Aids Reflection Paper

SYMPOSIUM

Last August 24, 2012(Friday) at 2 o’clock we have a symposium which discuss about STI/STD, HIV, AIDS, Boy-Girl Relationship, Family Planning and many more topics. In that symposium we have learned many things. They first discuss about STI/STD in which they said, “Marami ng may STI sa GenSan.”. Sexually transmitted infections (STI), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and venereal diseases (VD), are illnesses that have a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, includingvaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex. While in the past, these illnesses have mostly been referred to as STDs or VD, in recent years the term sexually transmitted infections(STIs) has been preferred, as it has a broader range of meaning; a person may beinfected, and may potentially infect others, without having a disease. Some STIs can also be transmitted via the use of IV drug needles after its use by an infected person, as well as through childbirth or breastfeeding. Sexually transmitted infections have been well known for hundreds of years, and venereology is the branch of medicine that studies these diseases. They also showed us many pictures of those who have STI/STD, AIDS, and HIV. The causes of STI/STD are Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is caused by an imbalance in the normal healthy bacteria found in the vagina. Although it is relatively harmless and may pass unnoticed, it can sometimes produce an abundance of unpleasant fishy smelling discharge. Chlamydia is one of the most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted diseases. It is caused by the chlamydia trachomatis bacterium. It infects the urethra, rectum and eyes in both sexes, and the cervix in women. If left untreated, long-term infection can lead to fertility problems in women. Chlamydia is transmitted through genital contact and/or sexual intercourse with someone already infected. Symptoms of chlamydia usually show between 1 and 3 weeks after exposure but may not emerge until much later. Crabs or pubic lice are small crab-shaped parasites that burrow into the skin to feed on blood. They live on coarse body hair, predominantly pubic hair, but can also be found in armpit hair, facial hair and even on eyelashes. The lice are yellow-grey in colour and use their crab-like claws to grip hair strands. They can sometimes be spotted moving on the skin. Genital warts are caused by some sub-types of human papilloma virus (HPV). They can appear on the skin anywhere in the genital area as small whitish or flesh-coloured bumps, or larger, fleshy, cauliflower-like lumps. They are unlikely to cause pain but may itch and can be difficult to spot. Often there are no other symptoms of genital warts, but if a woman has a wart on her cervix she may experience slight bleeding or unusual coloured vaginal discharge. Gonorrhea (once known as the clap) is a sexually transmitted infection that can infect the urethra, cervix, rectum, anus and throat. Symptoms of gonorrhoea usually appear between 1 and 14 days after exposure, but it is possible to have no symptoms. Men are more likely to notice symptoms than women. Hepatitis refers to viral infections that cause inflammation of the liver. Several different types of hepatitis virus exist (labelled A to G), with hepatitis A, B and C being the most common. Hepatitis can occur following excessive and prolonged consumption of alcohol or the use of certain medicines and drugs, but it is most commonly caused by a virus. Read more about the different transmission routes of hepatitis. Herpes is caused by two strains of the herpes simplex virus, type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). HSV-2 is more common and usually manifests itself in the genital and anal area, whereas HSV-1 is more likely to affect the mouth and lips in the form of cold sores. On a global scale, HSV-2 is a very common STD.Symptoms of herpes usually appear 2 to 7 days after first exposure to the virus and last 2 to 4 weeks. Molluscum contagiosum (MC, also known as water warts) is a common viral infection, which results in a skin disease. Small papules usually appear on exposed skin such as the torso, thighs, genitalia and anus, around 2 to 8 weeks after initial infection with the virus. The pearl-shaped papules are usually between 1 to 5 millimetres in diameter, are filled with a gungy, white, contagious, fluid, and often appear in clusters. Scabies is an intensely itchy, contagious skin infestation of the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei. The adult female mite is around 0.4 mm (one sixtieth of an inch) long and barely visible to the human eye, with the male being half that size. Female mites burrow into the outer layer of the skin (stratum croneum) to lay eggs. Syphilis is a bacterial infection caused by Treponema pallidium, which used to be known as the pox. It is