their own metabolic mechanisms and structures, antibiotics cannot kill viruses. Recently, anti-antibiotic bacteria have appeared and cause trouble. They acquire resistance against antibiotics because people use antibiotics more than necessary. It is important to use them effectively and properly to make everyone safe and healthy.

STIs are spread predominantly by unprotected sexual contact. Some STIs can also be transmitted during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding and through infected blood or blood products.

There are many ways to avoid or lower your risk of getting an STIs/STDs. ・Avoid sex or sexual activity. The most effective way to avoid STIs/STDs is not to have sex. ・Use condoms consistently and correctly. When used consistently and correctly, condoms offer one of the most effective methods of protection against STIs/STDs, including HIV. Although highly effective, condoms do not offer protection for STIs that cause extra-genital ulcers(i.e., syphilis or genital herpes). When possible, condoms should be used in all vaginal and anal sex. ・Stay with one uninfected partner. Staying in a long-term relationship in which both people have sex only with each other and neither partner is infected can be one way to avoid STIs/STDs. ・Talk to your partner. Before any sexual contact, talk to your partner about practicing safer sex. Be sure you clearly agree on what activities will and won't be OK.

Bacteria reproduce mainly by fission (dividing their own body). One bacterium splits into two bacteria, and it is called "binary fission." One bacterium can be two bacteria, and then two bacteria can become four bacteria. That's why bacteria are around us and in our bodies. Bacteria in our mouth and nose can spread when we cough and sneeze.

As we call them "microbes," they are small, so we need to use a microscope to see them in detail. By the way, there are a lot of microbes on our skin, and it is entirely normal. To make them visible, you can stain/dye them.

Effective treatment is currently available for several STIs and STDs.
・Three bacterial (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) and one parasitic STI (trichomoniasis) are generally curable with existing single-dose regimens of antibiotics.
・For herpes and HIV, the most effective medications available are antivirals that can modulate the course of the disease, though they cannot cure the disease.
・For hepatitis B, antivirals can help fight the virus and slow damage to the liver.

Bacteria are single cells that can survive on their own, inside or outside the body. They are found almost everywhere on Earth and are vital to the planet's ecosystems. The human body is full of bacteria, and in fact is estimated to contain more bacterial cells than human cells. Most bacteria in the body are harmless, and some are even helpful. A relatively small number of species cause disease.