Health - February is STI and Condom Month

On Sakhisizwe today, we spoke to Bulelwa Juta-Leeuw - from the Department of Health. February is Sexually Transmitted Infections and Condom Month and the theme is “Aids Free Generation….Zero Infection, Deaths and Stigma in my life. According to the HealthInsite, one in five South Africans is living with genital herpes alone and over 4 million people receiving treatment for STI’s every year. The awareness aims not only at reducing the spread of STI’s but also to curb the spread of HIV and AIDS. STIs are primarily spread through person-to-person sexual contact. The most common conditions they cause are gonorrhoea, chlamydial infection, syphilis, trichomoniasis, chancroid, genital herpes, genital warts, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and hepatitis B infection. Some STIs exist without symptoms while the main syndromes of common STIs are urethral discharge, genital ulcers, inguinal swellings (bubo, which is a swelling in the groin), scrotal swelling, vaginal discharge, lower abdominal pain and neonatal eye infections (conjunctivitis of the newborn). It remains a big problem, even though most of the infections can be cured due to fear of being stigmatised as people are reluctant to seek medical treatment for sexually transmitted infections. For more information contact 0800 012 322.