usually sexually transmitted, but can also be passed from an infected woman to her unborn child. Syphilis progresses through several stages, of which the primary and secondary stages are very infectious. Syphilis symptoms can be difficult to recognise and may take 3 months to appear after sexual contact with an infected person. Thrush, also known as candidiasis, is a yeast infection caused by the Candida species of fungus. Thrush is not technically a sexually transmitted infection, as Candida is a common yeast that is found on the skin and genitals of most people, even those who have not had sex. Candida is usually suppressed by the immune system and the natural bacteria found in the body, but there are many things that can upset the balance and allow Candida to grow. Thrush occurs a lot less frequently in men. And, Trichomoniasis (also known as Trich) is caused by the single-celled organism trichomonas vaginalis, which is transmitted through sex. It can infect the vagina and the male and female urethra. Often this STD presents no symptoms, though women are more likely to have symptoms than men. All of the meaning of the cause was from the Google but they also said likely/similar of it. Most if not all as I can remember was being discussed in the said symposium. They said that there were now lot of STI/STD cases, but they didn’t know to those who didn’t have the courage to take check-up for them to know if they have STI/STD or HIV. Maybe the reason why they didn’t take check-up it is because they were frightened to be discriminated by the people if they find out that they have STI/STD or HIV. They also give or tell us about the symptoms of the STI/STD. They keep on saying that they conduct seminars/symposium in many Barangays and schools to let people know or to educate people about STI/STD and HIV/AIDS, it is because this case is now being rampant in our City and they don’t want this case to increase or many people will have STI/STD or HIV/AIDS. I know the City now has a STD Management for HIV AIDS prevention. For this may affect the image of the City. And for me, they were right, if people were educated enough about this said case they will no longer be engage in sexual intercourse in which may result to STI/STD cases. You may become aware that you have an STD because of symptoms, or it may be that a sexual partner tells you they have an STD which they might have passed on to you. Some sexually transmitted diseases can be transmitted by an infected person even if they don't have any symptoms. Certain STDs can also be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her unborn child. If you think you might have been exposed to an STD then you should go to see a doctor. Many sexually transmitted diseases can be easily cured, but if left untreated, they may cause unpleasant symptoms and could lead to long-term damage such as infertility. It is important that anyone diagnosed with an STD informs everyone they have had sex with within the past year (or everyone following the partner they believe may have infected them). STD symptoms vary, but the most common are soreness, unusual lumps or sores, itching, pain when urinating, and/or an unusual discharge from the genitals. Next is they discussed about Boy-Girl Relationship. They discuss about the difference between Infatuation and Love. They site many examples and discuss everything. Infatuation starts easily and ends immediately while Love needs time to officially end or to really forget someone. Infatuation is completely based on physical appearance while Love is all about everything not just looks but also the attitude. Love is something that takes time to grow and grows stronger over time. Infatuation is like a bomb that goes off and then is gone. Infatuation is all about the moment, about attraction and desire. It's about wanting immediate gratification and sometimes pain. Love is about the future and security. Love is about happiness. Enough about that infatuation and love. They also discussed about Sexual Intercourse in which shouldn’t be done by those who were not married yet or commonly known as the PMS or pre-marital sex. This PMS was a sin. People should not engage to sex when they were not married but nowadays many people were engage to it especially teenagers which result to early pregnancy and early marriage which we all know it is hard for the teenagers because they were not ready about being parents at the early age. That’s why they discussed it to college students like us for us to know the disadvantage of it especially for us girls. In the said symposium they also let students ask them by the open forum in which those curious students may ask anything on them and they will answer it. For me, the symposium was a great idea to educate people especially us. We’ve learned many things about their topics. And we want to thank them for sharing their ideas and knowledge on us.